1 History

Main article: History of Lincolnshire.

Lincolnshire derived from the merging of the territory of the ancient Kingdom of Lindsey with that controlled by the Danelaw borough Stamford. For some time the entire county was called 'Lindsey', and it is recorded as such in the Domesday Book. Later, Lindsey was applied only the northern core, around Lincoln, and emerged as one of the three Parts of Lincolnshire, along with the Parts of Holland in the south-east and Kesteven in the south west.

In 1888 when county councils were set up, Lindsey, Holland and Kesteven each received their own separate one. These survived until 1974, when Holland, Kesteven, and most of Lindsey were unified into Lincolnshire, and the northern part, with Scunthorpe and Grimsby, going to the newly formed administrative county of Humberside, along with most of the East Riding of Yorkshire.

A further local government reform in 1996 abolished Humberside, and the parts south of the Humber became the unitary authorities of North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire. These areas became part of Lincolnshire for ceremonial purposes such as the Lord-Lieutenancy, but are not covered by the Lincolnshire police. These two authorities are in the Yorkshire and the Humber region.

The remaining districts of Lincolnshire are Boston, East Lindsey, Lincoln, South Holland, South Kesteven, North Kesteven and West Lindsey. They are part of the East Midlands region.

2 People

Residents of Lincolnshire are nicknamed 'Yeller Bellies' (a play on the pronunciation of 'Yellow Bellies' by the typical Lincolnshire farmer). The origins of this phrase remains unclear. However, a number of theories exist:

• The uniforms of the old Lincolnshire Regiment were green with yellow facings. The fastenings of the uniform tunic, which were known as frogs, were also yellow.
• Opium extracted from poppy heads and taken to relieve malaria that was prevalent in the fens in earlier centuries turned the skin a shade of yellow.
• Sheep grazing in mustard fields were dusted by pollen from the blossom that turned their undersides yellow. Alternatively, the long under wool of sheep grazing in the Lincolnshire Wolds became discoloured by the yellow clay.
• Women traders on street markets in past times are reputed to have worn a leather apron with two pockets, one for copper and silver and one for gold. At the end of a good day they would say they had "a yellow belly" meaning they had taken a large number of gold sovereigns.
• The expression is based on the old belief that if a person born in Lincolnshire placed a shilling on their abdomen on retiring to bed and slept flat on their back all night, then the next morning the shilling would have turned into a gold sovereign.
• The stage coaches that operated in Lincolnshire in times past had yellow body work.
• The term originated from Elloe, the name of the rural deanery that serves the fen area of the Lincoln Diocese. This in turn took its name from the Saxon Wapentake which was referred to as Ye Elloe Bellie - Elloe meaning out of the morass while bel was the Celtic word for hole or hollow.

3 Towns and villages

• Alford, Alkborough, Ashby de la Launde , Aubourn
• Bassingham , Billinghay , Blankney , Boston, Boothby Graffoe, Bourne, Bracebridge Heath , Brandon , Brant Broughton , Branston, Burgh le Marsh , Burton
• Caistor , Canwick , Carlton Le Moorland , Caythorpe , Chapel St. Leonards , Cherry Willingham , Coleby, Coningsby , Croft , Crowland
• Deeping St. James , Digby , Dorrington , Dunston
• Eagle
• Folkingham , Freiston , Fulbeck
• Gainsborough, Grantham
• Haddington, Lincolnshire , Harmston, Heckington , Heighington , Holbeach , Horncastle
• Ingoldmells
• Kirkby Green
• Leasingham , Lincoln, Long Sutton , Louth
• Mablethorpe , Market Deeping , Market Rasen, Marston , Martin (North Kesteven), Martin (East Lindsey), Metheringham
• Navenby , Nettleham, Nocton , Normanton , North Thoresby, Norton Disney
• Pinchbeck , Potterhanworth
• Reepham , Rothwell , Rowston
• Saltfleet, Scartho, Scopwick, Sibsey , Skegness, Sleaford, Somersby , Sots Hole , Southrey , Spalding, Spilsby, Stapleford , Stamford, Sutton Bridge
• Tanvats , Tathwell, Temple Bruer , Tetney , Timberland , Thorpe on the Hill , Twenty
• Waddington, Walcott , Washingborough , Welbourn , Wellingore , Whitton , Woodhall Spa , Woolsthorpe-by-Belvoir, Woolsthorpe-by-Colsterworth, Waltham, Wasps Nest , Whisby , Wragby

4 Education

Lincolnshire is one of the few counties within the UK that still uses the Eleven plus to decide who is able to attend Grammar school.

Skegness Grammar School in Lincolnshire is notable as the first school in Great Britain to apply for, and to receive, grant-maintained status.

5 Places of interest

• Alford Manor House
• Alford Windmill
• Alkborough Turf Maze
• Ayscoughfee Hall
• Belton House
• Bolingbroke Castle
• Boston Stump
• Branston Hall
• Cogglesford Watermill
• Crowland Abbey
• Doddington Hall
• East Lighthouse, Sutton Bridge - former home of Sir Peter Scott
• Gainsthorpe
• Grimsthorpe Castle
• Harlaxton Manor
• Heckington Windmill
• Lincoln Castle
• Lincoln Cathedral
• Normanby Hall
• Tolethorpe Hall
• Gibraltar Point
• River Ancholme
• The Wash

6 References

• Lincolnshire Yellowbellies

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