Many coins and examples of pottery from the era have been found, how many more are still to be unearthed? In the early days, Burgh was just marsh land. Using drains and ditches the land was drained and the rising ground on which the town stands would have been considered a ‘safe place’ hence the name Burgh-in-the-Marsh. Later the name was changed to Burgh le Marsh because of French and Norman influences.
One of Burgh’s most famous landmarks is the 14th century church of St. Peter and St. Paul. Another is Dobson’s five sailed windmill, built around 1813, still working today.
The cattle market once was an important part of life in Burgh le Marsh. Many hundreds of cattle would change hands on market day. The cattle market closed on 7th September 1961. The site is now used as flats and the Dobson Court Warden controlled complex.
Surprisingly, before the development of the railway system in the late 1800′s, Skegness was little more than an insignificant coastal village.
Thus early coastal tourism was born. Skegness was possibly at the height of its popularity in the 1920′s and 1930′s, prior to the mass ownership of motor cars following World War 2.
Skegness once extended much further out to sea and the coastline has suffered erosion over many years though it is now gaining ground. The area has been occupied since before Roman times. Roman pottery can be found today on the shore, it makes a change from collecting sea shells! Salt was manufactured along much of the low lying coast of Lincolnshire in Roman times and evidence of their working sites and even artefacts bearing their fingerprints can still be found today.
James Pallender-Plant
July 2011
Download Jame’s complete PowerPoint from http://dl.dropbox.com/u/55674163/Lincolnshire%20and%20Three%20Counties.ppt
