Binbrook: Village History and Trails in the Lincolnshire Wolds

Binbrook combines a long history of settlement with traces of different periods in the surrounding area. The settlement dates back to Anglo-Saxon times and continues to exist today. Earthworks from medieval and post-medieval settlement and agricultural activity have been preserved around the present-day village. There is also a historic parish church, a circular walking trail across a former priory site and a riding route that climbs up from Binbrook. If you are looking for a holiday cottage, you might therefore consider whether village history, a walk or a ride on horseback should be the focus of your stay.

Village History and Historic Traces

The surviving earthworks give the area around Binbrook a distinctive historical dimension: they point to settlement and agricultural activity from the Middle Ages and the period that followed. A charter held by Walter de Kirkham in 1235 granted Binbrook a three-day market from 28 to 30 August. This precisely dated event sits alongside the settlement’s long development and shows how the village’s history is made up of different layers from different periods.

Church, Architecture and Remembrance

The Church of St Mary and St Gabriel is a parish church dating from 1869. It was designed by James Fowler of Louth in the Early English style. The church is considered a place of peace and is distinguished by its character and craftsmanship.

Places of remembrance also form part of the church and its surroundings: there are war graves in the churchyard, and a memorial board for 460 Squadron is displayed in a glass case inside the church. A memorial stone for the same squadron also stands in Binbrook; it was unveiled on 9 September 1973. The local church’s history thus meets the remembrance of aviation history, although the two memorials are distinct.

Explore on Foot or on Horseback

The circular walking trail “Binbrook Paths, Ponds & A Priory Walk” crosses the site of the former Orford Priory. The monastery, also known as Irford Priory, was a Premonstratensian nunnery. It was founded in the mid-12th century and dissolved in 1539. The trail combines a walk with a clearly identified historic point of interest. The priory’s history offers a different perspective from the earthworks: here, the focus is on a religious site with its own foundation and dissolution dates.

Another activity is the riding route “C2 – Beesby, Binbrook & North Ormsby area”. It includes a particularly attractive riding trail that climbs up from Binbrook and lies entirely within the Lincolnshire Wolds AONB. The main difference from the circular walking trail is the type of outing: one crosses the former priory site, while the other is a riding route through the Wolds landscape.

Music and Aviation History

Binbrook is also associated with folk singer Joseph Taylor. He was born in the village on 10 September 1833 and helped revive folk music across England. His story adds a cultural figure to the picture of the village, whose significance extended beyond Lincolnshire.

RAF Binbrook was a former RAF airfield: it opened in June 1940 and closed in the late 1980s. Another detail from aviation history is the upper tail fin of a Lightning aircraft from nearby RAF Binbrook, which can be seen from the road. As the surroundings may change, check in advance whether it is currently visible.

This mix of interests can help you choose a holiday cottage. Consider whether you would like to focus your stay more on local history and places of remembrance, a walking trail or a riding route. This makes it easier to judge Binbrook as a destination based on the kind of exploration that matters most to you.

Discover more destinations: Grantham, Wrawby, South Kyme, Barton-Upon-Humber, Colsterworth, Washingborough, Brigg, Lincoln.

For the wider travel overview: Lincolnshire.