Discover Eastoft: village history and historic buildings

Eastoft combines a layered local history with buildings whose dates are easy to place in context. The former course of the River Don, the historic boundary location and the village buildings each tell a different part of its story. Those who enjoy discovering specific details will find topics here ranging from architecture and remembrance to the NL cycle route 11. Dates and names can also provide starting points for conversations to share with children.

River, boundary and landscape

The old River Don divided Eastoft; there was a High Street on each bank. Its former course was filled in and partly built over. The river’s altered course is therefore also part of the village’s history. Historically, Eastoft formed the boundary between Lincolnshire and the West Riding of Yorkshire. From the early 17th century, much of the land around the village was reclaimed from marsh and swamp. The river, the boundary location and the land reclamation offer different perspectives on the history of the village and its surroundings.

Church and houses with their own dates

St Bartholomew Church was built in 1855 to designs by J. Pearson. The gate and churchyard wall on the east and south sides of the churchyard also date from 1855: J. L. Pearson built both. Their shared date links the structures, while the information about their design and construction remains distinct. The Hall on Eastoft High Street is dated 1789. This provides an older point of reference in the village’s history to set against the 19th-century church building.

Other buildings add to this picture. Elm Tree Farmhouse is a red-brick farmhouse built around 1840, with a Welsh slate roof. About 150 metres south of the Church of Saint Bartholomew stands a late Georgian cottage belonging to a freeholder, dating from the late 18th century. The Old Vicarage is a vicarage, now a residence with an adjoining coach house and stables. It dates from the mid-19th century, probably 1855, and is attributed to J. L. Pearson. Their different construction dates make these houses specific points of reference if you are interested in Eastoft’s architectural history.

Places of remembrance

Seven trees on Eastoft Village Green commemorate the coronation of King Edward VII in 1901. The Eastoft War Memorial stands within a semicircular enclosure and bears the names of the men who lost their lives in the First and Second World Wars. The two places represent different forms of remembrance: the trees commemorate a royal event, while the memorial honours those who fell in the war. For families, these clearly identified references can offer an accessible introduction to local history, without any prior historical knowledge.

Cycling route and further history

Eastoft Hall is a point of interest on the NL cycle route 11. This offers a connection to cycling trips alongside the village’s buildings and places of remembrance. A separate part of Eastoft’s history is that of its former railway station: it was on the Fockerby Branch Railway, which was part of the Axholme Joint Railway. The River Don Tavern is also part of the village’s recorded history; its history as a traditional village inn goes back more than 100 years.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: East Barkwith, Market Rasen, Lissington, Metheringham, Sudbrooke, Wrawby, Harlaxton, Kelby.

For the main travel overview: Lincolnshire.