Long Sutton, Lincolnshire

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Long Sutton is located in South Holland, Lincolnshire. Long Sutton is a pretty market town on the eastern fringes of the county. It is now bypassed by the busy A17. It lies close to the Wash and the landscape is flat. It has a population of around five thousand.

Like many Fenland towns, Long Sutton has an illustrious history, thanks to its setting in the fertile silt lands of the Lincolnshire Fens. The Friday Market dates back to the early 13th Century, when the town was a prosperous trading centre. In fact, by the mid 14th Century, Long Sutton was considered to be one of the richest communities in Lincolnshire.

This prosperity continued well into the 20th Century. As recently as the 1950s, eleven trains would daily transport passengers and local produce to and from the town.

Today, both the thriving Friday Market and produce auction remain - together with many examples of fine Georgian architecture. Long Sutton is now known for floral displays that decorate the town and churches, throughout Spring and Summer. It has been named amongst the 'Best Kept Villages' in Lincolnshire, and has again – for the second year running - been named best small town in the East Midlands in Bloom competition.

St Mary's Church is famous for its 13th Century lead-covered timber spire. This is a similar design as Chesterfield's famous twisted spire but Long Sutton's spire still stands straight and true. It is now the highest, oldest and best-preserved lead spire in England and possibly Europe

The pubs are the Olde Ship Inn on London Road, the Crown & Woolpack on the High Street, and the Corn Exchange on Market Street. The Butterfly and Wildlife Park, voted Lincolnshire's Family Attraction of the Year by the Good Britain Guide, is home to hundreds of butterflies, birds of prey and reptiles, and lies just outside the town.

Long Sutton is the terminus of the A1101, Great Britain's lowest road.

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Last updated on Friday November 30, 2007 at 23:15:24 PST (GMT -0800)
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