RIPPINGALE: South Kesteven Parish #59 of 83

Added: 2026-05-09

[00:00:25]The South Kesteven series is sponsored by Gainsborough Cycles 0147 617752.

[00:00:31]For all your cycling needs, this is your one-stop shop located at 20 Rufford Road, Gainsborough, or online at gainsboroughcycles.com. There's a link in the description.

[00:00:40]Gainsborough Cycles, ask for Trevor Halstead.

[00:00:45]Hello, folks. Welcome back to South Kesteven for the last time this week.

[00:00:48]Parish number 59 out of 83. We are certainly getting through these South Kesteven ones, aren't we? It'll be finished by the end of the year. Now, you definitely need to stick around till the end of this episode in this one because I've got something rather special to show you towards the end. You will definitely want to see it if you are a railway enthusiast. But, we've got a nice little village to walk around first. This is Rippingale.

[00:01:38]Rippingale, Ripa's people. Rounding off this latest run in South Kesteven, we're in the parish of Rippingale, and this one's got a few tricks up its sleeve. On the outside, this looks like any normal English village, but there are a few bits that almost hide in plain sight out here. Let's start with the name.

[00:01:55]Rippingale is usually traced to Old English. Most place name scholars link it to Ripper's people or the settlement of Ripper's followers with the second element how meaning a nook or a small piece of land. Early spellings include Rapping Hale and Ripping Hale.

[00:02:10]Rippingale developed as an early Anglo-Saxon settlement on slightly raised ground north of the fens. By the 10th and 11th centuries, Rippingale had a defined territory, open fields, and a church site indicating an established parish structure before the Norman Conquest.

[00:02:26]At the time of Domesday, Rippingale was a substantial settlement for its region.

[00:02:30]The survey lists sokeland attached to the royal manor of Folkingham meaning that Rippingale's land was tied to a larger administrative estate.

[00:02:38]Later, Rippingale's lands were held under the honor of Folkingham. Through the medieval period, the manor passed through several noble families including the Digants and the Beaumont lines and then it became linked with the Duchy of Lancaster.

[00:02:51]Enclosure took place gradually with piecemeal changes in the 17th and 18th centuries. By 19th century, the manor had lost most of its earlier admin role though estate ownership still shaped most of what we see here now.

[00:03:09]The most prominent landmark is St. Andrew's Church, yet another one with that same dedication which seems to be all over this area. Other landmarks include the village green, the old vicarage, and several 19th century farmhouses.

[00:03:21]Rippingale has produced individuals of local significance. One of the most notable is George Hussey Pack who as we know was a railway director who went on to live at Caythorpe Hall. And speaking of the railway, there's something here you have to see.

[00:03:35]The former Rippingale railway station which opened in 1872 on the Bourne and Sleaford line closed to passengers in 1930 and to goods in 1964. You can find the old station away to the east of the village. Now, if it was just an old station, we'd cover it in the usual way and leave it be afterwards. But this one has something incredible to see at it. I won't give too much away because it'll spoil what's coming up. Keep watching to find out what I'm talking about.

[00:04:10]The old school on Main Road began in the early Victorian period, first noted in parish records in the 1840s. Built in brick with a gable front and tall windows, it followed the standard layout of its time. Around 40 to 50 pupils were taught in the single room it has. Today, the building is used by Weary and Sons, one of the oldest UK agricultural firms.

[00:04:32]They supply organic pulses and grains, including sesame, coriander, and millet.

[00:04:48]St. Andrew's Church stands on a raised patch of firm ground, first developed in the late 1100s with a simple nave and a chancel built in local limestone. That early structure was plain and Romanesque. During the 1200s, the building grew, gaining tall pointed arches in the nave arcade and a new south aisle.

[00:05:06]Further enlargement followed in the 1300s when the west tower was added. Its strong buttresses, tall belfry openings, and battlemented top give it a striking outline, once noted by Pevsner as one of the finest towers in this part of South Kesteven.

[00:05:20]Records mention a small ring of bells, later listed as three in regular use.

[00:05:26]The 1700s and early 1800s brought steady maintenance rather than major alteration. The 20th century required more focused work, particularly on the tower parapet and stonework. Inside, the medieval font survives with its octagonal bowl, and several windows keep fragments of old glass. The restored nave roof follows its traditional form.

[00:05:47]Outside, the tower dominates the village skyline and remains the building's defining feature.

[00:05:58]Rippingale has just the one pub, The Bull Inn, built in the early 1800s. It began as a beer house serving farm laborers from the village and workers traveling around Bourne and the Fen Edge. The building has a simple frontage, sash windows, and a central doorway. Inside there was once a tap room, a small parlor, and basic lodging with stables and cart storage behind.

[00:06:20]Newspaper reports mention livestock sales once occurring in its yard. There were inquests in its tap room, and there was the odd bout of disorder. One of those things may still occur today. I'll leave it up to you to guess which one.

[00:06:34]The inn passed through several long-serving landlords including the Harrison, Johnson, and Tebbutt families.

[00:06:39]An 1894 notice records the sale of farm equipment here showing its role in local trade.

[00:06:45]With the arrival of motor vehicles, the yard was adapted for cars. The inn survived wartime rationing and later gained a reputation for food as well as its drink.

[00:07:15]The war memorial now. This stands beside St. Andrew's Church and was erected after the First World War to honor the men from Rippingale who died in that conflict. Built of limestone, it has a tall tapering shaft on a square plinth all set on a stepped base. The cross rises to about 3 m. 11 men are listed arranged alphabetically with ranks and regiments where known. In the 1940s, two names from the Second World War were added carved by a Bourne stonemason in a matching style.

[00:07:51]Okay, people. I've got a parish notice board here in front of the church. So, you know what that means? Time for a card.

[00:07:59]Up there, I think. It's the best place for it. There we go.

[00:08:03]It's one of these. It's got a door on it, so bear with.

[00:08:07]There we go. Now, our next job from here is to go up Middle Street because up there there's an old shop.

[00:08:54]Looking left up the street, we reach the old Rippingale stores. The village has no shop today, but this house served that role for well over 100 years.

[00:09:04]It appears on Ordnance Survey maps of the 1880s as post office and stores, confirming its dual function.

[00:09:10]The layout followed the usual Victorian pattern, a front sales room with a large display window and a rear store room and living space above.

[00:09:18]Late 1800s records note deliveries to outline farms by hand cart or pony, and the shopkeeper acted as a news agent, receiving newspapers from Bourne each morning.

[00:09:28]During the First World War, the post office role grew with telegrams and letters handled daily. Parish minutes from 1916 record upgraded postal equipment.

[00:09:37]As motor transport improved, the shop began stocking fresh produce brought in from Bourne and Sleaford. But, increased access to larger retailers later created problems. By the late 20th century, supermarkets placed pressure on small rural shops just like this.

[00:09:53]Rippingale stores adapted with longer hours, takeaway snacks, and an expanded range of newspapers and magazines, yet it eventually closed and became a private home. Its original shop front proportions, though, remain easy to spot.

[00:10:10]The playing field now. This began as farmland used much like the fields around it. Parish minutes from the 1920s give the first firm reference to a dedicated space for sport here.

[00:10:21]Before then, games and gatherings took place on borrowed ground, but by the 1930s, the playing field was established and in regular use. Football matches, children's games, and outdoor meetings all took place here.

[00:10:32]The field stayed active through the 1940s despite wartime limits, and the 1950s brought organized fixtures and sports days.

[00:10:40]This leads neatly to the village feast, long linked with the playing field.

[00:10:44]Earlier feasts were held on the green or in farmyards, but this site soon became the preferred setting.

[00:10:50]The Rippingale feast featured tug-of-war contest, children's races, and visiting attractions, and it became a key date in the village calendar.

[00:10:58]Proceeds often supported field improvements. As far as I know, it still takes place today.

[00:11:06]All right, off the playing field. We're on Pinfold Close now. We've got a residential area to walk through for the next sort of 5 or 10 minutes.

[00:11:14]And then, we'll be heading towards the actual Pinfolds and a few other bits and bobs on the lane that runs to the top of the village.

[00:11:21]Uh it's called Station Street, I think, which makes a bit of sense cuz if you keep following it, you do get to the old station eventually.

[00:13:42]>> The Willows Care Home stands on the eastern side of Rippingale. Parish records from the mid-1900s noted a detached post-war house on this site, known locally as The Willows.

[00:13:53]Built in brick with a tiled roof, it has a simple two-story plan, a large garden, and outbuildings. The name came from willow trees along the boundary, some of which are still in place today.

[00:14:04]By the late 1970s, the house had been enlarged with rear extensions and internal alterations. Its increased size made conversion practical, and it's operated as a care home for around 25 years.

[00:14:20]Rippingale once supported two non-conformist chapels, a Wesleyan Methodist Chapel and a Primitive Methodist Chapel. Both were active from the 1800s into the mid-1900s.

[00:14:31]The Wesleyan Chapel began as a small meeting room used by traveling preachers from the Bourne circuit. Built in brick, it had a simple rectangular plan, tall arched windows, and a gable front.

[00:14:41]The Primitive Chapel, built in 1860 on Station Street, was smaller but followed the usual Primitive Methodist style with plain brickwork, a modest doorway, and simple fittings.

[00:14:52]By the 1960s, both chapels had closed.

[00:14:55]They appear clearly on the old maps at the start of this video. One of them stood in this area, which is why I'm talking about them now. I'll point out the other one shortly.

[00:15:17]Rippingale's pinfold is a well-preserved survivor of an old agricultural practice and is now grade two listed. Built of limestone rubble with a simple rectangular plan, it has thick roughly dressed walls.

[00:15:30]The entrance faces the road and once had a wooden gate, replaced several times.

[00:15:34]Inside, the space is unroofed and the ground slopes slightly for drainage.

[00:15:39]As livestock control improved, the pinfold fell out of use, but the structure stays intact today. Small repairs were later carried out to stabilize its walls and keep it in good condition.

[00:15:54]And that of course is why Pinfold Close is so named and here's the other end of Pinfold Close right here, you see? Right next to the pinfold off Station Street.

[00:16:03]Let's continue down Station Street towards the village hall. That's next.

[00:17:15]As promised, here's the site of the other former chapel. We'll skip past this because there's not a lot more to add to it and we'll make our way next towards the village hall.

[00:17:25]The village hall began to take shape in the years after the Second World War.

[00:17:29]Parish minutes from the late 1940s record efforts to secure a site and raise funds for a purpose-built hall leading to the plot beside the playing field. Fundraising in the early 1950s moved quickly and construction soon followed. Local builders completed the hall in the late 1950s. The original structure was a simple brick rectangle with a pitched roof containing a main hall, a small kitchen, and basic storage. It soon became a busy venue hosting concerts, craft fairs, clubs, and groups. The village feast was even held indoors here when weather intervened.

[00:18:02]Gradual improvements followed including new heaters and floor repairs. Over the last two decades, the hall has gained new lighting, better insulation, and an updated kitchen bringing it fully in line with safety standards. Modest in scale, it remains one of Riplingham's most used buildings.

[00:18:21]Right, so from the village hall, there's a public footpath around the back of it that leads back to the playing fields which I'm about to use to get back to the other street. That'll take us back down to Wendover Close which is where I parked the car. And when we've got to the car, I'm then going to take you out towards the old station here in Riplingham. And like I said at the beginning of this video, if you are a railway enthusiast, you might want to watch this next section.

[00:19:47]>> Rippingale may seem like a standard Lincolnshire village, but just to the east lies the route of the old Bourne to Sleaford railway line, once home to Rippingale station. Built by the Great Northern Railway and opened in 1872, it served the village and nearby settlements, linking them to Bourne, Sleaford, and the rail network beyond.

[00:20:05]The station followed the usual Great Northern style, red brick, a pitched slate roof, and tall chimneys. It included a waiting room, a booking office, and parcels area with a small goods yard to the north containing a siding, a loading dock, and coal pens.

[00:20:20]Traffic included agricultural produce, livestock, coal, and mail bags collected by early trains. Excursion trains ran, too, including seaside trips to Skegness.

[00:20:31]Passenger use declined as road transport improved and services ended in 1930.

[00:20:37]Goods traffic continued until closure in 1964, after which the track was lifted.

[00:20:42]However, part of the track bed survives and for good reason. The former yard holds a preserved industrial locomotive.

[00:20:51]This small shunting engine was brought here after closure and placed on a short length of track for display.

[00:20:57]Railway enthusiasts often visit this and photographs of it appear in heritage newsletters.

[00:21:03]The engine is typical of those used in factories and sidings across Britain. It never worked on this line, but it provides a striking visual link to the station's past. Repainted several times and kept in good condition, it remains visible from the road and instantly recognizable to anyone who ventures out to the old station site, though not many people pass by given how remote this location actually is.

[00:21:41]To the west of the village once stood Rippingale's windmill, a brick tower mill typical of those built across South Kesteven in the late 1700s and early 1800s. It worked as a corn mill grinding wheat, barley, and oats for local farms and remained active for decades.

[00:21:56]Decline set in during the late 1800s.

[00:21:59]The sails were removed, the cap failed, and the tower became a hollow shell before being taken down for safety. By the 1960s, only the lower section survived, and that too has since disappeared.

[00:22:11]The site later gained two features that kept the mill's name alive, Windmill Motors and The Windmill Inn.

[00:22:18]Windmill Motors began trading in the late 20th century on land close to the former mill, specializing in vehicle sales and repairs from the 1980s onwards.

[00:22:27]The Windmill Inn stood almost next door and appears in records from the 1800s.

[00:22:32]It remained active into the early 1900s before closing. For a time, it stood empty, and today little remains. Most of the building has been demolished. Older images on Google Street View give the best sense of how it once looked.

[00:22:57]It's hard to drive away from Rippingale without smiling a bit. This one's full of things that I just love. At its core stands St. Andrew's Church. That, the cross on the green, and the pinfold are brilliant examples of how rural life once was.

[00:23:12]Rippingale's social and practical life is recorded in its smaller buildings, too, like the old Rippingale stores, once the village's main supplier of goods and postal services. The Bull Inn, as well, still going strong, is a particular highlight.

[00:23:25]Moving outward, the parish's working history becomes clearer. The old windmill left its name stamped on later enterprises such as Windmill Motors and the former Windmill Inn. But, it's the old railway station which steals the show here. It's not every day you see an old steam shunter.

[00:23:45]I walk the old line where the sleepers once lay.

[00:23:51]Past the brick work standing firm in the light of day.

[00:23:57]A platform edge, a signal post, a trace of steam.

[00:24:03]And then I see it waiting like a long-lost dream.

[00:24:09]Paintworn thin, but the spirit still strong.

[00:24:15]Metal built for work, built to last this long.

[00:24:20]Rippingale, I hear the rail again.

[00:24:27]Stealing a memory running through the grain.

[00:24:32]Rippingale, past this breathing still.

[00:24:39]Right beside the station on the edge of the hill.

[00:24:45]The yard lies open where the wagons once stood.

[00:24:50]Coal dust settled deep in the old brick wood.

[00:24:56]And there it rests, that engine proud and bold.

[00:25:02]A shunter built for labor in the days of old.

[00:25:07]Sun on steel and the silence breaks as I trace each rivet for the path it takes.

[00:25:21]Rippingale, I hear the rail again.

[00:25:27]Steel and memory running through the grain.

[00:25:33]Rippingale, the past is breathing still.

[00:25:39]Right beside the station on the edge of the hill.

[00:25:45]I feel the weight of time in the iron frame.

[00:25:51]Hear distant wheels calling out its name.

[00:25:56]Tracks long gone, but the spirit stays.

[00:26:02]Holding tight to all those working days.

[00:26:09]Rippingale, I hear the rail again.

[00:26:16]Steel and memory running through the grain.

[00:26:21]Rippingale, the past is breathing still.

[00:26:28]Right beside the station on the edge of the hill.

[00:26:33]Rippingale, Rippingale, where the old lines sleep.

[00:26:37]>> The old lines sleep, but the engine guards the ground it keeps.

[00:26:45]Rippingale, Rippingale, standing breathing in a village marked by ironstone and tin.

[00:27:10]Now just before I go, remember this video is part of a huge project to visit every civil parish in England. That's more than 10,000. These routes are pre-planned and due to time constraints, I can't cover every detail or walk down every street. Please don't complain if this video missed something out. I pronounce names how I choose to. I am very aware that local dialect may vary and I don't take kindly to criticism about this. You've been warned. It's impossible to know everything too. If this video was terrible, make your own.

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[00:27:49]And finally, thanks for watching this episode everybody. Give us a like and a subscribe if you've enjoyed this episode and share it with your friends and relatives. It all helps to keep this mission going. Until next time, I've been Andy, also known as the Village Idiot and I'm out.