Grantham, England

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Introduction

Grantham has medieval origins but largely developed as market town in the 18th Century. It has a population of around 44500 and is located on the west side of Lincolnshire close to the Vale of Belvoir and within striking distance of the cities of Nottingham and Peterborough. Its huge advantage is its location just off the A1 and as a stop on the East Coast mainline north/south route from London to Scotland. Once an important coaching stop when the Great North Road passed through the town, it was later bypassed by the A1 but is still sufficiently close to it to benefit from this important north/south route. It is one of the three main towns in the South Kesteven Council area, the others being Stamford and Bourne. Whilst Stamford is an almost perfect Georgian town which requires little support, Grantham has lost its way over the years and has not taken full advantage of its location and its potential. In recent years the great rail link (one hour by train to central London) has attracted many wealthier people to move to the area, particularly the Vale of Belvoir, and to commute. Digital improvements have enabled many to work from home and only need to go to London when necessary.

Until recently, Grantham has not benefited as much as it could from these social and economic changes but there are exciting plans to redevelop and improve the area around the railway station as well as the station itself. As a result of the increasing popularity and wealth of the town there has also been, and continues to be, investment in the town’s heritage, retail and hospitality offer from both the public and private sector.

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