The Civic Society, Bourne

The Civic Society in Bourne makes its presence felt over so many controversial local issues concerning the town's future that we tend to believe it to be an old established organisation but that is not so. It began at a public meeting at the Red Hall in 1977, inspired by Mr Rod Hoyle, art master at Bourne Grammar School, when a steering committee was set up and the following year, a second such meeting approved a constitution to promote high standards of town planning.

The impetus for the society's formation was to save No 15 Bedehouse Bank from demolition, a mediaeval thatched cottage made from mud and wattle, a building method rare in Lincolnshire, and so the property was unique to Bourne where it had been in continuous use for more than 250 years.

The dwelling was known as Miss Adams' cottage, after the last tenant who had died, when it was condemned by the local authority as being unfit for human habitation and had been put up for sale as a redevelopment site but the owners failed to find a buyer.

No 15 Bedehouse Bank

Experts insisted that it was sufficiently rare to be preserved, perhaps as a museum, but costs were said to be prohibitive and the owners sought permission to pull it down. Although it was a listed building, the cottage was demolished in 1980 after a public inquiry when objections by the Civic Society, the Ancient Monuments Society and other conservation organisations, were overruled.

Despite the failure of this campaign, the joint endeavour sparked an appreciation of the richness of the urban environment and the society vowed to help enhance our old buildings, through persuasion and criticism, to plant and landscape unattractive areas and so preserve the heritage of the town. The society invited the Earl of Ancaster to be their president and he continued in office until his death in March 1983 when he was succeeded by his daughter, Baroness Willoughby de Eresby, who remains in office today. The inaugural meeting also voted to produce a regular newsletter and to bring guest speakers to the town to talk on environmental issues and both of these objectives have been achieved in the years since.

Baldocks Mill
Baldock's Mill, pictured from the Bourne Eau at the rear where visitors walking this
footpath can hear the water rushing through the mill race.

The society's greatest accomplishment however has been in persuading Bourne United Charities to grant them a lease of Baldock's Mill, an early 19th century water mill in South Street, for refurbishment as a Heritage Centre and museum and that too has been achieved during 20 years of fund-raising and dedicated voluntary work by society members. Restoration work began in 1983 and the centre opened in 1999. The features include many artefacts, maps and documents from Bourne's past and a large display of photographs and mementoes from the career of Raymond Mays, the motor racing pioneer who lived in the town.

Their latest project for the town is a new booklet that has been produced for the benefit of visitors and for those who live here but would like to familiarise themselves with our surroundings. The booklet entitled Walks Around Bourne has been produced in co-operation with the Town Centre Management Partnership and South Kesteven District Council, superseding the previous edition published in 1984. The new version has not only been updated but also has the benefit of a larger format, colour photographs and a useful map of the town centre with an indexed key in case you lose your way.

The walks are presented in three stages from St Peter's Pool in the Wellhead Gardens and then around the town taking in our natural resources, the site of the first industries, the road and rail influence and finally returning to the Red Hall, one of our oldest domestic buildings. On the way you can see most of the interesting places that Bourne has to offer and the walk at a relaxed pace will take about 1½ hours. The Civic Society's new booklet can be obtained free from the Heritage Centre at Baldock's Mill.

During 2003-04, the mill wheels that had not turned for more than 80 years were restored, mainly through the efforts of Jim Jones, and they have now become an additional attraction for both townspeople and visitors. The society has twice been presented with the silver rose bowl from the Rotary Club of Bourne, a prestigious award made annually to organisations and individuals who have made a significant contribution to the environment during the previous twelve months. Brenda Jones, the chairman, accepted it first in June 2001 and at the second presentation in June 2004, she received it again with her husband, Jim Jones, who had installed the restored mill wheels practically single handed.

Bourne Civic Society - membership application form

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