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Arable farming has always been one of the mainstays of the local economy in Bourne and cereal production has played an important part. Wherry's grain warehouse in South Street, pictured above, was built during the middle of the 19th century to handle the wheat, barley and oats grown by local farmers who delivered their yield by horse and cart which waited outside while the sacks were hauled up by gantry. Older inhabitants of Bourne have fond memories of some of the horses used in this exercise, particularly a white Shire owned by the proprietors which was regarded with some public affection. The building is now standing empty and there has been much concern about its future because other similar properties have either been allowed to fall down or have been demolished in the name of progress. There were fears that this warehouse might suffer the same fate but it has recently been taken over for storage purposes by the J H Wand Group of Bourne who have already carried out some renovations, particularly to the roof..
The corn trade during the 18th and 19th centuries resulted in the construction of many wholesale warehouses around the town and although most have been demolished, some survive and have been converted for modern commercial purposes. A four-storey grain warehouse overlooking the car park in Burghley Street, pictured above, has been used for storage and distribution by Nursery Supplies (Bourne) Ltd but the company has now closed down and the building is standing empty and its future is in doubt although some maintenance work has recently been carried out.
In Eastgate, a similar warehouse on the banks of the Bourne Eau, pictured above, is used for car auction sales and other enterprises. All of these buildings are reminders of an age long gone and cling to their survival only through their current usefulness but in each case their days may be numbered as the search for suitable sites by developers continues. Return to HOME PAGE MAIN INDEX
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