Great Steeping is a village and civil parish in the

East Lindsey East Lindsey is a Non-metropolitan district, local government district in Lincolnshire, England. Its council is based in Horncastle and the largest town is Skegness. Other towns include Alford, Lincolnshire, Alford, Burgh le Marsh, Coningsby, L ...

district A district is a type of administrative division that in some countries is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or county, counties, several municipality, municip ...

Lincolnshire Lincolnshire (), abbreviated ''Lincs'', is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East Midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber regions of England. It is bordered by the East Riding of Yorkshire across the Humber estuary to th ...

, England. It is situated approximately from

Spilsby Spilsby is a market town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. The town is adjacent to the main A16 road (England), A16, east of Lincoln, Lincolnshire, Lincoln, north-east of Boston ...

. The parish includes the hamlet of Monksthorpe. There are two churches dedicated to

All Saints All Saints' Day is a Christian holiday. All Saints, All Saints Day or Feast of All Saints may also refer to: Art and entertainment * ''All Saints'' (film), a 2017 Christian drama film * ''All Saints'' (TV series), an Australian hospital drama * ...

, one being redundant and now known as Old All Saints. Old All Saints, built in 1748 on the site of a

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with the fall of the West ...

church, and restored in 1908, is a Grade II*

listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Hi ...

. The

Diocese of Lincoln The Diocese of Lincoln forms part of the Province of Canterbury in England. The present diocese covers the ceremonial county of Lincolnshire. History The diocese traces its roots in an unbroken line to the Pre-Reformation Diocese of Leice ...

declared it redundant in August 1973. In the grounds is the socket stone of a medieval churchyard cross which is an ancient

scheduled monument In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a nationally important archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorised change. The various pieces of legislation that legally protect heritage assets from damage, visu ...

. All Saints’ Church was built of red brick in 1891, after a design by William Bassett-Smith. It is Grade II listed, and has a listed churchyard cross. Great Steeping

Primary School A primary school (in Ireland, India, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, South Africa, and Singapore), elementary school, or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary ...

was built in 1859, and later run by the Great Steeping School Board from 1876 to 1903 as Great Steeping Board School. Kelsey Hall dates from 1854 but occupies the site of an earlier

manor house A manor house was historically the main residence of the lord of the manor. The house formed the administrative centre of a manor in the European feudal system; within its great hall were usually held the lord's manorial courts, communal mea ...

which burnt down. It is first noted in 1507 as "Kelsayhall" and its name derives from the Kelsey family associated with Great Steeping. Old documents refer to "William de Kellessay in Steping" in 1299, and Ralph de Kelsay in 1327. Kelsey Hall is a private house. Great Steeping was also the base for

RAF Spilsby Royal Air Force Spilsby or more simply RAF Spilsby is a former Royal Air Force station during the Second World War and the Cold War located in the rural village of Great Steeping, near the market town of Spilsby, Lincolnshire, England. Halpenny, ...

, which originally was to be on the site of Gunby Park. However, after an appeal by Field Marshal Sir Archibald Montgomery-Massingberd of

Gunby Hall Gunby Hall is a country house in Gunby, East Lindsey, Gunby, near Spilsby, in Lincolnshire, England, reached by a private drive. The Estate comprises the 42-room Gunby Hall, listed Grade I, a clocktower, listed Grade II* and a carriage house a ...

to the King, the RAF Steeping airfield was built as RAF Spilsby. It opened in September 1943, and in 1944 RAF Spilsby,

RAF Strubby Royal Air Force Strubby or more simply RAF Strubby is a former Royal Air Force station north of Alford, Lincolnshire, and south east of Louth, Lincolnshire, England. History Squadrons Units * No. 381 Maintenance Unit RAF (MU) * No. 382 M ...

, and

RAF East Kirkby Royal Air Force East Kirkby or more simply RAF East Kirkby is a former Royal Air Force List of former Royal Air Force stations, station near the village of East Kirkby, south of Horncastle, Lincolnshire, Horncastle in Lincolnshire, just off the ...

joined to become the newly formed 55 Base with headquarters at East Kirkby. In September 1944 RAF Spilsby became a station for two Lancaster squadrons, the 207 and 44. It was taken over by No 2 Armament Practice School from 1945 until November 1946, after which the station was placed on care and maintenance until 1955. It re-opened to host ground units of the USAF until they moved out in 1958.

References

External links

* {{authority control Villages in Lincolnshire Civil parishes in Lincolnshire East Lindsey District