LANGTOFT: South Kesteven Parish #66 of 83

LANGTOFT – Long Homestead For the second time on TVI we come to place called Langtoft. Last time we were close to Driffield and Bridlington, this time we’re not far from Market Deeping. It sits on the A15 and is a modest village of about 2,000 people, lying within the Welland and Deepings drainage area. The name Langtoft comes from Old Norse. Most scholars think it means “long homestead” or “long toft”, though a local tradition prefers the idea of “Lang’s toft”, after a Norse landowner called Lang. Either way, the name points to some sort of Scandinavian influence in the 9th century. Langtoft has Roman connections. The Roman Car Dyke runs nearby: part canal, part drain. We can’t really see that here, but we’ll get a good look at it in two weeks time. If one feature captures modern Langtoft, it’s another long feature – the A15. Life in Langtoft has been defined by that road for centuries, and off it, the village has grown in both directions. It has the Waggon and Horses pub, a garage and car sales place, and steady traffic between Market Deeping and the fens. Set a little back from the traffic, St Michael’s Grade I listed church rises with a tall medieval tower and a spire, a landmark across these flat fields. Nearby stand the village hall, a primary school, playing fields, a war memorial and a cemetery, again laid out beside the A15. For centuries, work here meant farming the rich loam and managing the drained fen, with labourers, small farmers and craftsmen serving the parish and nearby market towns. Today instead, its more contemporary, with many residents commuting to Peterborough or Bourne. ---- Langtoft has not produced many nationally famous figures, and that in itself tells us a story. Local names matter more. I’m talking about people such Lord Aveland in the nineteenth century, and modern writers like Richard Platt, who carefully documented the village’s past. Lincolnshire is rich in fenland tales, and Langtoft shares that atmosphere of big skies and watery edges. Stories out here mainly concern the old Car Dyke and drainage channels, with talk of strange lights or echoes of Roman engineers or wildfowlers. Don’t believe everything you hear though. Recent headlines have touched on road safety at the junction of West End and the A15, after a serious collision closed the road. Ongoing concerns usually do centre on traffic, as well as new building and the constant task of keeping the low-lying land well drained. So Langtoft can be defined as a modern village but it has very old roots thanks to Norse settlers, Roman waterworks, medieval stonework and the constant flow of traffic up and down the A15. We have plenty to explore here, in a gentle Fenland circuit. **** #Langtoft, #Lincolnshire, #SouthKesteven, #Stamford, #Peterborough, #Bourne, #Churches, #Lakes, #Pubs, #Halls, #Sports, **** Some of the following music tracks may appear in this video: Brendan Perkins - “Foxsnow” (B. Perkins)    • Foxsnow   Brendan Perkins - “Mickey's House” (B. Perkins)    • Mickey's House   The Keyhouse - "Voices" (H. Flunder)    • Voices   The Keyhouse - "Circles" (H. Flunder)    • The Keyhouse - Circles (official audio)   Helen Flunder - "Sun" (H. Flunder)    • Helen Flunder - 'Sun' (Official Audio)   Helen Flunder - “Angels” (H. Flunder)    • Helen Flunder - Angels (Official Audio)   Helen Flunder - “C Song” (H. Flunder)    • Caistor and the Lincolnshire Wolds   Ending Song made by Suno AI I have me a Facebook page too!   / the-village-idiot-226069228730989   And now an INSTAGRAM - @andythevillageidiot Come and join The Village People! (Subscribers only!)   / 1037756120085304   Please consider buying me a coffee to support the channel! The more I get the faster I'll get to your parish! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/thevilla... Join this channel to get access to perks:    / @thevillageidiot