Gainsborough Central
About
Gainsborough has two railway stations, Central (the station buildings were demolished in 1977) and Lea Road, one mile south of the town centre served by bus routes 100 and 107.
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Central Station was once a very grand station, situated perfectly in the town centre, however, following the demolition of the original buildings, our main line station then became Lea Road. Despite these changes there is an ongoing campaign to offer many more train services from this station as it situated perfectly to serve our town centre and the Marshalls Yard Shopping Centre, as it backs onto the rear of this wonderful shopping area.
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Local young people have now expressed an interest in adopting this particular station, as they feel it needs to be cared for, and that the ongoing campaign would benefit from the younger voice being involved.
What's in the Area?
The Old Nick Theatre
This wonderful theatre in the round is literally a few seconds walk from Central Station, on Spring Gardens. The Old Nick Theatre and Victorian Police Station, situated in the centre of Gainsborough, close to Marshall’s Yard has long been a major fixture in Gainsborough’s theatre and arts scene.
It plays host to performances by their in-house community theatre group – The Old Nick Players and travelling theatre groups, in addition to community youth theatre and live music performances.
Located in the former Lincolnshire Police Divisional Headquarters – a Grade II listed Victorian Police Station and Magistrates Court and one of the only remaining examples of this type of building in the United Kingdom
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Gainsborough and the Separatists
During the early years of the 17th century, a movement separating religion from the state developed in and around Gainsborough. John Smyth a preacher who had been asked by the bishop of Lincoln for his strange doctrines and forward preaching of his Puritan views came to Gainsborough in 1603. It is thought that John Smyth enjoyed the freedom to preach in his own style at the Old Hall under the protection of the new lord of the manor William Hickman. By the time King James banned private religious meetings and removed clergymen who refused to conform John Smyth had a congregation of around 70 people meeting secretly in Gainsborough. Sir William Hickman found himself under pressure from the Bishop of Lincoln for permitting John Smyth to preach. Unable to emigrate legally without permits and unable to obtain permits, John Smyth and at least forty of his Gainsborough followers slipped quietly away and disappeared from Gainsborough in late 1607 or early 1608. The Pilgrim Woman statute at Whitton's Gardens beside the River Trent marks the exodus. Read more of the Separatists in Gainsborough at Mayflower 400
All Saints Parish Church and the Gainsborough Tapestry
Standing on grounds across Gladstone Street from the Old Hall is All Saints Parish Church an 18th-century church, known as St Martin in the Fields of the North, attach to a 14th-century tower. The church contains the Gainsborough Millennium Tapestry telling the history of the town.
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Gainsborough Heritage Centre
Standing at the junction of North Street and Spital Terrace, only a short walk from Central Station,in a former post office building is the Gainsborough Heritage Centre which holds a wide range of information, drawings, manuals, and leaflets, relating to Marshall and Sons the world-famous agricultural machinery manufacturer.
Heritage Centre website
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A riverside walk from the Pilgrim Woman statute at Whitton's Gardens to the Trent Bridge is well worth traversing. The bridge, built by a firm of bridge builders from Oxford under the direction of William Weston, cost £4,000 when it was completed in 1791. Weston then emigrated to the USA in 1792 as a civil engineer to the ill-fated Schuylkill and Susquehanna Navigation Company. At the time of opening the Trent Bridge was the only bridge on the River Trent downstream of Newark.
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Marshall's Yard
The Marshall's Yard shopping centre occupies buildings that were once part of Marshall and Son's works. Central station is located behind the shopping centre
Marshall's Yard website.
St Paul's Church, Morton - A treasure house of William Morris and Sir Edward Burne-Jones windows.
A mile north of Gainsborough town centre (bus 2 and 100) is the church of St Paul in the village of Morton. Ten windows designed by the great Victorian artist Sir Edward Burne-Jones RA who worked on them with designer William Morris are a rare and valuable possession. In addition, the chancel carpet is woven into a pattern by William Morris.
Exploring churches St Paul Morton
Key Information
Trains serving Gainsborough operate between Lincoln and Sheffield, Peterborough and Doncaster and Sheffield and Cleethorpes.