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| Belchford | |
|---|---|
 The village as viewed from the south. | |
  Belchford Location withinLincolnshire | |
| Population | 255 (2011) |
| OS grid reference | TF294754 |
| • London | 120 mi (190 km) S |
| Civil parish |
|
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | HORNCASTLE |
| Postcode district | LN9 |
| Dialling code | 01507 |
| Police | Lincolnshire |
| Fire | Lincolnshire |
| Ambulance | East Midlands |
| UK Parliament | |
| |
Belchford is a village andcivil parish in theEast Lindsey district ofLincolnshire, England. The village is situated approximately 4 miles (6 km) north ofHorncastle and just to the east of theA153. At the2011 census, the population of the parish was 255.[1]
The village's history dates back to the Romans and the Vikings. In 1536, during theReformation, the vicar of Belchford was hanged, drawn and quartered for treason, after leading a rebellion against the crown.[citation needed]
Steep hills and deep valleys surround the village. Belchford lies in theLincolnshire Wolds, a designatedArea of Outstanding Natural Beauty running fromLouth in the north, to Horncastle in the south. The village attracts ramblers, and hang-gliders who use the ridges from theBluestone Heath Road to launch into the valley.[citation needed]
TheViking Way, a nationallong distance footpath, passes through Belchford by the Blue Bell Inn, on its way from theHumber in the north toRutland in the south.
The Belchford Downhill Challenge is held every year in September, as a competition for gravity powered soapbox carts, sidecar outfits and bicycles that race down a half mile course on a steep closed public road at up to 50 mph.[2] The event attracts approximately 50 competing teams from around the UK and is combined with a craft fair with other attractions for children. Spectator turnout for the event is generally about 3,000.[citation needed]
TheSouth Wold Hunt is based near Belchford.
The hunt was founded in 1823 by the Hon. George Pelham (the younger brother to Lord Yarborough). In the mid-1850s the hunt built kennels at Belchford. During the Second World War the Agricultural Executive occupied the kennels and so the country was temporarily split with the hounds kennelled atAswardby on the eastern side and Edlington Hall on the western side. The pack were united again in the 1948–49 season when the hounds returned to the kennels at Belchford where they remain today. The South Wold Hounds are hunted every Saturday and most Tuesdays throughout the season, over a varied country which includes part of theLincolnshire Wolds and the Marsh. The country extends fromMarket Rasen Racecourse in the north-west to the coast in the east.Woodhall Spa is at the south-west of the Hunt's country.[citation needed]
TheGrade II listedparish church of Belchford[3] is dedicated toSt Peter andSt Paul The original church was built before 1153,[4] but was rebuilt in 1781, with later additions in 1859. Thefont is 15th-century; the altar andreredos 19th-century.[3]
The villagepublic house is the Blue Bell Inn, which has a restaurant, and provides locally brewed beer.
Media related toBelchford at Wikimedia Commons
