| Owston Ferry | |
|---|---|
 Church of St Martin, at Owston Ferry | |
  Owston Ferry Location withinLincolnshire | |
| Population | 1,328 (2011 census) |
| OS grid reference | SE805005 |
| • London | 135 mi (217 km) SSE |
| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | DONCASTER |
| Postcode district | DN9 |
| Dialling code | 01427 |
| Police | Humberside |
| Fire | Humberside |
| Ambulance | East Midlands |
| |
Owston Ferry is a village andcivil parish inNorth Lincolnshire, England. It is situated on the west bank of theRiver Trent, and 9 miles (14 km) north fromGainsborough. It had a total resident population of 1,128 in 2001 including Kelfield.[1] This increased to 1,328 at the 2011 census.[2] Sometimes referred to asOwston orFerry, the village forms part of theIsle of Axholme. It is bounded to the west by theA161 road and the town ofHaxey. The River Trent is directly to the east. To the north, beyond a number of hamlets and villages, lies theHumber estuary.West Butterwick was originally a part of thetownship of Owston.
The name "Owston" is thought to derive from theOld Norse "austr+tun", meaning "east farmstead",[3] a view shared by other sources which outline that it specifically implied the "farmstead east of Haxey".[4] The name "Owston" is shared by at least two other settlements within the United Kingdom. In the 1086Domesday Book it is listed as "Ostone",[4]
Owston Ferry Castle, also known as Kinnard's Ferry Castle, was amotte-and-bailey fortification from the 12th century. It lay on the site of an earlier,Romancastrum.[5] It was dismantled by order ofHenry II of England in 1175–1176 following theRevolt of 1173–1174.[6]
Owston FerryGrade I listedAnglican parish church is dedicated toSt Martin.[7] The church register dates from 1603.[8]
In 1885Kelly's reported the existence ofWesleyan andPrimitive Methodist chapels,[9] arope-walk,boatbuilding yard, severalcorn mills, and the manufacture of sacking andsail cloth. The parish was of 5,350 acres (2,165 ha). Wheat, barley, potatoes, beans and grass were grown.[8]
As part of the provisions of theLocal Government Act 1972, Owston Ferry formed part of theBoothferry district of the county ofHumberside, having previously been within theParts of Lindsey from thehistoric county boundaries ofLincolnshire. Since 1996 however, Owston Ferry has formed part of theunitary authority area ofNorth Lincolnshire and the county of Lincolnshire.
In 2009, a specific area of land in Owston Ferry was highlighted in a study by W. S. Atkins for the Department of Energy on alternative sites for a nuclear power plant as a potentially suitable site "worthy of further consideration".[10] (It had featured in a 1970sCEGB list of possible sites for such plant.) By 2010, the department had issued another document saying it had given the matter further consideration;[11] it had concluded that, although the site nominally met its "strategic site assessment criteria" for new nuclear power sites, it was not a credible site for deployment of new nuclear by the end of 2025 – adding that anyway, no firm had expressed any interest in building such plant there.[citation needed]
Owston Ferry stands on flat ground by theRiver Trent at53°29′42.8″N0°47′8.3″W / 53.495222°N 0.785639°W /53.495222; -0.785639 (53.495228°, -0.785656°). The civil parish of Owston Ferry includes the village of Owston Ferry and some smaller places, including West Ferry, Gunthorpe, Heckdyke and Melwood. The landscape is characterised by flat farmland with drainage ditches and flood meadows. There is a pumping station, operated by the Environment Agency, where the Ferry Drain and Warping Drain join the river Trent.[12]
Owston Ferry contains one primary school, St Martin's Church of England Primary School.
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Media related toOwston Ferry at Wikimedia Commons
