St. Thomas' church Skirbeck Quarter Boston

[beady]

Skirbeck parish is the whole area around Boston, except for the town centre which is the parish of St Botolphs.This also includes Trinity Church and Skirbeck church. One method of moving across the Witham was a chain ferry from skirbeck rd end straight across, half way between the town bridge and the swing bridge. This joined Skirbeck parish on the east side of the town.

[pamthomas]

Thanks for the  reminder about the chain ferry. Beady. I've seen plenty of photos of it, but never remember it when it comes to occasions such as this. Though it was (I think  ) before my time. 

[Redroger]

I thought I had half remembered a ferry being shown on the maps; if it was where I think it was, near the New Park Inn, it was still quite a long walk or ride for that curate to attend burials at St. Thomas, specially if it was snowing!The cause of the delay on the crossing Pam was due purely to the severe (by railway standards) gradient and curvature up to the bridge. Great about Neil Wright's book, I have some of his, but not that one. I think the chain ferry stopped in the late 1930's perhaps due to the war?, JUST before my time!

[beady]

As an aside about this area. Between the chain ferry and the swing bridge there was a boat builders yard backing onto Bath Gardens. This was my Gt Grandfathers yard so I know this area quite well.

[Redroger]

So the chain ferry was located where I thought then? Say about 400 yards downstream from the present Haven Bridge, near the Grammar School. I remember the boat yard too.

[pamthomas]

RR - If you have Neil Wright's (no initial R in the author's name, but same guy) 'Boston a Pictorial history' -
Picture 125, then 74, so as to get both banks, which show the ferry crossing between Pulvertoft Lan and Skirbeck Road.
But if you then turn back to picture 73, there's a miniscule part of the ferry shown, and it also says that there was another ferry between London Road and the shipyards.
It's an excellent book, as is Pat Pomeroy's 'Boston in Times Past', which is another one that's basically just photos. In Pat's book there's a photo of Spilsby Road c1900 absolutely heaving with traffic  - 3 horses and carts. 
Neil Wright (again no middle initial) had published in 2005 as part of the Francis Frith series ' Boston a History and Celebration', and on page 69 of that there's a photo of the actual ferry in 1899.

Returning briefly to the railway, the docks, and the Swing Bridge 'gradient' is not a word usually associated with Boston. I still remember on my driving test doing a 'hill start' on the 'hill' if you wanted to turn right to go over the Sluice Bridge from Tattershall Road. 

Beady - when did your grandfather's boat yard close? Not sure if I'm putting images into my head, or whether I can actually remember seeing it when I was very young.

[Redroger]

I took my hill start at the same place. Surprisingly,  but because of the nature of the area, railway gradients were amongst the steepest in the country, regularly 1in 100 or slightly steeper, this so the railway could get over the banks of the water courses, one of these is the gradient through Boston station from West St. to the Sluice bridge, 1in 100 through the station for just this purpose.But this is getting really off message!

[pamthomas]

I took my hill start at the same place. Surprisingly,  but because of the nature of the area, railway gradients were amongst the steepest in the country, regularly 1in 100 or slightly steeper, this so the railway could get over the banks of the water courses, one of these is the gradient through Boston station from West St. to the Sluice bridge, 1in 100 through the station for just this purpose.But this is getting really off message!

But the main railway line passed within sight of the Iron Church!

[Redroger]

It did indeed, so Stinson's garage, the Railway pub, and the little shop next to the line are also relevant as is London Road hospital etc.