ferry lane skellingthorpe

[jawaka]

 I posted this at the end of a long discussion about the pyewipe cottages but think it has been overlooked being at the 11th page

Iam very interested in this discussion about the pyewipe as the area was served by the ferry across the Fossdyke at the bottom of Ferry Lane in skellingthorpe. I've found nothing on the internet and Lincolnshire Archive has but two documents which refer to it (one reference: Ferry, private). I lived in skellingthorpe from age 0 to 12 and Ferry lane was a regular walk for us. It is surprising that there is so little information given that the name Ferry Lane persists

I see Linnet 27 identifies the ferryman and I wonder if she or others have more info. Some photos would be lovely. I don't see that it could be a rope or chain ferry as boats would pass so maybe it was a raft and poled across?

My Dad told me that he used the ferry to cycle to school in Lincoln and used to stick out a foot onto a post to stop. Once he missed the post and fell in.

The ferry is marked as private on an old map

[maddys52]

Welcome to RootsChat jawaka.

To help others, this is the previous thread
https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=457285.90

[maddys52]

I haven't read the 11 pages of the previous thread, but some mentions here after a quick look at old newspapers -

"The Skellingthorpe Ferry (Lincolnshire) over the Foss Dyke, is to be closed next month."
Wednesday,  Mar. 9, 1932
Publication: The Daily Telegraph

Also a mention of a shooting (self inflicted) near "Patchett's Ferry, Skellingthorpe"
Monday,  May 20, 1912
Publication: Nottingham Evening Post

A drowning near the Skellingthorpe Ferry
Friday,  May 12, 1905
Publication: Stamford Mercury

Another drowning - the body was "entangled in the chains of the ferry boat", so it does sound like it was a chain ferry. Andrew PRATCHETT the ferryman.
Friday,  Feb. 2, 1894
Publication: Stamford Mercury

Various other mentions over the years, the earliest I can see in 1827, though none describing the ferry.

[bbart]

Hi Jawaka, and welcome to Rootschat!

Just tossing out one more newspaper item to add to Maddy52's :

Halifax Evening Courier 05 October 1938

A plan for restoring the Skellingthorpe Ferry over the Fossdyke Canal was abandoned.
The Town Clerk (Mr. G. H. Banwell) said the owners of the ferry, the L.N.E.R., had refused to maintain it. The cost of legal proceedings for a declaration of liability would be considerable and the outcome of them extremely problematical in view of the fact the ferry had not been used since 1932.

[jawaka]

Thank you for the welcome and I hope to be able to help others.

I know quite a bit about skellinthorpe and a fair bit about lincoln. My grandfather ran the local store, we have pictures and a cine film of the shop etc. They were strong methodists and funded the chapel building as well as donating the organ in memory of his wife
Appreciate the ferry information, funny that it should be mentioned in a daily newspaper as well as nottingham and stamford.

Love a photo  if anyone has anything