Grantham

Doomsday Book 1,000 people lived here in 1066  Magna Carta in 1215– a principal witness who signed the Great Charter was Robert of Ropsley who lived near Grantham  Isaac Newton born on Christmas Day 1642 near Grantham and went to the local grammar school. Our greatest scientist and is commemorated by a statue on St Peters Hill. Oliver Cromwell in 1643 in May recaptured Grantham from the Royalists at the battle at nearby Gonerby Moor during the Civil War.

William Cecil, Lord Burghley, akin to the Prime Minister today, was educated at the local Grammar school from 1532 and was Principal Secretary to Queen Elizabeth 1.

WW1 air hero Captain Albert Ball VC lodged in the town whilst at the Grammar school in 1908/09.

The UK’s very first warranted policewoman, Edith Smith, served in Grantham between 1915 and 1918. She had the power of arrest but there is no record of her having to use it.

Alfred Roberts Born in 1892 and a local grocer who helped to found The Rotary Club of Grantham in 1931 and was President in 1936/37 and had a distinguished political career.

Margaret Thatcher,Alfred’s daughter, became the country’s first woman Prime Minister on 4 May 1979. She went to the local girls’ grammar school and always stressed her debt to her school and to the example set by her father.

A statue of her is planned to be erected nearby to that of Sir Isaac Newton.

Mallard   the famous Pacific class steam engine created by Sir Nigel Gresley achieved a never beaten world speed record of 126mph in July 1938 just south of Grantham.

The famous Dam Busters raid in May 1943 by Guy Gibson’s 617 Squadron was planned in Grantham at St Vincents Hall. Barnes Wallis, the inventor of the bouncing bomb waited anxiously there for news of the raid.

Nicholas Parsons the versatile and well known entertainer famous for ‘Sale of the Century’ was born in the town, the son of a local doctor.

The town has many new and historic buildings. The Glory of Grantham is St Wulfram’s Church with the third highest church spire in te country at 282ft 10ins. It was a Norman church in the 1100’s with much expansion in 1280 to 1380.h fi

Grantham House opposite the church was visited by royalty in the early part of th 16th century and is now owned by The National Trust which also owns Belton House  set in a magnificent park and gardens.

Grantham has been seen as a bit of a Cinderella town outshone by Stamford and Newark yet it has  a history and pedigree every bit as historic as these other famous towns. In Rotary terms we have the Swimarathon which for over 20 years has been the club’s premier fund raiser whereby over £30,000 is raised in a single weekend of sponsored swimming each year for charities and town good causes.

To find more about Rotary in Grantham here are links to each of the Towns Clubs:

Rotary Club of Grantham

Rotary Club of Grantham Sunrise

Rotary Club of Grantham Kesteven