Discover Fishtoft: Fens, Church Architecture and The Haven

Fishtoft can be explored through specific walking routes and historical themes: the Fishtoft Walk passes through the low-lying Fens, the Church of St Guthlac has several building phases, and water engineering and memorial sites add to the picture. If you are looking for a hotel for your stay, these different highlights can help you tailor your trip to your interests.

Walking through the Fens

The Fishtoft Walk runs through the low-lying Fens between the village of Fishtoft and The Haven. It starts at the Church of St Guthlac on Clampgate Road. Both the starting point and the landscape provide specific points of reference: the church is at the beginning of the described route, which passes through the fen landscape between the village and The Haven.

Havenside Country Park overlooks the saltwater stretch of the River Witham known as The Haven. You can reach the park on foot via the riverside embankment path. Here, The Haven refers to the saltwater stretch of the River Witham. The information answers different questions about orientation: the Fishtoft Walk is about the route through the Fens, while the park information describes the footpath to the riverside area.

Church and building history

The Church of St Guthlac is a parish church dedicated to the Saxon saint St Guthlac. Its components date from the 12th, late 13th, 14th and 15th centuries. In 1853, the church was restored and a vestry was added. Its building history therefore comprises several earlier phases and a later, clearly dated intervention that included the addition of the vestry—not a single date of construction.

Rochford Tower dates from around 1460. The building was slightly altered in the 17th century and partially restored in the 19th century. One specific architectural detail is the brick-vaulted lower storey with three pointed-arch recesses. In contrast to the Church of St Guthlac, whose components span several centuries, the focus for Rochford Tower is its approximate origin around 1460 and its later alterations. This makes it possible to distinguish the building chronologies of the two historical sites.

Water engineering, landscape and remembrance

The Hobhole Drain was designed by John Rennie and built between 1802 and 1812. The design and construction period provide different points of reference: John Rennie is associated with the plans, while the years 1802 to 1812 relate to the construction phase. The ditches along Burton Croft Road in Fishtoft offer a different perspective on the landscape: they provide a habitat for voles. Thus, alongside the history of a water engineering structure, ditches feature as a specific nature-related theme.

The Pilgrim Fathers Memorial stands in Havenside Country Park and was erected in 1957. It marks the site formerly known as Scotia Creek, where a group of Puritans were arrested in 1607 while trying to gain religious freedom. The two dates refer to different events: 1607 marks the arrest, and 1957 the erection of the memorial. This distinction in time helps separate the history of the site from the later memorial.

Discover more destinations: Saxilby, Scunthorpe, Sudbrooke, Colsterworth, Epworth, Barton-Upon-Humber, Broughton, Friskney

For the wider travel overview: Lincolnshire.