Did You Know?
Robert of Bourne, a teacher at Bourne Abbey, was the first person to ever write in English.
The largest living Oak Tree in England can be found at the village of Manthorpe, just south of Bourne. It has a circumference of 40 feet and is over 1000 years old. The hollow interior had been fitted with seats and has apparently been used as a dining room for 20 people in the past.
Underground Natural Springs found at The Wellhead Park (known as St Peter's Pool) provide a constant source of pure water to some parts of Bourne and the surrounding area. These are also the source of the Bourne Eau, which was once used for the water defences of Bourne Castle as well as the power for the town's three mills.
Bourne Outdoor Pool is one of the largest of the few surviving outdoor pools in the country, at a size of 50 yards (that's near Olympic size!). The pool is operated and maintained by volunteers and is situated in the picturesque Abbey Lawns close to the Town Centre.
William Cecil who was responsible for building Burghley House in Stamford and was Lord High Treasurer to the Queen, was born in Bourne.
The founder of British Motor Racing, Raymond Mays, lived in Bourne and the famous ERA and BRM racing cars were built in the town. The house where Raymond Mays was born is known as Eastgate House (located on Eastgate) and is still in existence to this day, still used as a family residence.
Frederick Worth, who was the founder of the Paris Fashion House was born in the town at what is now Wake House.
The bridge over Bourne Eau on South Street has been voted one of the best Poohsticks bridges by Visit England.
Roman coins and other Roman remains have been found across several sites in and around Bourne. The town is located on a Roman road now known as King Street.
A Michelin restaurant called The Six Bells is located at Witham on the Hill (a village close to Bourne).
Tesco in Bourne was the UK's second 'zero carbon' store. The zero carbon fit-out included the installation of chilled and combined heat and power systems; a 'free cooling' air scoop system which naturally ventilates the building, and lighting control programmes. A timber-frame was used for the building's exterior, with skylights and sun pipes installed to light the shopping area.
A significant earthquak hit Bourne at around 1am on the 27th February 2008 - it was measured at 5.2 on the Richter scale. Its epicentre was near Market Rasen, Lincolnshire, but the effects of the quake were felt quite strongly in Bourne.
Two serious fires practically destroyed Bourne during the early part of the 17th century. This led to the greater part of Potter Street, Eastgate and Eaugate, being burned down.
Summer 2018 was the hottest and driest summer on record in Bourne. It was that dry over the summer period that the grass in Bourne had all mostly turned brown - something rarely seen in Bourne. Temperatures were widely into the upper twenties for many consequent days.
Muntjac Deer is about the same size as a medium dog with single-pointed antlers. At least seven species of Muntjac are known, from Pakistan to Java and China. Two species were actually introduced into the UK, but the one that got cosy here is the Reeves' Muntjac.