Baston village and parish, sits on the western edge of The Fens in the administrative district of South Kesteven, Lincolnshire, England. Archaeological records indicate this site has been actively farmed since Neolithic times 4000 years ago. Travellers migrating along the fen-edges encouraged settlers to farm our higher flatter shrubby sandy/loamy ‘rise’ with a mix of crops and domesticated animals. Evidence of pits, stockades and palisades for protection; with burial mounds and round barrows indicated religious awareness. Sea levels fluctuated across the fen. Iron Age Celtic tribes developed trading in food, stone, metalwork, skins, charcoal into this relatively settled spur of land before the Roman Hispanic Ninth legion came with sword and spade (AD 60). Many settled, built roads, a canal (Car Dyke, some 33 feet by 11 feet deep in AD 110), stone villas and organised supply routes across Lincolnshire during 400 years of control. Our village sign on Main Street depicts many Baston historical activities.

King Street, a N-S Roman road built in the second century and Baston Fen are part of the parish as it extends northwards to Thetford farm close-by lowest crossing point of the river Glen. The fan of deep gravel from the Devensian glacial period 18.000 years ago, had spread from the rivers Welland and Glen, eastwards before it petered out to peat and Boulder Clays. Hence the proliferation of gravel extraction surrounding the village today. Sites are now wildlife water sanctuaries. Extraction began in AD 125.

These 400 years of Roman occupation saw our greatest expansion prior to the 20th century.

Baftune (or Bak’s tun in Nordic) and meaning the rise with a yard or farm-yard, was named in AD 650, more than a thirteen hundred years ago. The name can be seen on Guthlac Roll of AD 871. An AD 500 cemetery with urns, bodies and artifacts was excavated in AD 1863.

‘Baftune’, recorded in AD 1086 (Domesday Book) as a settlement, had 29 households with 150 people working for 2 ‘holders – Lord and tenant-in-chief of Crowland Abbey and Ivo Taillebois of Driby ’. Ivo replaced the Anglo-Saxon lord, Ulf Fenman – but the St Guthlac abbey kept its land area from before the Norman Conquest. A total of 12 plough teams, 5 small holdings, 85 acres of meadow, a church and watermill served 15 freemen and 9 household villagers. This vital site controlled the crossing of the river Glen, funded many rabbit warrens, bees, eel/fish hatcheries for the monks and route for sheep/cattle/horse markets. Baston gained its current spelling in Lincoln Dioceses records in AD 1200 with Parish records dating from AD 1558; now placed on a memory stick in AD 2000. Stone and wattle-daub dwellings nestled around the church. Farm roads developed the typical elongated village.

Battles, incursions, disruption - tempered the village people – Angles and Saxons came to fight and farm; major world volcanic eruptions caused havoc to the climate for centuries (Dark Ages); then Danes fought and settled AD 700; the Vikings fought AD 772; In AD 1066 William conquered and feudalism became the law of the land backed with church and manorial fiefdoms; new kings abounded; literacy improved; land was burned; the French invasion forces reached Lincoln in AD 1215 and were rebuffed – our village lost a manor house and the lord of the manor was banished (wrong choice); peace again; royal charters for fairs and feast days; more floods and volcanic hits; chivalry; knights; parish guilds to help the poor; many plagues; destitution; kings and parliamentary battles; church desecration; peace; European wars affecting village life; more floods and river bank collapses; sheep, cattle, crop farming with better equipment; stage coaches; toll roads; courts; land enclosures; police; judges; convict transportations; a school in AD 1863 for 60 children; Parish council in AD 1906; housing to replace derelict hovels in 1912 and 1926; refuse collection in 1924; electric power 1934; street lamps 1936; again 2 World Wars needed action in and around the village to support shortages with memorials for the fallen; piped clean water from boreholes saved children from 1936; no mains drainage. The church remained important to village life with artifacts visible today.

Eighteenth century maps show the 40 dwellings of the village lay eastwards of the A15 road. Around AD 1780 the first freehold and leasehold deeds for dwellings were registered with excellent hand-written scrolls sourced. Only in the last 30 years has some 340 new dwellings been added to the village, at least 70 being to the west side of the A15.

200 years ago, the AD 1821 census showed 682 residents in some 120 dwellings. Residents primarily worked the good farmland owned by 10 major farmers, helped by 6 public houses, a maltings and a wide range of support industry for farming equipment and household needs. 3 shops, farrier, engineering, storage, a cart carrier and post office. 1921 saw 560 people and land area of 2.508 acres plus 6 of water. 7 farms were over 150 acres, served by villagers with vastly improved services and equipment.

The 2021 census recorded the parish had 1,576 residents in 674 households and 50% travelling over 10 miles for daily work; 277 are said to be largely working from home. Covid struck AD 2020. Essentially this charming village is now a residential and commuter community with 564 owner occupied houses; 471 being detached and 272 having 4 bedrooms or more; 558 dwellings are heated by piped gas, only 16 by electric and 29 oil alone; 2 are mentioned as using renewables only. Baston is serviced locally by a shop, hairdresser, garage, a number of factories, 2 public houses, 2 schools, an excellent hall (The Barn); its playing field for sports teams, events and outside apparatus; household servicing skillsets; excellent bus service; mobile library; fibre high speed wi-fi; a number of folk helping the many church and social meeting activities; child care. Throughout the last 100 years Baston has celebrated coronations, jubilees, feast days, music festivals, millennium activities with time capsules and church lighting. The village is welcoming and approving of such a community. A detailed history of the village can be found in a book produced in AD 2000 entitled ‘Baston Through the Ages’. Each household received one and a copy is in the local libraries.

Peter Rayner – village historian/contributor. August 2023.