VILLAGE WALK
St. Andrew's Church (see (1) on map) stands on the site of a pre conquest church. The present tower is 14th century. The church, as seen today, was rebuilt in 1749, but fell into disrepair until the arrival of the Rev. Arthur Henry Anson who, after building his new rectory on the site of The Park (now a modern housing development to the south of the church), set about rebuilding the church which was reopened on the 9th December 1856. On them east side of the Nocton Road, stands The Manor (2) and the Water Tower (3), now a private residence. The latter completed in 1903, provided a piped water system for Potterhanworth with water drawn from a bore hole in the fields to the south of the old Rectory. It was one of the earliest systems in such a rural village. Notice the crests on the side of the tower building. One relates to the 16th century philanthropist, Dr. Richard Smith, who founded Christ's Hospital, Lincoln. Dr Smith's connections with Potterhanworth can be found in many places. In front of the church is the Green, on which stands the Village Sign (4) commissioned in 1982. It depicts on one side the Culfrey Trust story (mentioned later). Christ's Hospital Endowment and goose quills, once a local export to London, donated by live geese which were reared on the fens. The other side shows a local rural scene and remembers Salters Mill which stood on Moor lane, near Mill Cottage.
Turning around, you see the marble War Memorial which now stands on the site of the former well loved Stocks Hill Tree and is a tribute to those who died in successive wars since the Great War. Entering Middle Street, you will pass the 'Old Farm House'. Nothing was wasted in former times; its wooden ground floors were made from old mill sails, depicted in the sign.
The threshing barn, Salter's Barn , was formerly the farmyard for the 'Old Farm House' and was the scene of numerous village functions in its formative years. It is now a private residence but retains much of its original appearance. Before passing the village Post Office (6), take a glance through the iron gate and you can glimpse a pretty footpath walk leading to a private residence .Continuing, Middle Street enters Cross Street on which stands the Chequers Hotel (7), a relatively new building on the site of a former inn. The village was well served with ale houses; adjacent to it stand the former White Horse and Black Horse, both of which are now private dwellings.
If you wish, your walk can take you through the kissing gate, along the public footpath to Station Road and Main Street Moor Lane. If you return to the village green, you will pass the site of the Culfrey Cottages. Back on the village green, it is possible to see a little more of Rev. Anson's school built in 1855, enlarged in 1909 and again in 1981. Next to the school is the Village Hall (5) owned by the Christ's Hospital Endowment.
Several discoveries suggest the medieval potters were adjacent to Barff Road, which leads out of the village eastwards from the village green. Beside Barff Road, stands the Methodist Church, built in 1888 and further along can be seen Forge Cottage, formerly the village and blacksmith's shop. The house opposite, once thatched and single story, may be the oldest house in the village still in existence.
CULFREY LANDS TRUST
There is a tradition that one dark wintry evening a traveller lost his way on the wild, open heath. He was led to the safety of the village by the sound of the church bell. In his gratitude, he gave the above cottage on Moor Lane in trust to the village for the use of the oldest poor man. There was a condition that the occupant rang the church bell at 7pm each evening during winter from Michaelmas to Lady Day to guide other travellers. The cottage was mysteriously burnt down in 1931. The trust owned four other cottages which were demolished in 1965. Two new bungalows were built in their place, beside the Garth, in 1972, and are occupied by retired parishioners.
CHRIST'S HOSPITAL ENDOWMENT
For nearly 400 years, Potterhanworth has benefited from its connections with a 16 century benefactor one Dr Richard Smith - who, upon his death in 1602, bequeathed all his manorial lands in the village to finance a 'hospital' or school in Lincoln for 12 poor boys; 3 from Potterhanworth, 3 from Welton (where Dr Smith lived) and 6 from Lincoln.
For many years the Christ's Hospital Endowment at Potterhanworth has provided a Village Hall for the benefit of the village people. The original hall was formerly hospital wards removed to Potterhanworth from the army hospital in Lincoln. Progress is inevitable and visitors will see the new hall which replaces the former building. This new hall, to the rear of the school is on land owned by the Christ's Hospital Endowment which continues to own and administer the new building.
THE CHEQUERS
The Chequers Hotel on Cross Street is the last of the village's original three pubs. Built in the early nineteen hundreds, it has a lounge and public bar, with a car park, children's swings and patio area at the rear. The original title deeds indicate that there has been an inn on the site at least since 1803.
ST.ANDREW'S CHURCH
There has been a church in the village since the 14th century, but only the tower survives from the original. Extensive renovation was carried out in the 1850's by the Reverend A H Anson. The tower contains 3 bells one of which is the Culfrey Bell, recast in 1897 to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria.
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