Riverside Walk

In 1872 the River Slea was described by Trollope as 'a neverfailing source of pure water'. As lateas 1960 it was a trout river renowned with sportsmen as far away as Yorkshire. But in 1962 the river stopped flowing through Sleaford for the first time in recorded history and by the drought summer of 1976 the flow had seriously deteriorated. In 1983/4 the river completely dried up.

This degradation was due to a number of factors, chiefly over-use of water from the limestone aquifer for agricultural purposes. Strains on the springs feeding the Slea also increased during the 1950s as the surrounding villages received piped water for the first time.

Finally in 1992, and largely thanks to the efforts of local campaigners, the future of the River Slea was secured to the lasting advantage of the town that bears its name. A pump was installed at Drove Lane bore to keep the river running by guaranteeing a flow of up to four million litres a day, in case springs to the west of town run dry in summer.