In January 1824 the Freiston coastguard experienced no small success:
“Last week in Lincoln Deeps, as a detached party belonging to the Redbreast revenue cutter, stationed at Freiston Shore, were returning from patrol about 9 o’clock they saw a strange vessel on Wrangle Main, to which they proceeded without a moment’s delay. The vessel was found to be a smuggling lugger, of considerable burden, with a crew of nine men, who, on perceiving the courageous advance of the armed and determined preventative men, betook themselves with great haste to their boat. They continued to lay by for some time, until they observed the revenue cruiser sailing down the Deeps, to reinforce their brave comrades with her gallant crew, when they instantly made off to Gibraltar Point. The cargo was on Saturday conveyed in four wagons to Boston, and deposited in the Custom-house. It consists of 318 half ankers of Geneva, besides 50 bales of dry goods, some of which contain tobacco or snuff, others plate glass, others highly finished Dutch paintings.”[i]
The 19th Century saw the growth of shipping and especially steam ships. With this became the difficulty of accessing Boston Docks. The solution was a railway and pier to be built from Boston to Freiston Shore:
“A company has been formed to carry out this new line, which is to commence by a junction with the Boston Sleaford and Midland Counties Railway, to cross the Witham, and run direct to Freiston Low. At that point a pier is to be constructed, so as to form a breakwater and admit vessels alongside to discharge their cargoes. There is a depth of water at this point of 29ft. at low tide. It is stated that the Boston, Sleaford, and Midland Counties Company have agreed to subscribe £30,000 towards the undertaking.”[ii]
In 1863 Sir Stafford Northcote M.P. holding a public meeting for inhabitants of Boston to attend and look at adopting measures for the projected railway to Freiston Shore. The proposed railway would have run through the centre of Boston with railway tracks both sides of the river before taking a wide route around to Freiston Shore. There was opposition to this in Boston but this grew somewhat after the Freiston Shore Railway Bill passed its second reading in 1875. The Mayor of Boston created a fighting fund arguing that the proposed Freiston Shore dock would take away working men from Boston dock to the detriment of Boston business. An alternative plan and subsequent Bill was proposed to widen the river, improve the docks and link the docks to the railway.
Instead of a Pier we see the Freiston Shore Reclamation Act of 1879 enabling the reclamation of saltmarsh because …”the reclamation of such tracts of land and the bringing of them into cultivation would be of local and public advantage.” It is my opinion that it was possibly fortunate for the environment of The Wash that the railway and pier at Freiston never came to fruition as it would have opened the door to greater development of the estuary. The current reversal of reclamation on land managed by the RSPB is a great asset at this migratory crossroads for the wildfowl and waders of Europe.
1893 possibly saw the passing of an era for Freiston Shore with the death of Thomas Plummer on 22nd February 1893:
“Mr. Thomas Plummer, formerly a member of the Boston Town Council, died at Freiston on Wednesday evening aged 89 years. His name will be longer remembered because of his connection with Plummers Hotel at Freiston Shore, of which he was the owner. His income was largely decreased by agricultural depression, and for some years past he has led a retired life at Freiston. In the Boston Town Council he sat on the Liberal side, and in the earlier years of his membership was a very strong supporter of the policy of the late Ald. Maltby. He was a great stickler for courtesy in debate, and very frequently interposed to secure what he considered courteous treatment for himself and other members of the Town Council.”[iii]
The driving force behind the local revival of the Sand Fairs and racing at Freiston Shore had passed. But Freiston Shore did remain an attraction for excursions. It is amusing to see the same words being uttered by policemen to Boston magistrates in 1873 and 1907, that is, “a good many people come from Freiston Shore drunk on Sundays.”
In 1927 the fact that 30 cars had been seen parked at Freiston Shore on a Sunday was of enough note to reach the local press.
1935 saw the creation of North Sea Camp as a Borstal to reform young criminals. They were used as labour to build sea walls and aid reclamation. The 1940’s saw Freiston Shore fortified under emergency measures to prevent invasion with concrete bunkers and two sixteen inch artillery guns put into place to defend Boston Deeps and the entrance to the Haven. The remains of these and the tramways to service the fortifications can still be seen.
[i] British Mercury 7th January 1824
[ii] The Sun 19th November 1862
[iii] Boston Guardian February 1893
Commentaires