racetrack
Cadwell Park
Known as the mini-Nurburgring, this Lincolnshire circuit features dramatic hills including The Mountain where bikes and cars go airborne.
17 km · about 20 min drive
EuropeUnited KingdomEngland
Alford
England, United Kingdom · Europe
About Alford
Alford is worth a stop: 20 minutes from Burwell, 36km from Spurn Point.
Alford is in England, United Kingdom, with about 3,800 people. You drive on the left here. The nearest town is Burwell, about 10 km away.
The Manor House is a Grade II* listed building which can be found on West street within Alford, Lincolnshire, England. It is believed to be the largest thatched manor house in England and was built to a traditional H plan in 1611. It is a very rare example of a composite structure, featuring a wooden frame with reedRead more
and plaster (visible from within the house), encased in brick. Ground-floor and first-floor rooms feature design interventions from Georgian through to Victorian times, while the attic floor is virtually untouched since 1611.
The house was possibly built by a John Hopkinson The house owes much of its existence to the wealth of one of its owners, Sir Robert Christopher. Christopher fought for the Royalist cause in the civil war and was knighted by Charles II following the restoration. The house was inherited by his granddaughter, Lucy, who married John Manners, Duke of Rutland. Thereafter Alford Manor House was inhabited by tenants, one of whom was John Higgins, who arrived in about 1820. He was a friend of Charles Darwin's father, Robert, and was the local Land Agent. He established his office in the nineteenth century annex which you can see on the east wing of the house.
It was his descendant, Dorothy Higgins, a doctor and member of Alford Town Council, who bought the property in 1958 and gave it to the town in 1967. Alford Civic Trust was established then to manage and look after the property.
The house itself is unusual in its construction: most properties of the period were built using a wooden frame with wattle and daub infill, or with a brick infill, so that the wooden beams would be visible from the outside as well as from inside the property. However, Alford Manor House was encased in brick, and the brick was not merely ornamental: it was tied into the structure of the building via wall plates and floor joists.
The house was renovated and re-thatched during the period 2004–2006.
The house is owned by Alford and District Civic Trust Ltd which is a Registered Charity (No. 252330).
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Alford?
Within an hour or so of Alford: Cadwell Park (17 km), Spurn Point (36 km), Lincoln Cathedral (47 km).
Are there any good drives near Alford?
The nearest famous roads are Monsal Trail, Snake Pass and Woodhead Pass.
Where is Alford?
Alford is in England, United Kingdom, about 10 km from Burwell.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 3,830
- Continent
- Europe
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Region
- England
- Timezone
- Europe/London
- Coordinates
- 53.2594, 0.1762
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in United Kingdom
112 also works. NHS non-emergency medical advice: 111. National Highways breakdown assistance on motorways: 0300 123 5000.
Full driving guide for United KingdomTags
Worth the detour from Alford
3 notable places within an hour's drive.
natural wonder
Spurn Point
A three-mile sand spit curling into the Humber estuary, cut off from the mainland by tidal washovers and reachable on foot at low tide.
36 km · about 40 min drive
cathedral
Lincoln Cathedral
Stunning Gothic cathedral that was the tallest building in the world for over 200 years, dominating the Lincoln skyline from its hilltop perch.
47 km · about 55 min drive
Driving roads near Alford
9 named roads, passes and coastal drives within 150km.
- 65 kmHumber BridgeVast single-span suspension bridge over the Humber estuary near Hull: the world's longest of its kind for 16 years after opening in 1981, with a 2.2km crossing that still feels like flying over water.
Driving in United Kingdom
- Drives on
- the left
- Petrol
- ~€1.73/litre
- Motorway tolls
- None
When to drive here
April to October
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