Your Guide to Bourne, Lincolnshire
Are you a resident of Bourne or thinking of moving here? This page provides a comprehensive guide to Bourne.
- Q: Where are the local ParcelShops for Hermes deliveries?
- A: Bourne has two local drop off points for Hermes parcels, which include the following locations.
- FAMILY SHOPPER, 1 Churchill Avenue, Bourne, PE10 9QA
- KATES BRIDGE (BP), Kates Bridge, Bourne, PE10 0EN
- Q: I don't have a car or any other means of transport, does Bourne have a local bus service and if so where does this take you?
- A: Bourne has a local bus service provided by Delaine Buses - a highly reputable family company based in the town. The bus service runs on a regular basis to the nearby towns of Spalding, Stamford and The Deepings, and villages on route. There is also a regular service to the city of Peterborough. There are bus stops on North Road, West Road, South Road, Abbey Road, Exeter Street, the town centre and at the Bus Station (located off North Street). Buses run every day of the week on a regular basis, from early in the morning until the late evening. Please call Delaine on 01778 422866 for more information, or view the present bus timetables here.
- Please see our Bourne Bus Service page for more information.
- There is also a monthly bus service (the 3rd Wednesday of each month) provided by Sleafordian from Bourne to Lincoln. This departs from Bourne Bus Station (North Street) and terminates at Lincoln Central Bus Station (picking up at villages on-route to the north of Bourne), with the journey taking just over an hour. For more information about this service, please see www.sleafordian.co.uk/bus-routes/33/.
- The on demand CallConnect bus service is also available for local Town journeys within Bourne, to Spalding and for journeys to rural locations in the Bourne area. To register and/or book a journey, please call 0345 2343344.
- Q: What is education like in Bourne?
- A: Educational standards in Bourne and the surrounding area are high, with some of the best schools in the county. The Bourne Grammar School is renowned for its excellent standard of education, being featured in Tatler's list of the country's top 20 state secondary schools and reported as being the best state-funded secondary school in Lincolnshire. GCSE results for English, Maths, and Science in local schools are above the national average, with Bourne Grammar School pupils generally achieving the best GCSEs in Lincolnshire, Rutland and Peterborough. There are six schools in Bourne in total and all are rated by Ofsted as either good or outstanding. There is also a college and Higher Education Centre in Stamford offering various courses (around 10 miles from Bourne), and a University at Peterborough, which is around 16 miles from Bourne. Details for schools in the local area can be found within our services section.
- To find out more about how schools are rated in the area, please see Locrating.com.
- Q: Are there any NHS Dentists in Bourne?
- A: There are two NHS Dentists in Bourne, however, at the present time neither of these are taking on new HNS patients due to over capacity. They do, however, offer private dental care. The are a few dental practices in near-by Stamford and Spalding that are taking on NHS patients. You can find out about dental practices taking on NHS practices near-by by looking at the NHS website.
- Q: What is the traffic like in Bourne?
- A: Traffic is generally free flowing across all areas in Bourne, including the town centre. It's unusual to get stuck in traffic for more than a short period of time. That said, the traffic can be heavy through the town centre and along the A15 to/from Bourne during the hours of 8.00am until 9.00am and 5.00pm until 6.00pm with people commuting to and from work. Traffic can also be heavy for those areas around the local schools during term time for school drop off and pickups.
- Q: What time do the supermarkets close in Bourne?
- A: Sainsbury's closes at 9.00pm, M&S Foodhall closes at 8.00pm, Lidl closes at 10.00pm and Tesco closes at midnight (the Tesco Esso Express store closes at midnight too). Select at the Shell garage in Bourne (Milestone Rd, Bourne, PE10 0ET) is open 24 hours.
- Q: I need to book a taxi. What are the best taxi firms in the area?
- A: Getting a taxi in Bourne isn't an easy task as there are only a limited number of firms still operating in the area. It's always best to try and book a taxi in advance of when you might need one.
- To see a full list of taxi services in the area, please visit the Taxi Services page.
- If you're planning a night out in Bourne town centre it should be possible to get a taxi from the taxi rank just up from The Angel Hotel.
- If you're looking for a taxi service from Bourne to Peterborough city center (and vice versa), Peterborough City Cabs offer a low fare of just £18.00 (one-way). You can contact them on 01733 241111.
- Q: What Chinese takeaways deliver to Bourne and the surrounding area?
- A:The Golden Bridge (01778 218008) and Crown Wok Chinese Takeaway (01778 424888) both offer a home delivery service in Bourne.
- Q: Does Bourne have a hospital, and if so where can I find this?
- A: Unfortunately Bourne does not have a hospital. The nearest Hospital can be found in Peterborough, this being the Peterborough City Hospital located at Edith Cavell Campus, Bretton Gate, Peterborough PE3 9GZ. There is also a Orthopaedics & Spine Specialist Hospital in Peterborough (1 Stirling Way, Peterborough PE3 8YA), along with the Fitzwilliam Private Hospital (Milton Way, South Bretton, Peterborough PE3 9AQ). Stamford also has a small hospital with an with a minor injuries unit open between 09:00-17:00 Monday to Friday (Ryhall Road, Stamford PE9 1UA).
- Q: I'd like some free, confidential and impartial advice. Does Bourne have a Citizens Advice centre anywhere?
- A:Bourne has a Citizens Advice outreach centre at Wake House, 41 North Street (PE10 9AE). The opening hours are currently Monday, Wednesday and Thursday 09.30am - 11.30am (drop in for initial check AM only, pre-booked appointments PM).
- To find out about other services available in Bourne, including opening times for key services in the town, please visit our Services page.
- Q: I fancy a trip to the seaside and maybe a dip in the sea - how far is Bourne from the coast?
- A: Bourne is around a 50 minute drive to the east coast of England and just over an hour's drive to the popular seaside resort of Skegness, which has some Award Winning sandy beaches and all the amenities you would expect of a large seaside resort. In the height of summer, the sea around Skegness and the rest of the east coast can get up to around 18℃ - certainly warm enough for a quick dip! The sea, however, is best avoided outside of summer as it can be bitterly cold.
- Q: Does Bourne have a train station and if so where can I find this?
- A: Unfortunately Bourne does not have a train station, however, there is a train station at near-by Spalding (sat nav: PE11 1EY), Stamford (sat nav: PE9 2JP) and Peterborough (sat nav: PE1 1QL). The nearest train station is at Spalding, which is around a 20-minute drive - you can book tickets online at www.thetrainline.com/stations/spalding. Both Spalding and Stamford train stations offer a regular service to the city of Peterborough. From Spalding station, you can also make a journey to the city of Lincoln in under an hour. Peterborough is a much larger station offering travel to various destinations, including London that can take just 50 minutes using the high speed East Coast main rail line.
- To book train tickets online for either Spalding, Stamford or Peterborough train stations, please visit www.thetrainline.com.
- Q: I want to stop in Bourne, what accommodation does Bourne offer visitors?
- A: There is lots of quality accommodation in and around Bourne for visitors. Dating back to the 18th century, the Angel hotel is one of Bourne's best-known hotels, located right in the centre of the town that offers affordable accommodation (call 01778 422346 to book this hotel). There are also some lovely holiday cottages nested in the beautiful Lincolnshire countryside surrounding Bourne, along with caravan & camping parks, bed & breakfast accommodation and even a Youth Hostel in near-by Thurlby. For full details of accommodation in and around Bourne, please view our 'Places to Stay' directory listings.
- Q: Does Bourne have a cinema, and if not what else is there in the town to entertain you?
- A: Unfortunately Bourne does not have its own cinema. The nearest cinema is in the Boon Gate area of Peterborough, approximately 16 miles from the town (postcode: PE1 5AU). This is a modern multiscreen cinema showing all the latest movies.
- Although the town does not have a cinema, there is lots to do in and around town, including a large leisure centre, complete with a heated indoor swimming pool, sports hall and fully equipped gym. There is also a near Olympic size outdoor pool, for those hot summer months, which was named in the 30 Best Lidos in Britain in a feature run in The Times newspaper. Bourne also benefits from a arts & entertainment centre, sports bar, snooker club, indoor golf centre, a large golf course (in the near-by village of Toft), artifical grass pitch, library and several gyms. If you live on Elsea Park, there's also a large multi-purpose community centre that provides a large variety of clubs and activities for residents, including organised day trips. If you like the great outdoors, there are also plenty of footpaths and cycle routes in and around Bourne - please visit our Exploring Bourne page for more information.
- If you are willing to travel a little further afield, the beautiful Georgian stone town of Stamford is just a 20-minute drive away and well worth exploring to appreciate its ancient charm. The impressive Burghley House is also located in Stamford - one of England's greatest Elizabethan houses. Here you can explore this beautiful house and enjoy the extensive gardens that surround the house, including the Gardens of Surprise with their array of water features - perfect for children and adults alike. There is also an Hall Open Air Theatre at Tolethorpe Hall, just outside Stamford, offering summer plays by the Stamford Shakespeare Company.
- Near-by to Stamford in the village of Tallington (around a 15-minute drive from Bourne), Tallington Lakes Leisure Park is an outdoor activity centre that offers various water sports and is great for fishing. There is also a dry ski slope, and a 15 metre climbing tower.
- Rutland Water in the charming near-by county of Rutland is also well worth a visit. It's just a 30-minute drive from Bourne and features the largest man-made lake in the UK, set alongside some stunning and diverse countryside. Rutland Water offers activities for all the family, including water sports, cycling (cycle hire is available), fishing and bird watching.
- Being just a 10-minute drive from Bourne, the majestic Grimsthorpe Castle, Park & Gardens is a must for those wanting to explore this historic country house and the 3,000-acre park of rolling pastures, lakes, and woodland that surround it. Its grounds are perfect for cycling, walking and bird watching.
- Please visit our Things to Do directory to see just how much there is to do in the area.
- Q: What is crime like in Bourne and the surrounding villages?
- A: Crime levels in the town and surrounding villages are low, with recent statistics demonstrating that crime levels are below the national averages, demonstrating that Bourne is generally considered a safe place to live. In fact, most people will state that they feel perfectly safe walking around all areas of the town after dark - something that can't be said of certain areas of some larger towns and cities. Lincolnshire as a whole is in fact one of the safest counties to live in England.
- Violent crime is rare in the town, with much of the reported crime being anti-social behaviour and petty theft - bike theft, for example, if a common reported crime in the town.
- There is a small local police station in the town (located on West Road).
- To check out reported crime in Bourne, please visit www.police.uk.
- Q: I'm new to the area and want to join some local clubs to help me integrate into the community and make new friends, what social activities are available in the town?
- A: Bourne has lots of clubs and organisations, in a widely diverse range of activities. For details about the many clubs and organisations in and around Bourne, please view our 'Clubs & Activities' section.
- For teenagers, The Salvation Army Youth Club, Elsea Park Youth Club, and the Bourne Youth Centre are great places to hang out with friends and make new friends in the area. For details of these places, please visit our 'Clubs & Activities' section.
- There are also many ways to get involved in the community by volunteering some of your time. To find out about some of the organisations needing volunteers in the area and how you get more involved in the community, please visit our Volunteering in Bourne section.
- Q: What are the responsibilities of South Kesteven District Council?
- A: South Kesteven District Council are currently responsible for all of the following;
fiber_manual_recordCouncil Tax Collection on behalf of all Authorities
fiber_manual_recordElectoral Registration
fiber_manual_recordEnvironmental Health
fiber_manual_recordLand Charges
fiber_manual_recordLeisure and Recreation
fiber_manual_recordLicensing
fiber_manual_recordPlanning Authority, including Building Control and Planning Enforcement
fiber_manual_recordRefuse Collection (black, silver and green bins from residential dwellings and bins in public spaces)
fiber_manual_recordSocial Housing including Housing Benefits
fiber_manual_recordStreet Cleaning
- Q: Where are public conveniences in Bourne?
- A: Town centre public conveniences can be found at the South Kesteven Community Point and Library (accessed via Burghley Archard and Hereward Street) and on South Street opposite the Memorial Gardens (Accessible Changing Places toilets are also available here). Please note that these facilities are only open during the day and that there is a 20p charge to use the facilities at South Kesteven Community Point and Library.
- There are also public conveniences available at Tesco (South Road), Shell Garage (Milestone Road - open 24 hours) and Sainsbury's (Exeter Street).
- Q: Does Bourne have a private school, and if so where is this located?
- A: There are two private schools in the area at present, Kirkstone House School and Witham Hall Preparatory School - both of which offer an excellent standard of teaching.
- Kirkstone House School is an independent day school for boys and girls aged between four and 18 and is located in the village of Baston, just four miles South of Bourne. To find out more information about this school, please call 07785 60350 or visit the website at www.kirkstonehouseschool.co.uk.
- Witham Hall Preparatory School is a boarding and day school for boys and girls aged four to 13 years. This school is in the beautiful village of Witham on the Hill, just five miles from Bourne. For more information about this school, please call 01778 590222 or visit the website at www.withamhall.com.
- Q: I'm looking for a good place to eat out in Bourne, could you recommend anywhere?
- A: Bourne offers a good variety of restaurants, serving a selection of cuisines, including, Chinese, Thai, Indian, Italian and Tapas. There are also a good number of pubs in the town that provide traditional pub food - some of these include The Nags Head (located on Abbey Road), Smiths of Bourne (located on North Street) and The Sugar Mill (located off South Road). Be sure also to check out many of the pretty and traditional pubs that are located in the villages around Bourne. For a full list of places to eat in Bourne, please see our Food and Drink directory.
- Q: I need my car repairing, who in Bourne offers this service?
- A: There are several car repair & service garages in Bourne, all located on the Cherry Holt Industrial Estate. These include Cartunes (01778 393660), Peters Motor Company (01778 426099) and T.B Motors (01778 393837). There are also a number of garages located in the villages surrounding Bourne, including Clark Engineering at Morton (01778 570398) and MCS Service and Repair Centre at Baston (01778 560289).
- Q: Who is responsible for cutting the various grass verges in and around Bourne and maintaining the various public open spaces in the town?
- A: Grass cutting is undertaken regularly during the spring and summer months and the responsibility for this is spilt between the local authority, South Kesteven District Council, and Bourne Town Council. The exception to this is Elsea Park whose grounds are maintained by the Elsea Park Community Trust. The Wellhead Gardens, Memorial Gardens, Bourne Abbey Lawns and the grounds of the Red Hall are the responsibility of the Bourne United Charities.
- Q: What's great about living in Bourne?
- A: The sense of community really shines through in Bourne; People are generally very friendly and there's a huge number of clubs and activities for people to get involved in.
- Crime is low here, education is high and there's plenty of green spaces and woods, meaning that the quality of life is pretty good. Property here is also still relatively affordable in comparison to other areas further south.
- Q: How big is Bourne?
- A: Bourne is classed as a small market town with a population of nearly 20,000. It's possible to see the surrounding countryside from any point in the town if you are at a high enough elevation. It's possible to walk from end of the town to the other (north to south) in around an hour at a moderate walking speed. That said, the town is growing at quite a fast rate, which shows no sign of abating any time soon.
- Q: I have a young family, would Bourne be a good place to bring my family up?
- A: Bourne is extremely popular with families and has a great community spirit with lots going on through-out the year for families, along with a large number of clubs and activities for kids, and some fantastic schools. There are also several well-kept parks and a great indoor soft play area called Escape.
- Q: Are the Bourne woods open to the general public and if so how can I access the woods?
- A: Yes, the Bourne woods are open all year round to the public. There is a car park, picnic area, and many tracks for the public to explore. Access to the woods is available from Beech Avenue (at the side of number 65) and via the A151 to the west of Bourne.
- Please note that there are no public toilets provided.