A familiar name and historic bell could be heading back to Spalding’s Market Place.
The Spalding and District Civic Society want to put a sign up for The White Hart at the former hotel in Market Place as well as putting up a bell that used to be a part of its buildings.
The White Hart Hotel was close to the Red Lion and its origins are thought to date back to the 15th century when it was associated with Spalding Priory.
It is thought the current facade dates to around 1720 after a fire damaged the original building.
A civic society plaque on the building states that the French philosopher and writer Jean-Jacques Rousseau stayed there in May 1767.
Despite having not been a hotel for around 30 years, the society wants to put the name up again on the building.
Chairman John Bland said it is something they’ve been looking to do since 2022, but it has now bid for funding from the Spalding Town Board to do so.
It wants to also erect the Ostler’s Bell, which it says was attached to an outbuilding when the hostelry was a coaching inn.
An ostler was someone employed to look after the horses of people who were staying at an inn.
It would have been rung to signal incoming coaches.
It is currently in storage in Sleaford, but the society says its owner is happy to have put up in Spalding again.
Documents submitted with the application sent to the Spalding Town Board say: “There is no obvious position for the reinstalled bell, but it ought to be somewhere at the side or rear of the building, as its ringing was very much a signal not only to the ostlers but to all the other employees behind the scenes, to be ready to serve the approaching coach travellers’ needs and get them on their way again as quickly as possible.”
Meanwhile, Mr Bland has used his latest newsletter to say there is a ‘good’ chance the Spalding Conservation Area could be extended to include Kings Road after meeting South and East Lincolnshire Partnership heritage manager Emilie Wales recently.
The society hope that it will help to provide funding to save Station House, a property on Kings Road that’s long been vacant.
Conservation Areas have more stringent planning rules attached to them.
“If successful, this could open the door to potential funding to bring the building back into use,” Mr Bland said. “Maybe it’s time to start a conversation on what that use might be.
“Originally the station master’s house, could it become a community asset telling the story of the important role the railway had in the development of Spalding? I would welcome any thoughts on its use, as I am sure we may be asked at some point.”
