Page 47 - It's a Rum Life Book 3 "Ivy House Tales 1970 to 1984"

CHAPTER 9

THE NAVVY BARROW STORY

BACKGROUND
This story revolves around New Bolingbroke Town Hall a veritable local historic monument
the history of which actually takes us back to the “Wars of the Roses”.
As I have mentioned somewhere already, New Bolingbroke has an elder brother...Old
Bolingbroke, the birthplace of King Henry the Fourth of England.
Back in history Blanche of Lancaster married John of Gaunt who consequently became
Duke of Lancaster when Blanche's father died. Blanche and John had two children who's
governess was Catherine Swinford.
More concise historical facts can be found in Anya Seaton's famous book “Katherine”,
Bolingbroke Castle was one of their principal homes.
The Black Death consumed Bolingbroke and resulted in the death of Blanche. Then many
years later, Oliver Cromwell was responsible for the final destruction of Bolingbroke Castle
after a violent battle at Blood Hollow, Winceby.

New Bolingbroke was created in the late 1790's and early 1800's by John Parkinson the
Revesby estates manager.
These estates were owned at the time by Sir Joseph Banks of “Endeavour” fame.
John, had several ambitions, one of which was to built a New Town complete with light
industry and homes for all the workers.
The chosen location was equi distant between Boston and Horncastle and there were no
recognised roads to this site at the time.
The building materials were transported down the “Medlam Drain” from Boston and
manufactured products from the various factories were shipped out the same way.

The drain had its terminus in the New Town picture shows the present day terminus,
although iced over! John built his home on the northern bank of the drain, The Basin!
This is the house Ruth and I were most fortunate to live in from 1970 to 1984,
Ivy House, New Bolingbroke.

47