Spalford

Spalford
Nottinghamshire
Spalford Chapel
Location
Grid reference:	SK837691
Location:	53°12’46"N, 0°44’54"W
Data
Population:	85  (2001)
Post town:	Nottingham
Postcode:	NG23
Local Government
Council:	Newark and Sherwood
Parliamentary constituency:	Newark

Spalford is a hamlet in the east of Nottinghamshire, sitting between South Clifton and Weecar near to the county boundary with Lincolnshire, north of Newark-on-Trent. Spalford was a township in the parish of North Clifton,

Spalford is listed in the Domesday Book (1086) as 'Spaldesforde'.

To the west of the parish is the River Trent, and to the south is a local nature reserve and Site of Special Scientific Interest known as Spalford Warren. The reserve habitat is made up of blown sand heathland, which is rare in Nottinghamshire.

According to the 2001 census the parish had a population of 85.

Spalford Floodbank

In 1795 during the largest known flood on the Trent, the floodbank which is situated between Spalford and the river was breached. Floodwaters from the breach spread out across the low lying land, even reaching the River Witham and flooding Lincoln. Some 20,000 acres were flooded for a period of over three weeks. A description of the breach was given as follows:

“The bank is formed upon a plain of sandy nature, and when it was broken in 1795, the water forced an immense breach, the size of which may be judged from the fact that eighty loads of faggots and upwards of four hundred tons of earth were required to fill up the hole, an operation which took several weeks to complete.”

The flood bank was subsequently strengthened and repaired, following further Trent floods in 1824 and 1852.

Spalford Warren

("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Spalford)

References

Flood marker at nearby Girton showing the height of the 1795 flood and others