Aubourn - Geography

Geography

The village sits in the valley formed by the River Witham as it winds eastwards to The Wash, which provides a risk of flooding. Prior to World War Two, the whole area was allowed to flood during the winter if the river got too high.

After the war, 2.5 m (8 ft) high flood banks were built along each side, reducing the annual flooding but making floods more likely to be catastrophic, especially as large numbers of houses have now been built right up to the flood banks.

At the eastern end of the village stands Aubourn Hall, an early-mid 17th-century house set in 1.2 ha of gardens. Built for Sir John Meres between 1587 and 1628, possibly on Tudor foundations, it is brick, with stone quoins, and three storeys high. The interior of the house features a carved staircase and panelled rooms. The property has been the home of the Nevile family from the 17th century, with the present owner being Christopher Nevile.

To the east of the Hall is the Parish Church, dedicated to St. Peter. The present church was built around 1200 on the site of an earlier church built of wood and stone and recorded in the Doomesday Book of 1086. When it was built, the church was a larger structure then it is today and included a nave, porch and tower. In 1862, most of the building was demolished following the building of a new Parish Church on a new site, leaving just the chancel standing. However, the original foundations can still be seen in the Churchyard in front of the main door.

The new church, also dedicated to St. Peter, was built on a site mid-way between Aubourn and Haddington, a large hamlet 1½ km (1 mile) west of Aubourn, which is part of Aubourn parish and therefore does not have a church of its own.

The new Victorian church was not as well built as the older church had been, and by 1968, it had deteriorated to the point that it was thought unsafe for congregational use. After its abandonment it was used as a mortuary. In 1933, the older church was restored, with a new altar and a gallery for the organ installed. After the newer church had run down, the old church saw more use. Only the tower of the newer church remains in the churchyard today.