Spital, Lincolnshire
| Spital in the Street | |
|---|---|
 Cromwell House and the former Ostrich Inn |
|
 Spital in the Street
|
|
| Spital in the Street shown within Lincolnshire | |
| OS grid reference | SK966907 |
| • London | 140 mi (230 km) S |
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | MARKET RASEN |
| Postcode district | LN8 |
| Police | Lincolnshire |
| Fire | Lincolnshire |
| Ambulance | East Midlands |
| EU Parliament | East Midlands |
| UK Parliament | |
Spital-in-the-Street is a small hamlet in the West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. It is situated on the A15 road (Roman Ermine Street), 12 miles (19 km) north from Lincoln, 9 miles (14 km) east from Gainsborough, and 1 mile (1.6 km) north from the A15 and A631 crossroad at Caenby Corner. Nearby villages include Hemswell to the west, Glentham to the east, and Glentworth to the south-west.
Spital-in-the-Street lies on Ermine Street, a Roman road that runs in a straight line for 32 miles (51 km) between Lincoln and the Humber Estuary, passing through no villages north from Lincoln until Broughton 25 miles (40 km) away. The first part of its name, "Spital", comes from the ancient hospital for the poor which was situated here, having its origins in a Hermitage.Hermits, or 'Eremites' dwellers in the eremos or wilderness, commonly placed their Hermitages in remote spots, often on highways, to extend hospitality to travellers.
The chapel attached to the hermitage was dedicated to St Edmund.Edward II granted a licence for land and rent to be appropriated by the Vicar of Tealby for the payment of the Chaplain; and by a document signed at Tealby in 1323 and witnessed by nearly all the dignitaries of Lincoln Cathedral the foundation was placed under the jurisdiction of the Dean and Chapter. Ten years later the hermitage is called “Spital-on-the-Street” so its use had probably already been enlarged, although there is no documentary evidence of this. All that is known is the building of a house for the Chaplain by John of Harrington in 1333.
...
Wikipedia