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Places to stay in Irnham
A visit to the village of Irnham, six miles north west of Bourne, is a step back in time because it has been unchanged for a hundred years making it one of the most visually pleasing villages in Lincolnshire. This was one of the 15 manors given by William the Conqueror to Ralph Pagnell and is mentioned in the Domesday Book. Today, four roads meet here yet there is little through traffic to disturb the peace of this self-contained grey stone village set among tall trees in a fold of the hills. It consists of friendly cottages, a spacious old church dating back to the 12th century, a Tudor hall on the edge of a woodland park and an attractive inn, the Griffin, which stands at the crossroads and is mostly Georgian. Even as you approach Irnham along narrow country roads, there is an anticipation of something special ahead because the roadside verges have been trimmed and the hedgerows cut back and the countryside around looks neat and well kept as though part of some grand plan. If you take the turning off from the A151 before reaching Corby Glen, you will espy a large neo-Tudor gatehouse on the edge of the park, a taste of the architectural pleasures to come. Once in the village, it is difficult to take in so much of our English heritage at one stop and you may miss sight of the fishponds, the first of which can be seen by climbing a slight incline off the main street. These were probably used to raise carp for the table at Irnham Hall when the estate was self-sufficient in mediaeval times.
