Holland, Lincolnshire
Categories: Lincolnshire | Former administrative counties
The Parts of Holland was an area in south-east Lincolnshire, England. It was one of the three medieval subdivisions or 'parts' of Lincolnshire (the other two were Lindsey and Kesteven) which had their own county councils from 1888 until 1974. At that point they were abolished and Lincolnshire (minus the northern part of Lindsey) had a single county council for the first time.
Before the changes of 1888, Holland had, since probably the tenth century, been divided into three wapentakes of Elloe, Kirton and Skirbeck.
Geography
The extent of the parts of Holland (the pre-1974 county) was the same as that of the combined modern administrative districts of Boston and South Holland: 11,039.91 square kilometres. The Holland name continues to be used in the administrative district of South Holland.
Holland was all close to sea level, achieving a maximum altitude of about five metres on artificially raised river banks (levees). It therefore needed carefully managed drainage to maintain the very productive arable farmland which covered almost its entire extent. Consequently, a significant part of its drainage for arable use had to await the introduction of steam pumping. Before the mid nineteenth century, it was a much more pastoral area, used for fattening stock brought in from Scotland and northern England before it was driven to market in places like London. Many of the country roads are still called droves.
Towns in Holland -