Free hour in Grantham

[DBE]

Hi all,
Tomorrow me and my girlfriend are travelling back to Leeds from Skegness via Grantham, and the train from Skegness arrives one minute later than the hourly Leeds service. We're traveling on advances, so always knew we'd have to wait the hour for the next Leeds train, however we're not too sure what to do with the time having never been to Grantham before.
As we'll be there around dinner time, some food would be nice.
Open to suggestions really!

Thanks

 

[HSTEd]

Well I am afraid Grantham was voted "The most boring town in Britain" by the students of my old school.... (Hail Kingsmen!)

There is not much to eat really unless you like fish and chips really, you might be able to get a decent curry but that is it.

 

[RichmondCommu]

Probably best to stay on the station. An hour doesn't give you much time to walk to a pub, order food, eat it and walk back. Hope you had a good time in Skegvegas!

 

[Lrd]

You're not allowed to break your journey on Advance tickets

 

[causton]

Hi all,
Tomorrow me and my girlfriend are travelling back to Leeds from Skegness via Grantham, and the train from Skegness arrives one minute later than the hourly Leeds service. We're traveling on advances, so always knew we'd have to wait the hour for the next Leeds train, however we're not too sure what to do with the time having never been to Grantham before.
As we'll be there around dinner time, some food would be nice.
Open to suggestions really!

Thanks

Well, you can't actually leave the station* but there's a Pumpkin cafe and a Costa stall for you to enjoy!

*officially, I have personally never been refused while waiting a connection!

 

[deltic1989]

you're spending an hour in Grantham?? Poor you.
the most interesting part of Grantham is the station, unless you want to see where Maggie Thacher was born.
best to just stay put.

 

[Rick1984]

Stopped of on car journey once. Really not many places to eat.

 

[class26]

Hi all,
Tomorrow me and my girlfriend are travelling back to Leeds from Skegness via Grantham, and the train from Skegness arrives one minute later than the hourly Leeds service. We're traveling on advances, so always knew we'd have to wait the hour for the next Leeds train, however we're not too sure what to do with the time having never been to Grantham before.
As we'll be there around dinner time, some food would be nice.
Open to suggestions really!

Thanks

could open a debate about the shocking connections at Grantham from the Skegness line of which this is a good example. When the Eruka timetable came out Eat Mids Trains made no change at all so ensuring that what were already some fairly wide gaps between connections became ridiculous like this example. I frequently tak the last train from Kings X (19.33) and then have to wait just under an hour for the last train down the branch. That last train used to connect with the 20.33 from the X, then it became 20.03 and now 19.33. Thats progress !

 

[IanD]

There's a chip shop on the Market Place (about 10 mins walk each way) if you're allowed out of the station. Couldn't find much else.

The Pumpkin cafe has the slowest service of any Pumpkin I've been in so ordering a coffee could take an hour if the same person is serving.

 

[Welshman]

I agree that there's nothing spectacular to see within a short walking distance of the station, unless you like street markets - there's usually one of those on a Saturday.

Personally, I'd opt for a packed lunch, eaten whilst sitting in the sun on Grantham station watching the trains go by. But then it takes all kinds!

Incidentally, you may find you could catch the previous Leeds train, especially if that were a minute or so late, as arrivals from Skeggy usually have a bit of slack in the schedules between Sleaford and Grantham, and it's an easy cross-platform interchange between bay platform 3 or platform 4 to platform 2 for the Leeds train.

Then you'll have to speak nicely to the conductor to see if s/he'll let you onboard! But don't get on without asking, and they may say "no".

 

[DaveNewcastle]

One of the remarkable sights when passing through Grantham by train during a sunset, is the way that Belmont Tower positively glows with light. Its high on a hill about 3 miles north-east of the town, built as a folly to serve as a library for the huge, landscaped, Belton House Estate.
Here is someone's flikr photo of the Tower.

In the town centre, the clock tower of the Guildhall is quite unusual.

 

[DBE]

Thanks for all the posts so far!
It's looking like a big lunch in Skegness before we leave (on the 2:15 off SKG) and then take a sandwich or two from Greggs to eat while we're waiting. Might take a walk into Grantham for a nosey around depending on weather and how kind the gateline staff are feeling

 

[Scotty]

There is a Morrison's not far away...

 

[DarloRich]

An hour in Grantham you say - bad luck

 

[PaulLothian]

I bought the best (locally made) pork pie that I have ever had from a butcher's shop in the main street in Grantham, on the advice of an old chap with whom I had hitched a lift up the A1.

It must have been memorable as I still remember it from 40 years ago, but I wouldn't be sure they are still available!

 

[DarloRich]

I bought the best (locally made) pork pie that I have ever had from a butcher's shop in the main street in Grantham, on the advice of an old chap with whom I had hitched a lift up the A1.

It must have been memorable as I still remember it from 40 years ago, but I wouldn't be sure they are still available!

No they cant be as the best pork pies come from taylors in Darlington - any fule kno that!

Grantham is a nice little station with some very pleasent, helpful and friendly staff.

However when i come to power the town will have to be destroyed as it is the birth place of the hated Thatcher. The people of grantham must answer for thier crime

 

[PaulLothian]

No they cant be as the best pork pies come from taylors in Darlington - any fule kno that!

Give me a break - I did say "I bought the best (locally made) pork pie that I have ever had"

Ironic really - if I had known about your recommendation, I could have brought one on the same trip, as I was heading to Darlington to see my girlfriend, who 40 years later has come to enjoy a really good pork pie!

 

[DarloRich]

Give me a break - I did say "I bought the best (locally made) pork pie that I have ever had"

Ironic really - if I had known about your recommendation, I could have brought one on the same trip, as I was heading to Darlington to see my girlfriend, who 40 years later has come to enjoy a really good pork pie!

you cant beat a good pork pie!

 

[HSTEd]

There's a chip shop on the Market Place (about 10 mins walk each way) if you're allowed out of the station. Couldn't find much else.

The Pumpkin cafe has the slowest service of any Pumpkin I've been in so ordering a coffee could take an hour if the same person is serving.

The "Relax Fish Bar"

Best fish and chips I have found south of Penrith

 

[IanD]

Give me a break - I did say "I bought the best (locally made) pork pie that I have ever had"

All pork pies are locally made, just not necessarily locally sold.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

However when i come to power the town will have to be destroyed as it is the birth place of the hated Thatcher. The people of grantham must answer for thier crime

But what about Isaac Newton - if he hadn't invented gravity back in the day we'd all still be floating about.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

I can't remember much of Grantham, but I seem to recall there was very little going on. A lot like Retford, I think it's nicer to grab a drink and sit on the platform watching trains belt through at 125mph! Of course this might not be to your taste, in which case I'd take something to keep me occupied for an hour.

However when i come to power the town will have to be destroyed as it is the birth place of the hated Thatcher. The people of grantham must answer for thier crime

Oh dear...

Surely you'd do that to Finchley, you know, to the people who actually elected her as MP, as opposed to the place where she was born and grew up

You think what you'd do is bad just wait to see what happens to Sedgefield and Kirkcaldy when I'm in power!

 

[DBE]

Just left on the 1640 to Leeds. Ended up just having a sit down and watching the trains go by, weather wasn't bad either!

 

[Welshman]

I bought the best (locally made) pork pie that I have ever had from a butcher's shop in the main street in Grantham, on the advice of an old chap with whom I had hitched a lift up the A1.

It must have been memorable as I still remember it from 40 years ago, but I wouldn't be sure they are still available!

I don't think I'd fancy a 40-year-old pork pie, however good it was then.

 

[scandal]

Grantham is of course home to the Isaac Newton Shopping centre, where capitalism meets science....

 

[class26]

I can't remember much of Grantham, but I seem to recall there was very little going on. A lot like Retford, I think it's nicer to grab a drink and sit on the platform watching trains belt through at 125mph! Of course this might not be to your taste, in which case I'd take something to keep me occupied for an hour.



100 mph limit through Grantham !

 

[HSTEd]

Well there is a 115mph speed limit sign positioned so the rear of the train will still be in one of the platforms when the head of the train passes.

 

[island]

There is a Morrison's not far away...

To which the OP cannot go, as he is on an Advance.