At Work

The Lincolnshire town of Grantham was historically an important market town and centre of the wool trade which benefitted from its position on the Great North Road, the main north-south route through England, now the modern-day A1 road. The Industrial Revolution and the arrival of the canals and the railways transformed Grantham as new industries became established in the town, and it has grown significantly in the last two centuries. Engineering industries arrived to give employment to many in the town, many of national importance such as blacksmith Richard Hornsby's business repairing carriages and agricultural machinery which later as Ruston Hornsby moved into steam engine production, pioneered the steel plough, produced an early oil engine and created one of the first tracked vehicles. Other companies followed, such as Aveling Barford, specialising in traction engines, tractors, dumper trucks, cranes, road rollers and aircraft cannon, as well as brewing and a food canning factory. However, the postwar decline of manufacturing industries has led to the closure of these factories in recent decades and today Grantham is characterised by such diverse industries as food-processing, distribution, services and health care.

Grantham at Work explores the working life of this Lincolnshire town and its people, and the industries that have characterised it. Through a fascinating series of photographs and illustrations, it traces the story of Grantham's growth in the 19th century following the arrival of the railways and its development from a market town to a centre of industry, through two world wars and the changes in recent years as many of the old manufacturing industries have gone, to be replaced by new businesses today. Grantham at Work will appeal to all those with an interest in the history of this Lincolnshire town.