Here at Guttridge, we think that Spalding and the surrounding area is a wonderful place to live, visit, relax, raise children and work. Of course, we’re biased, having been based here for over 50 years we’re going to say that we love the town. But there are lots of reasons to love Spalding, the county of Lincolnshire and this part of the UK.

On a warm sunny day, there is no better place to be than on the banks of the River Welland, which in part explains why people have lived on this spot at least since the Roman period. The lowland river runs right through Spalding and is lined with trees and beautiful Georgian houses, making it a very picturesque place to walk along and sit by. Our town itself is both beautiful and friendly, with a mixture of small independent shops and national high street chains, meaning that there really is something for everyone. As a traditional market town, it also benefits from two market days each week and a farmers market once a month where you can buy locally sourced produce.

Leisure and Shopping

When it comes to enjoying yourself, Spalding has plenty to offer. There are a number of historic buildings, including four excellent museums in and around the town, a sports complex and an arts centre that stages concerts, theatre productions and film screenings. The River Welland itself is home to the famous Spalding Water Taxi, which launched in July 2005 and runs from Easter until October. It’s a popular tourist attraction, with a 30-minute trip running from the High Street to the award-winning Springfields Shopping Outlet and Gardens and back.

Springfields is a fantastic attraction for Spalding, and for more than just shopping. It has an array of landscaped gardens designed by notable gardeners Charlie Dimmock and Chris Beardshaw. Set in 25 acres, it is home to over 50 stores that are open 7 days a week. Around the town, there are further choices available for grocery shopping, including the likes of Tesco, Sainsbury's, Lidl, Aldi, Marks and Spencers Food Hall and Morrisons.

Local Facilities

Spalding is home to eight primary schools, a secondary modern school, two state grammar schools, and two schools for children with special needs. If you like watching sport then Spalding has local football, rugby, cricket and hockey teams for you to enjoy.

We say Spalding is small, but according to the 2011 census it has nearly 29,000 inhabitants,  which we think is just right. It makes it big enough to have lots of facilities and things to do, but small enough to be welcoming and friendly.

Transport and the Local Area

Immediately outside of Spalding, there is also plenty to see and explore. The historic city of Lincoln with its famous Gothic cathedral and Norman castle is around 40 miles away, the market town of Grantham is 30 miles away, and the port town of Boston is a mere 15 miles away. It is not far to travel for a day at the beach – with the coastal resort of Skegness just an hour’s drive away with the many attractions it has to offer, including Butlins, Fantasy Island, Natureland Seal Sanctuary and the Skegness Pier. It isn’t far to the Lincolnshire Wolds, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) with lots of little market towns that are ideal for walks and cycling. The border with Norfolk is about half an hour’s drive away, so it's not far to get to the Norfolk Coast or the Norfolk Broads, and it is about a 70-mile drive to the coastal resort of Cromer.

Travel is easy as Spalding is well connected, being very near to the main A16 road, a 78-mile road running from Grimsby to Peterborough, and thus connecting all of the country from north to south. Should you fancy a day out in the capital or need to go there for work, Spalding has a railway station on the Lincoln to Peterborough line, where passengers can join the East Coast Main Line which runs from London to Edinburgh.

What tends to attract people to Lincolnshire, and to this part of the county, in particular, is that it is one of the most rural areas in the country. It is famous for its “big skies”, and its slow pace of life. In fact, although you can get around easily, you don’t have to go very far, beautiful scenery, clear skies and clean air right on your doorstep.

Housing, Crime and Employment Opportunities

Lincolnshire also has two other important benefits if you are considering moving here: a low crime rate and lower property prices compared to many other parts of the country. The first we hope will long continue, but the second one may not last forever. This is because Lincolnshire is the second fastest growing county in the UK, with thousands of people moving here every year, with a growth in population and the economy.

Working for Guttridge

Spalding is also home to a number of large companies providing jobs in the area, including Guttridge. We’ve set out why we think Spalding and Lincolnshire is such a great place to live and work, but why would you want to come work at Guttridge in particular? Guttridge is a well established, well-known company that has over 50 years experience and an excellent reputation for providing high-quality bulk material handling solutions worldwide.

We offer a diverse range of materials, from foods and fine chemicals to biomass, aggregates and waste, ideally suited in design, specification and construction for a wide range of market sectors. We are respected not just in the UK but around the world for delivering well-engineered, reliable materials handling solutions that continue to anticipate dramatically changing industrial needs. What also makes us stand out is that even though we are a relatively small company, we have an extremely big heart and treat our employees fairly and with respect and integrity. We listen to our employee's opinions and adopt those that add value to the company. We work together as a team developing those skills that each individual brings to our company to ensure that everyone enjoys their work. Once you join Guttridge, you become part of the ‘family’ and we work with you to help you fit and feel that you belong.

Like the town and the county that we’re based in, our company is flourishing and growing, which provides opportunities for you to develop your skills and knowledge in order for you to have a long and fulfilling career. We offer trainee schemes and apprenticeships where you will be involved in real projects right from the start of your career with us, and where your opinion will not only be important but will also be respected. Many of the students that began their careers with Guttridge are still employed by us several years later. We believe that by continually investing in our most important assets - our people - to develop their skills, we will ensure that we continue to be a market leading force.

We work with our team as much as we work with our customers to ensure that we maintain a flexible approach that ensures we remain the partner of choice for bulk materials handling projects.

For more information about Guttridge, the range of products we supply and the different industrial sectors we service, please visit https://www.guttridge.com or give us a call on +44 (0)1775 765300.

Photos by Beverley Elsdon, our Admin Assistant.