IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Northgate, SLEAFORD, NG34 7EL

Photographed from outside the HSBC, or should I say, the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation. I bet most folks not in the know would guess it was safe to put their money in somewhere like the, Halifax, Sheffield and Barnsley Corporation, or even the Halifax, Sheffield, Barnsley and Chesterfield bank. I think the building across the road is Lloyds bank.

Grade II* Listed Town Hall and Sessions House designed by London architect Henry Edward Kendall and built by Charles Kirk in 1831 who then decided to stay in Sleaford forming a partnership with Thomas Parry some years later. The building was put up for sale in 2008 when all court cases were transferred to Grantham Magistrates' Court.

Looking north from the junction with Westgate, Southgate and Eastgate.

Built in the early 18th century, this pub was one of Sleaford's old coaching inns.

Part of a row of 18th century Grade II Listed buildings. The Packhorse Inn is listed as the Lion Hotel. One of the early coaching inns it appears on the map of Sleaford, drawn around 1770 as The Packhorse Inn. It was also known as The White Lion, in its early days, but was recorded in a commercial directory of 1830 as The Lion Hotel and Posting House. The publican in 1872 was recorded as John Sewards. It remained The Lion Hotel until its recent closure. As the Lion Hotel it hosted the opening dinner for the Sleaford Railway, an event that marked the start of the decline in coaching trade.

The bank comprises two Grade II Listed buildings. Southern, farthest part is late 17th century and the more modern north section has a rain water head on Market Street dated 1904. In December 2010 the building was sold by auction for £0.55m with the sitting tenants Lloyds TSB (rent £32,500pa) whose lease expires in 2021.

Nos 6,7 and 8 in this narrow courtyard collection are Grade II-listed. They are mid C18th and mid C19th residential properties. Kirk and Parry were partners in a local architecture and builder's enterprise. The street in the distance is North Gate (the B1518 road).

A picture taken from outside The Packhorse Inn. On the opposite side of North gate (the B1518 road) is Market Street, leading to Market Place and St Denys Church.