Tongue End
Playing Field

The Tongue End Playing Field is a prominent and important part of our local village history.  As its present name suggests it was once used as the old school playing field which was shut down in the mid-1980s as a result of government plans to consolidate schools into key central locations.  The beautiful school building is now privately owned and part of a private renovation, whilst the playing field itself was gifted to the parish council. 

The field saw a lot of use in its hay day.  It was home to the local Tongue End Football Club, the Tongue End Tug of War Team, the annual Fete, village BBQs and every other conceivable use for a beautiful green lawn space.  But as the years progressed and farming industrialised, the village contracted and the need for manual farm labour was no longer required.  The pubs, the village hall, and of course the school all closed up and our little part of the countryside became a much quieter place.

Covid highlighted to us the very real lack of accessible green space despite being deeply nestled in the south Lincolnshire countryside.  Rural communities struggle in this way more than people realise, Tongue End encapsulates this problem perfectly, a rural community in inaccessible farmland.  A more useful and accessible green space was sought by the community and the disused playing field provides so much opportunity.

Working closely with several key stakeholders we’ve slowly been steering a project which has come to fruition over many months of discussion and debate, this has subsequently given birth to the Tongue End Community Group.  This group of individuals works closely with the Deeping St Nicholas Parish Council, the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust, the Rivers Trust, the Welland Internal Drainage Board and many others with the aim of creating a green space for both people and wildlife.

Through this project, we’ll be strengthening our community, providing an accessible outdoor space, reinforcing wildlife corridors, sequestering carbon, and improving local flood defence and water retention, creating opportunities for education, all whilst improving health and general well-being, 

As part of this work, there are some key local species we’re keen to support such as various birds of prey but particularly our barn owl, alongside many species of birds, bats, and pollinators.  Everything we do will be with these things in mind.

Be sure to read through the Playing Field project pages to learn more.