Isle of Axholme

The Isle of Axholme is the part of Lincolnshire west of the River Trent. It is between the three towns of Doncaster, Scunthorpe and Gainsborough.

The name Isle is given to the area since, prior to the area being drained by the Dutchman Cornelius Vermuyden, each town or village formerly lay on areas of dry, raised ground in the surrounding marshland. The River Don used to flow to the north and west (it has since been diverted), dividing the Isle from Yorkshire, the River Idle separates the Isle from Nottinghamshire and the River Trent separates the Isle from the rest of the county. There are two main towns: Epworth, birthplace of John Wesley and his brother Charles, and Haxey.

Other settlements on the isle include Garthorpe, Luddington, Eastoft, Crowle, Belton, Wroot and Owston Ferry.

Axholme is taken from two Old English words: Hakr (from which comes the town of Haxey) and -holme (island). In this case the island is simply an area of raised ground in marshes.

From Bartholomew's Gazetteer of Britain compiled by Oliver Mason (John Bartholomew, 1833):

Axholme, Isle of Area of slight elevation above flat and formerly marshy tract bounded by the Rivers Trent, Torne and Idle. Towns include Crowle, Belton, Epworth and Haxey on higher ground and Owston Ferry and West Butterwick beside the River Trent.

The Isle of Axholme Joint Railway traversed the area, but the line has now been abandoned. The M180 motorway now crosses the north of the area.

There was an Isle of Axholme Rural District from 1894 to 1974, which covered the entire Isle after 1936. This became part of the Boothferry district of Humberside in 1974, and since 1996 has been in the North Lincolnshire unitary authority.