Welcome to Market Rasen

Market Rasen is located on the River Rase at the heart of North Lincolnshire, approximately 150 miles north of London and 15 miles north-east of Lincoln. 

The town has a population of around 2,950 and is within the West Lindsey District which covers an area of approximately 115,357 hectares (445 square miles / 1154 sq kms) and has a population of around 77,000.

It is a quiet market town to the west of the Wolds and surrounded by woodlands within the predominantly rural West Lindsey district. Once described by Charles Dickens as the 'sleepiest town in England', it is home to the picturesque Market Rasen racecourse. Much development occurred in Victorian times but there are some notable earlier buildings, including the partly 15th-century St.Thomas's Church.

Historically the town's economy was based upon agriculture, due to its largely rural setting, and it is still a significant contributor today with around 12% of the workforce engaged in agricultural related activity. Unemployment is below the national average. The primary employment sector is service related jobs, the majority being in public administration, education and health and this is followed by manufacturing.

The name Market Rasen derives from Old English and means 'place at (market) the planks' which would refer to a plank bridge across the river. The name appeared in the 14th-century as Marketrasyn.