South Witham is a village and civil parish in the South Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England. The population of the civil parish at the 2011 census was 1,533. It is situated south of Grantham, 10 miles east of Melton Mowbray and north of Oakham. The village is close to the Leicestershire and Rutland borders. History The village takes its name from the River Witham which rises nearby. But the origin of the word Witham is still unknown. The village has until recently also been spelt as "South Wytham". Richard Troughton was the Bailiff of South Witham; he was imprisoned by charges brought against him by Thomas Wymberley, partly due to Troughton's part in the Duke of Northumberland's attempt to put Lady Jane Grey, Northumberland's daughter, on the throne. Instead of Lady Jane, Mary I of England became Queen, when Edward VI of England died in July 1553. John Dudley, 1st Duke of Northumberland was accused of treason for his plot. In 1966, the Royal Air Force built a large housing estate on the opposite side of the River Witham. The houses were intended for servicemen at RAF Cottesmore, but were taken instead by personnel at RAF North Luffenham. The village trebled in size virtually overnight, and the primary school was similarly increased in size. A NAAFI was provided for the forces' families. On 2 August 1973, Canberra B2 WJ674 of 231 OCU crashed in the field east of The Fox public house, near Woodbine Farm in North Witham parish. Two of the aircrew ejected successfully, Flt.Lt. T.M.Murray (Nav), survived, but the pilot, Flt. Lt. D.J.Dennis, was killed. In 2010 a plan for a super-dairy with almost 3,000 cows was withdrawn after concerns expressed by residents. Geography South Witham is bisected by the River Witham, about to the east of its source. It is the point on the A1 where it enters Lincolnshire from the south, near The Fox Inn. The parish of acres borders Thistleton and Rutland to the south, and the boundary to the west meets Wymondham, Leicestershire at Thistleton Gap. The parish includes the Forty Acre Wood to the north-west, where it borders Gunby. The boundary goes due east to meet North Witham parish at the first undulation in the road northwards. Crossing the road, the boundary goes due eastwards to meet the A1, which it then follows due south on the east side of the road. The