Bracebridge Heath has changed considerably since White's description of 1876. The village boundary has extended northwards in the direction of Lincoln and southwards towards the village of Waddington. The parish of Bracebridge Heath was created out of the complete parish of Bracebridge by a Local Government Order (Kesteven) on 1 April 1898. To date, it has remained basically as it was created apart from one minor boundary adjustment. A local landmark is the finely worked stone water pumping station and reservoir located on Grantham Road, known locally as 'The Water Tower', as opposed to the white 'Hospital water tower', a header tank for the hospital laundry boilers was another prominent landmark, but this was demolished in 2014. This 'new' (1912) subterranean reservoir, of which only the 'pumping machinery tower' can be seen, was an overflow for the main reservoir in
Westgate Water Tower, and replaced an 'old' open reservoir on Bracebridge Heath on London Road, built in 1871 and closed in 1925. It had been left water-filled from 1912 as an emergency supply in case of fire at the Asylum until the new 'Hospital' water tower was erected and connected to the mains in 1925, from whence it lay empty, and decaying until 1972 when it was filled in and built on, today it is known as Stanley Crescent.
Buildings Other than the old mental hospital chapel (now private accommodation), there is St John's Church (Church of England) on Grantham Road and the Methodist Church, on almost the opposite side of the road. There is also a Deeper Life Bible Church. St John's primary school, (now an Academy School) formerly Bracebridge Heath County Primary School,(1880) is situated on the same road along with a small row of shops, and opposite, a new shopping centre. Just off Sleaford Road (A15) in the direction of Lincoln is the village hall almost behind 'The Bull' Public House (formerly the 'John Bull' public house). Earlier the church hall, situated behind St John's Church, served in that capacity, until the current village hall was built in the 1970s. The Church Hall was taken over by the local Scout group (21st Lincoln) in the early 1980s. They had used it as their headquarters. A local benefactor purchased the hall and donated it to the group. There was a police station on Whitehall Crescent, which was (in June 2012) enlarged and refurbished, it later underwent further work and is now a Nursery. Next to the Nursery is a public library. Also on London Road is a Medical Centre and GP's Surgery. A 1921 war memorial and Remembrance garden is situated on the eastern side of the junction of the Sleaford, London, and Grantham Roads.
St John the Evangelist's Church '''St John The Evangelist's Church, Bracebridge Heath''' is a former mission church of All Saints Church, Bracebridge. The church was built between 1908 and 1910, the architect being Charles Hodgson Fowler of Durham. It was built for the villagers of Bracebridge Heath until it became a
civil parish in 1971 and separate from
Bracebridge which later would become part of the
City of Lincoln in 1974. While Bracebridge Heath would become part of the
North Kesteven district that same year. It is in the
Deanery of Lincoln and remains active for local community.
St John's Hospital St John's Hospital closed in December 1989 and the site has been sold to a property developer who has built 183 luxury homes and apartments there. The original hospital buildings are classified as Grade II
listed buildings.
Public houses Bracebridge Heath has three public houses. 'The Blacksmiths Arms' now shortened to 'The Blacksmiths', on the site of the Victorian blacksmith's shop and beerhouse built, opened and run by the family of William Green, a Harmston farmer, in 1852. It stands at the point where London Road divides into the Sleaford Road (A15) and the Grantham Road (A607). It has recently been refurbished and re-opened after standing derelict for some years. Directly opposite this on the western side of Grantham Road is the 'John Bull' since 2007 renamed 'The Bull'. Its first spirit license was granted to Thomas Spain, 16 October 1849. 'The Homestead' public house is a late-1990s building conversion of one of the former hospital buildings, which served originally as the hospital Superintendent's residence. (Built in 1906 for Dr. Thomas Leonard Johnston). ==Facilities==