Bourne is a thriving market town in South Kesteven, Lincolnshire, with a population that has grown from 14,456 at the 2011 Census to an estimated 17,981 by 2021. The town serves as a vital service centre for the surrounding rural area, with an economy primarily based on agriculture, food preparation and packaging, light engineering, and tourism. The town centre features a Conservation Area, first designated in 1977 and extended in 2012, encompassing the historic core including Market Place, North Street, West Street, South Street, Abbey Road, Abbey Lawn, and Wellhead Fields.
The architectural character of Bourne is defined by red brick as the dominant building material, with local brick manufacturing yards historically supplying demand. Stone was also used for period properties, with examples of stone cottages still visible on West Street. The Conservation Area features buildings generally from the 18th and 19th centuries, mainly of brick with decorative stone detailing. There are over 70 listed buildings in the Bourne parish, with 13 located in the town centre. Bourne Abbey and the Parish Church of St Peter and St Paul, founded in 1138, represents the only Grade I listed building, while Red Hall, an early 17th-century mansion in red brick, holds Grade II* status.
Geographically, Bourne sits on the eastern slopes of the limestone Kesteven Uplands and the western edge of the Fens, creating a unique landscape with some areas prone to clay soil shrinkage during prolonged dry periods. The Bourne North Fen project aims to restore 50 hectares of peat-fenland to create a multi-purpose wetland that will store water for agriculture and reduce flood risk. The South Forty Foot Drain completes the eastern border of the Bourne parish, providing important drainage for the surrounding agricultural land.