WEST LINDSEY

district, administrative and historic county of Lincolnshire, east-central England, north of the city of Lincoln. West Lindsey district comprises two low-lying fertile clay valleys at an elevation of less than 100 feet (30 metres) split by the Lincoln Edge, a narrow limestone ridge 200 feet (60 metres) high that extends north from the Cotswold Hills. On the northeast, this overwhelmingly rural area edges into the chalk hills of the Lincoln Wolds. The historic market parish of Gainsborough, the administrative centre and only town of more than a few thousand people, is a navigable river port in the western part of the district. Its light industrial base has undergone considerable expansion since World War II and includes the manufacture of hosiery and agricultural implements. The town of Market Rasen, 20 miles (32 km) to the east, is known for its horse racecourse. Limestone and chalk are quarried in the Lincoln Wolds. The valleys produce wheat, barley, and sugar beets; cattle and sheep are extensively raised. Area 445 square miles (1,154 square km). Pop. (1998 est.) 77,200.