The town centre includes a range of small supermarkets, banks, traditional newsagents, baker, butchers, jewellers and clothing stores, together with public houses, cafes and fast-food takeaways.

As Spilsby is located within a predominantly agricultural area, much of the market produce consists of locally grown vegetables and meat.

Evidence for this can be found at nearby West Keal, where an Iron Age hill fort and defensive terraced earthworks were built at the tip of the Wolds promontory, overlooking the present town.

The next recorded charter to hold a weekly Monday market in the town and an annual fair in July was granted in 1302 to the Lord of the Manor, Norman noble Robert de Willoughby.

[4] The stepped bases of these monuments were used by early traders on market day to display their goods, usually milk, cheeses and butter.

The ground level was an open covered space used as the local corn exchange and for stalls by market traders that were protected from the weather.

[5] An oft-repeated historical myth is that the Manor of Eresby, including the lands and parish of Spilsby, was awarded to Walter de Beke, sometime after 1083, by William the Conqueror.

However, the Domesday Book of 1086 shows that the manor of Spilsby was held in 1086 by the Bishop of Durham (St Cuthbert's) as both Lord and tenant-in-chief.

The plan also shows details of the grounds, which included an orangery, cherry orchard, bowling green, dovecote, and an ash grove, all near to the house.

The castle was much damaged during the English Civil War and, after the nearby Battle of Winceby in October 1643, only the lower sections of the outer walls remained.

Locally born Poet Laureate Alfred, Lord Tennyson described it as "an English home... all things in order stored and a haunt of peace".

During the Second World War, the Air Ministry attempted to build an airfield at Gunby that would have covered the estate and necessitated demolishing the mansion.

The Air Ministry relented, redrawing the plans that resulted in building RAF Spilsby two miles (3.2 km) further south at Great Steeping.

White's 1842 Directory described Spilsby as being "a small, but thriving and well-built market town, pleasantly seated on an eminence, which overlooks an extensive tract of marshes and fens.

The branch was just over 4 miles (6.4 km) long and connected Spilsby to the King's Cross, London to Cleethorpes main line.

The necessary parliamentary permission had been obtained by an Act in July 1865 which incorporated the Spilsby & Firsby Railway Company with an authorised capital of £20,000 and loans of £8,333 for the construction of the 4-mile-long (6 km), single-track branch.

The ceremonial cutting of the first turf was performed by the local rector, the Reverend Rawnsley, who was standing in for the railway company's chairman Lord Willoughby de Eresby the 25th Baron.

The railway was expected to be opened quickly but disputes with the contractors arose over the quality of their work, and several lengths of track had to be replaced.

In 1872, Captain J. W. Preston was the officer in charge, supported by Lt George Walker, Ensign Robert MacKinder and drill-master Sergeant Thomas Ward.

The company's commandant was Captain H. S. Scorer (killed in action at Hohenzollern Redoubt on 13 October 1915 during the First World War), Surgeon Colonel Francis John Walker was the chief medical officer, and the regular army drill instructor was Colour Sergeant Wallace Cowling.

Spilsby has an extensive south-east view of a tract of marsh and fen land, bounded by Boston Deeps and the North Sea.

The Wolds comprise a series of low hills and steep valleys, underlain by calcareous chalk, green limestone and sandstone rock, laid down in the Cretaceous period under a shallow warm sea.

Spilsby falls within the Witham Fourth District: East, West and Wildmore Fens; and the Townland, from Boston to Wainfleet.

Spilsby and nearby landmarks include Gunby Hall, a National Trust property open on selected days during summer months,[17] the Buttercross monument, a statue to Sir John Franklin, Spilsby Theatre and Arts Centre, Northcote Heavy Horse Centre and Bolingbroke Castle.

The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight at nearby RAF Coningsby contains a flying collection, with a Lancaster bomber plus five Spitfire and two Hurricane fighters, plus a DC47 Dakota transport and two Chipmunk trainers.

Snipe Dales Nature Reserve and Country Park is next to the historic Civil War battlefield at nearby Winceby.

King Edward VI Academy, is a coeducational bi-lateral secondary school and specialist Humanities College for children between the ages of 11 and 18.

The bilateral status is unusual, with less than five similar arrangements in the whole of England and Wales, permitting those who have passed the 11+ examination and those that fail the exam to study separately but under the same roof.

The original 1837 grammar school building was abandoned and stood empty for several years, but could not be demolished due to its Grade II listing status.

Spilsby holds dance and yoga classes at the High School on Monday nights and tai chi at the Town Hall on Tuesday evenings.