Market Rasen is a town and civil parish within the West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. The River Rase runs through it east to west, approximately 13 miles (21 km) north-east from Lincoln, 18 miles (29 kilometres) east from Gainsborough and also 16 miles (26 kilometres) south-west from Grimsby. The community is known for Market Rasen Racecourse and also being close to the epicentre of a 2008 quake. The population of the civil parish at the 2011 census was 3,904. Market Rasen is a tiny market town on the edge of the Lincolnshire Wolds. The town rests on the main road between Lincoln as well as Grimsby, the A46 and also gets on National Cycle Route 1 (part of EuroVelo 12) of the National Cycle Network. The place-name 'Market Rasen' is first attested in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it looks like Rase, Rasa as well as Resne. The name derives from the Old English ræsn meaning 'slab', as well as is thought to describe a plank bridge. The river name 'Rase' is a back-formation. Initially "Rasen", as it is known locally, was called "East Rasen", "Rasen Parva" or "Little Rasen". The community centre has an uniform 19th-century redbrick look of mostly Georgian and Victorian style, centred on a market place with a middle ages church, restored in the 19th century. The River Rase moves through the town and also is crossed by Jameson Bridge, Caistor Road Bridge and also Crane Bridge. Market days are Tuesdays, Fridays as well as Saturdays. On each Tuesday there is a public auction of goods and generate, as well as on the initial Tuesday of monthly, a farmers' market. Every Friday the Women's Institute holds a nation market. Market Rasen's neighborhood fire as well as police headquarters opened up December 2005. It is among the initial purpose-built combined fire as well as police stations in the UK. In 2011 it was among the communities picked for the Portas Review of sectarian retailing company.