Abbots Ripton
Encyclopedia
Abbots Ripton is a village
and civil parish in Cambridgeshire
, England
. It is situated five miles (8 km) north of Huntingdon
, on the B1090. The civil parish includes the nearby hamlet of Wennington.
The village itself occupies some 4191 acres (1,696 ha) of land and is home to 309 residents (2001 census).
The village is also notable as the location of the Abbots Ripton railway disaster
in 1876 in which a Flying Scotsman
train was wrecked during a blizzard. The disaster led to important safety improvements in railway signalling.
Its name has appeared in various guises throughout its history; in the Domesday book
it was recorded as Riptone, but by the 11th century it was recorded as Riptune. It was during the 12th and 13th century that the Abbot part came into the name; it was then owned by the Abbot of Ramsey, and it was most probably just to distinguish it from Kings Ripton
which was under royal ownership. During this period it was also known by the names of Magna Riptona, Ryptone and finally Riptone Abbatis. After the Reformation
the crown sold it to the St John family and for a time it was called St John's Ripton before it became known by the name we know it today.
in 1242.
The chancel was rebuilt at the start of the 16th century, a north chapel was added and the present tower was constructed. Restoration took place in the 19th century.
The tower houses three bells, the oldest from around 1400.
which are injected every year to prevent Dutch elm disease
. Also based in the area is The Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, a research centre in the land and freshwater environmental sciences.
. The village pub
, The Three Horseshoes, dates from the 17th century; it was severely damaged by a fire in 2010. It also has a school the Abbots Ripton CofE Primary School which teaches 109 children.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
and civil parish in Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire is a county in England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the northeast, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to the west...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is situated five miles (8 km) north of Huntingdon
Huntingdon
Huntingdon is a market town in Cambridgeshire, England. The town was chartered by King John in 1205. It is the traditional county town of Huntingdonshire, and is currently the seat of the Huntingdonshire district council. It is known as the birthplace in 1599 of Oliver Cromwell.-History:Huntingdon...
, on the B1090. The civil parish includes the nearby hamlet of Wennington.
The village itself occupies some 4191 acres (1,696 ha) of land and is home to 309 residents (2001 census).
The village is also notable as the location of the Abbots Ripton railway disaster
Abbots Ripton rail disaster
The Abbots Ripton rail disaster occurred on 21 January 1876 at Abbots Ripton, then in the county of Huntingdonshire, England, now in Cambridgeshire, on the Great Northern Railway main line, previously thought to be exemplary for railway safety...
in 1876 in which a Flying Scotsman
Flying Scotsman (train)
The Flying Scotsman is an express passenger train service that has been running between London and Edinburgh—the capitals of England and Scotland respectively—since 1862...
train was wrecked during a blizzard. The disaster led to important safety improvements in railway signalling.
The origins and history of the name
Abbots Ripton ends in ton which usually indicates a Saxon origin. According to the Institute for Name Studies a possible translation from Old English could be rip - Strip/Slope and ton - Farm/Settlement.Its name has appeared in various guises throughout its history; in the Domesday book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
it was recorded as Riptone, but by the 11th century it was recorded as Riptune. It was during the 12th and 13th century that the Abbot part came into the name; it was then owned by the Abbot of Ramsey, and it was most probably just to distinguish it from Kings Ripton
Kings Ripton
Kings Ripton is a village and civil parish in Huntingdonshire , England, and is located NNE of Huntingdon. The village is within the Upwood and The Raveleys ward of Huntingdonshire District Council...
which was under royal ownership. During this period it was also known by the names of Magna Riptona, Ryptone and finally Riptone Abbatis. After the Reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
the crown sold it to the St John family and for a time it was called St John's Ripton before it became known by the name we know it today.
Church
The village's parish church is dedicated to St Andrew and has a west tower. There has been a church on the site since Norman times, but the present building was built in the second half of the 13th century. It was dedicated by the Bishop of LincolnBishop of Lincoln
The Bishop of Lincoln is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Lincoln in the Province of Canterbury.The present diocese covers the county of Lincolnshire and the unitary authority areas of North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire. The Bishop's seat is located in the Cathedral...
in 1242.
The chancel was rebuilt at the start of the 16th century, a north chapel was added and the present tower was constructed. Restoration took place in the 19th century.
The tower houses three bells, the oldest from around 1400.
Abbots Ripton Hall
The village is home to the 18th century Abbots Ripton Hall which now has an estate totalling 5700 acres (2,307 ha), larger than Abbots Ripton itself; its grounds contain some quite rare trees including — quite unusual in England — a good collection of elm treesElm
Elms are deciduous and semi-deciduous trees comprising the genus Ulmus in the plant family Ulmaceae. The dozens of species are found in temperate and tropical-montane regions of North America and Eurasia, ranging southward into Indonesia. Elms are components of many kinds of natural forests...
which are injected every year to prevent Dutch elm disease
Dutch elm disease
Dutch elm disease is a disease caused by a member of the sac fungi category, affecting elm trees which is spread by the elm bark beetle. Although believed to be originally native to Asia, the disease has been accidentally introduced into America and Europe, where it has devastated native...
. Also based in the area is The Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, a research centre in the land and freshwater environmental sciences.
Village life
Abbots Ripton has a church dedicated to St Andrew, a shop, garage, and a post officePost office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
. The village pub
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
, The Three Horseshoes, dates from the 17th century; it was severely damaged by a fire in 2010. It also has a school the Abbots Ripton CofE Primary School which teaches 109 children.