Coton, Cambridgeshire
Encyclopedia
Coton is a small village and civil parish about two miles (about 3 km) west of Cambridge
in Cambridgeshire
, England and about the same distance east of the Prime Meridian
. It belongs to the administrative district of South Cambridgeshire
. The parish covers an area of 392 hectares (970 acres). In the 2001 census it had a population of 773, with approximately 336 dwellings and 322 households.
, which forms part of the Cambridge
to St Neots
road; to the west by open fields which separate the village from that of Hardwick
; to the south by open fields separating it from Barton
and to the east by the M11 motorway
, which divides it from the city of Cambridge and, to the south-east, the village of Grantchester
. Coton lies roughly equidistant from junctions 12 and 13 of the M11.
The oldest building in Coton is St Peter’s Church (there are some pictures and a description of the church at the Cambridgeshire Churches website), built in the 12th century as a chapel, dependent on Grantchester church. It gradually established its independence from Grantchester over the course of the 13th and 14th centuries. Some of the original building survives, including the nave (excluding its aisles), the chancel and the font. The shafted south-east angle of the 12th century nave is still visible outside, while the chancel has 12th century windows to the north and south. The aisles date from the 14th and 15th centuries. Extensive restoration work was undertaken in the 1870s and 1880s.
From the 16th century until the early years of the 20th century, most of the land in Coton belonged to Cambridge colleges, including St John's
, Queens'
, King's
and St Catharine's
, which let it for farming.
In 1830, Coton was one of many villages in the south and east of England to suffer damage during the Swing Riots
. One farmer had his farmstead burnt down with losses amounting to £1,720.
Notable former inhabitants of Coton include Andrew Downes
, a famous scholar and Cambridge University
Regius Professor of Greek
in the late 16th century; and Sir John Coke, Secretary of State
under Charles I
from 1625-1639.
is situated on the Coton stretch of Madingley Road. In recent years the Village Hall of Coton has been deteriorating and there has been an appeal in the Village newsletter asking the 'younger generation' of villagers to come up with ideas for fundraising for a new building. Coton Orchard, planted in 1922, produces mainly apple juice, supplying a number of Cambridge colleges.
The Coton Footpath is a recreational cycle or walk from Cambridge to Coton. It begins in the city centre, crossing the River Cam
, passing alongside the University
's West Cambridge
site south of Madingley Road
, then crossing the M11 motorway
, bypassing Coton Orchard and terminating at the village recreation ground. On the roads and gardens around Coton it is often possible to see Muntjac deer.
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
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 and about the same distance east of the Prime Meridian
Prime Meridian
The Prime Meridian is the meridian at which the longitude is defined to be 0°.The Prime Meridian and its opposite the 180th meridian , which the International Date Line generally follows, form a great circle that divides the Earth into the Eastern and Western Hemispheres.An international...
. It belongs to the administrative district of South Cambridgeshire
South Cambridgeshire
South Cambridgeshire is a mostly rural local government district of Cambridgeshire, England. It was formed on 1 April 1974 by the merger of Chesterton Rural District and South Cambridgeshire Rural District. It surrounds the city of Cambridge, which is administered separately from the district by...
. The parish covers an area of 392 hectares (970 acres). In the 2001 census it had a population of 773, with approximately 336 dwellings and 322 households.
Location
Coton is approximately bounded to the north by the A1303 Madingley RoadMadingley Road
Madingley Road is a major arterial road linking central Cambridge, England with Junction 13 of the M11 motorway. It passes by West Cambridge, a major new site where some University of Cambridge departments are being relocated....
, which forms part of the Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
to St Neots
St Neots
St Neots is a town and civil parish with a population of 26,356 people. It lies on the River Great Ouse in Huntingdonshire District, approximately north of central London, and is the largest town in Cambridgeshire . The town is named after the Cornish monk St...
road; to the west by open fields which separate the village from that of Hardwick
Hardwick, Cambridgeshire
Hardwick is a village in the county of Cambridgeshire, England with a large housing estate located about west of the city of Cambridge and immediately south of the A428 Cambridge-St Neots road. It is about east of the newly developed village of Cambourne. The Village is nearly on the Greenwich...
; to the south by open fields separating it from Barton
Barton, Cambridgeshire
Barton is a village and civil parish in the South Cambridgeshire district of Cambridgeshire, England. It is about south-west of Cambridge, near junction 12 of the M11 motorway.- History :...
and to the east by the M11 motorway
M11 motorway
The M11 motorway in England is a major road running approximately north from the North Circular Road in South Woodford in north-east London to the A14, north-west of Cambridge.-Route:...
, which divides it from the city of Cambridge and, to the south-east, the village of Grantchester
Grantchester
Grantchester is a village on the River Cam or Granta in Cambridgeshire, England. It is listed in the Domesday Book as Grantesete and Grauntsethe...
. Coton lies roughly equidistant from junctions 12 and 13 of the M11.
History
Coton is not mentioned in the Domesday Book, as the land forming the village belonged at that time to Grantchester. However, in the Middle Ages, Coton became a separate parish. There are no references to a separate Coton population prior to 1500, but by 1563, 21 families are recorded as living in the village. The population grew slowly over the next two centuries, reaching 126 by 1801 and then more than trebled to 390 during the 19th century. Further population growth came in the 1940s, when an estate of Council houses was built at the west end of the village (Whitwell Way) and in the 1960s, when further houses were built between the High Street and the 1940s estate.The oldest building in Coton is St Peter’s Church (there are some pictures and a description of the church at the Cambridgeshire Churches website), built in the 12th century as a chapel, dependent on Grantchester church. It gradually established its independence from Grantchester over the course of the 13th and 14th centuries. Some of the original building survives, including the nave (excluding its aisles), the chancel and the font. The shafted south-east angle of the 12th century nave is still visible outside, while the chancel has 12th century windows to the north and south. The aisles date from the 14th and 15th centuries. Extensive restoration work was undertaken in the 1870s and 1880s.
From the 16th century until the early years of the 20th century, most of the land in Coton belonged to Cambridge colleges, including St John's
St John's College, Cambridge
St John's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college's alumni include nine Nobel Prize winners, six Prime Ministers, three archbishops, at least two princes, and three Saints....
, Queens'
Queens' College, Cambridge
Queens' College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.The college was founded in 1448 by Margaret of Anjou , and refounded in 1465 by Elizabeth Woodville...
, King's
King's College, Cambridge
King's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. The college's full name is "The King's College of our Lady and Saint Nicholas in Cambridge", but it is usually referred to simply as "King's" within the University....
and St Catharine's
St Catharine's College, Cambridge
St. Catharine’s College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1473, the college is often referred to informally by the nickname "Catz".-History:...
, which let it for farming.
In 1830, Coton was one of many villages in the south and east of England to suffer damage during the Swing Riots
Swing Riots
The Swing Riots were a widespread uprising by agricultural workers; it began with the destruction of threshing machines in the Elham Valley area of East Kent in the summer of 1830, and by early December had spread throughout the whole of southern England and East Anglia.As well as the attacks on...
. One farmer had his farmstead burnt down with losses amounting to £1,720.
Notable former inhabitants of Coton include Andrew Downes
Andrew Downes (scholar)
Andrew Downes, also known as Dounaeus, was an English classical scholar.-Life:He was born in the county of Shropshire, and was educated at Shrewsbury and St...
, a famous scholar and Cambridge University
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
Regius Professor of Greek
Regius Professor of Greek (Cambridge)
The Regius Professorship of Greek is one of the oldest professorships at the University of Cambridge. The chair was founded by Henry VIII in 1540 with a stipend of £40 per year, subsequently increased in 1848 by a canonry of Ely Cathedral....
in the late 16th century; and Sir John Coke, Secretary of State
Secretary of State (England)
In the Kingdom of England, the title of Secretary of State came into being near the end of the reign of Queen Elizabeth I , the usual title before that having been King's Clerk, King's Secretary, or Principal Secretary....
under Charles I
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
from 1625-1639.
The village today
In addition to its church, Coton has a primary school, a restaurant-pub (The Plough), a garden centre containing a Post Office, farm shop and cafe, football, cricket and bowls clubs, and a British Women's Institute group as well as other local clubs. The well-known Cambridge American Cemetery and MemorialCambridge American Cemetery and Memorial
-External links:**...
is situated on the Coton stretch of Madingley Road. In recent years the Village Hall of Coton has been deteriorating and there has been an appeal in the Village newsletter asking the 'younger generation' of villagers to come up with ideas for fundraising for a new building. Coton Orchard, planted in 1922, produces mainly apple juice, supplying a number of Cambridge colleges.
The Coton Footpath is a recreational cycle or walk from Cambridge to Coton. It begins in the city centre, crossing the River Cam
River Cam
The River Cam is a tributary of the River Great Ouse in the east of England. The two rivers join to the south of Ely at Pope's Corner. The Great Ouse connects the Cam to England's canal system and to the North Sea at King's Lynn...
, passing alongside the University
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
's West Cambridge
West Cambridge
West Cambridge is a university site to the west of Cambridge city centre in England. As part of the West Cambridge Master Plan, several of the University of Cambridge's departments have relocated to the West Cambridge site from the centre of town due to overcrowding...
site south of Madingley Road
Madingley Road
Madingley Road is a major arterial road linking central Cambridge, England with Junction 13 of the M11 motorway. It passes by West Cambridge, a major new site where some University of Cambridge departments are being relocated....
, then crossing the M11 motorway
M11 motorway
The M11 motorway in England is a major road running approximately north from the North Circular Road in South Woodford in north-east London to the A14, north-west of Cambridge.-Route:...
, bypassing Coton Orchard and terminating at the village recreation ground. On the roads and gardens around Coton it is often possible to see Muntjac deer.
Nearby villages
- MadingleyMadingleyMadingley is a village near Coton and Dry Drayton on the western outskirts of Cambridge in the United Kingdom.Known as Madingelei in the Domesday Book, the village's name means "Woodland clearing of the family or followers of a man called Mada"....
- GrantchesterGrantchesterGrantchester is a village on the River Cam or Granta in Cambridgeshire, England. It is listed in the Domesday Book as Grantesete and Grauntsethe...
- HardwickHardwick, CambridgeshireHardwick is a village in the county of Cambridgeshire, England with a large housing estate located about west of the city of Cambridge and immediately south of the A428 Cambridge-St Neots road. It is about east of the newly developed village of Cambourne. The Village is nearly on the Greenwich...
- BartonBarton, CambridgeshireBarton is a village and civil parish in the South Cambridgeshire district of Cambridgeshire, England. It is about south-west of Cambridge, near junction 12 of the M11 motorway.- History :...
- Comberton