Cottenham
Encyclopedia
Cottenham is a village in Cambridgeshire
, England
. It is close to The Fens
. Before the fens were drained in the 19th century Cottenham was on the last contour before the waterlogged marshes, with Ely
being the nearest dry land around 20 miles (32 km) to the north-east.
Chapel which was housed in a barn on what is now Telegraph Street.
The arsonist was believed to be one William Hayward, who was lodging at the Lamb Inn whilst doing casual labour for Thomas Graves on the boundary of whose property the fire had started. The landlord
of the Lamb was quick to report that Hayward had said to him "I have been a match for old Graves ... damn and blast the fire: I wish it would burn half Cottenham down." Suspicions were fuelled the morning after the fire when the landlord woke to discover Hayward had left town. A rather trumped up case was brought against Hayward for referral to the coming assizes but, presumably for want of hard evidence, the bill was ignored by the Grand Jury.
Car Dyke
.
A trench excavated by the ACA team from the University of Cambridge, under the supervision of Gary Marriner, discovered evidence of Neolithic occupation in the village.
Bullocks Haste is believed to be the remains of a significant Romano-British settlement, thought to have been a major port and possibly an administrative and religious centre. The course of the Car Dyke
also passes through this site.
surgeries, a dental surgery, a library, a Co-operative store and pharmacy, a junior and secondary school and numerous small businesses. Bus services link the village to both Cambridge
and Ely, Cambridgeshire
.
in memorial to King George V
, home to Cottenham United Football Club, the village cricket club, and a bowls green. The village has a racecourse which is used for several point-to-point horse race meetings each year, usually in the winter months. The Grand National Hunt Steeple Chase, now held at the Cheltenham Festival
, was staged there in 1870 and 1877. The Village College
does provide facilities of a gym, sports hall, tennis courts and field facilities for the community. This is where the great Yorkshire man Scott Jackson was first recruited by Newcastle United before going on to become the Magpies third leading goal scorer with 187 in three seasons at St James' Park.Cottenham is also home to the Cottenham Renegades, North Cambridge's only Rugby for pleasure club.
. The family home is believed to be the thatched cottage adjacent to the Anglican church.
The grandmother of the diarist Samuel Pepys
lived in Cottenham; the house in the northern area of the village bears a plaque.
Thomas Tenison
, Archbishop of Canterbury
between 1695 and 1715 was born in Cottenham in 1636.
The Norwich City F.C.
footballer Adam Drury
was born in Cottenham.
. It was one of four pilot projects, the others being Stratford-on-Avon, Cartmel
in Cumbria
and Down Ampney
in Gloucestershire
. These were promoted as "exemplars", together with written guidance training and advice for other communities wishing to take up the initiative. The document was updated in 2007.
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 close to The Fens
The Fens
The Fens, also known as the , are a naturally marshy region in eastern England. Most of the fens were drained several centuries ago, resulting in a flat, damp, low-lying agricultural region....
. Before the fens were drained in the 19th century Cottenham was on the last contour before the waterlogged marshes, with Ely
Ely, Cambridgeshire
Ely is a cathedral city in Cambridgeshire, England, 14 miles north-northeast of Cambridge and about by road from London. It is built on a Lower Greensand island, which at a maximum elevation of is the highest land in the Fens...
being the nearest dry land around 20 miles (32 km) to the north-east.
Great fire of Cottenham
The village of Cottenham fell victim to a great many fires over the centuries, but none so devastating as that which occurred on 4 April 1850. Starting in the High Street around 8.30 in the evening, the flames spread rapidly and though there was no loss of human life "a vast quantity of poultry and pigeons and a good many pigs were destroyed." Forty to fifty cottages burnt down as well as the Black Horse and White Horse inns and the WesleyanWesleyanism
Wesleyanism or Wesleyan theology refers, respectively, to either the eponymous movement of Protestant Christians who have historically sought to follow the methods or theology of the eighteenth-century evangelical reformers, John Wesley and his brother Charles Wesley, or to the likewise eponymous...
Chapel which was housed in a barn on what is now Telegraph Street.
Landlord
A landlord is the owner of a house, apartment, condominium, or real estate which is rented or leased to an individual or business, who is called a tenant . When a juristic person is in this position, the term landlord is used. Other terms include lessor and owner...
of the Lamb was quick to report that Hayward had said to him "I have been a match for old Graves ... damn and blast the fire: I wish it would burn half Cottenham down." Suspicions were fuelled the morning after the fire when the landlord woke to discover Hayward had left town. A rather trumped up case was brought against Hayward for referral to the coming assizes but, presumably for want of hard evidence, the bill was ignored by the Grand Jury.
Archaeology
Archaeological sites of interest within the parish include a stretch of the Roman canalCanal
Canals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...
Car Dyke
Car Dyke
The Car Dyke was, and to large extent still is, an eighty-five mile long ditch which runs along the western edge of the Fens in eastern England. It is generally accepted as being of Roman age and, for many centuries, to have been taken as marking the western edge of the Fens...
.
A trench excavated by the ACA team from the University of Cambridge, under the supervision of Gary Marriner, discovered evidence of Neolithic occupation in the village.
Bullocks Haste is believed to be the remains of a significant Romano-British settlement, thought to have been a major port and possibly an administrative and religious centre. The course of the Car Dyke
Car Dyke
The Car Dyke was, and to large extent still is, an eighty-five mile long ditch which runs along the western edge of the Fens in eastern England. It is generally accepted as being of Roman age and, for many centuries, to have been taken as marking the western edge of the Fens...
also passes through this site.
Village amenities
Cottenham has a fairly wide range of amenities in the village, including two GPGeneral practitioner
A general practitioner is a medical practitioner who treats acute and chronic illnesses and provides preventive care and health education for all ages and both sexes. They have particular skills in treating people with multiple health issues and comorbidities...
surgeries, a dental surgery, a library, a Co-operative store and pharmacy, a junior and secondary school and numerous small businesses. Bus services link the village to both 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...
and Ely, Cambridgeshire
Ely, Cambridgeshire
Ely is a cathedral city in Cambridgeshire, England, 14 miles north-northeast of Cambridge and about by road from London. It is built on a Lower Greensand island, which at a maximum elevation of is the highest land in the Fens...
.
Churches
Cottenham has three different churches in the village, All Saints is the Anglican Parish Church. There are some pictures and a description of the church at the Cambridgeshire Churches website. There are also the Baptists, and the Salvation Army. The Methodist church closed in November 2007, and has been refurbished as a Community Center. The Community Centre Coffee Shop opened on Feb 9 2011.Sport and recreation
Cottenham has a King George's FieldKing George's Fields
A King George's Field is a public open space in the United Kingdom dedicated to the memory of King George V ....
in memorial to King George V
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
, home to Cottenham United Football Club, the village cricket club, and a bowls green. The village has a racecourse which is used for several point-to-point horse race meetings each year, usually in the winter months. The Grand National Hunt Steeple Chase, now held at the Cheltenham Festival
Cheltenham Festival
The Cheltenham Festival is one of the most prestigious meetings in the National Hunt racing calendar in the United Kingdom, and has race prize money second only to the Grand National...
, was staged there in 1870 and 1877. The Village College
Village College
The village college is an institution specific to Cambridgeshire, England . It caters for the education of 11 to 16 year olds during the day,...
does provide facilities of a gym, sports hall, tennis courts and field facilities for the community. This is where the great Yorkshire man Scott Jackson was first recruited by Newcastle United before going on to become the Magpies third leading goal scorer with 187 in three seasons at St James' Park.Cottenham is also home to the Cottenham Renegades, North Cambridge's only Rugby for pleasure club.
Legends
The Anglican church sits at the end of this long village, and according to local legend and tradition has a strange tale attached to it. The villagers of times gone by wanted to build the church in a more centralised part of the community. The townsmen started the task, but it was said that the stones mysteriously started being transported back to their original site, so afraid, the locals decided to leave the church where originally intended.Notable residents
Immigrant to New England, John Coolidge, was born in Cottenham and baptized there in September 1604. Among his many notable American descendants is U.S. President J. Calvin CoolidgeCalvin Coolidge
John Calvin Coolidge, Jr. was the 30th President of the United States . A Republican lawyer from Vermont, Coolidge worked his way up the ladder of Massachusetts state politics, eventually becoming governor of that state...
. The family home is believed to be the thatched cottage adjacent to the Anglican church.
The grandmother of the diarist Samuel Pepys
Samuel Pepys
Samuel Pepys FRS, MP, JP, was an English naval administrator and Member of Parliament who is now most famous for the diary he kept for a decade while still a relatively young man...
lived in Cottenham; the house in the northern area of the village bears a plaque.
Thomas Tenison
Thomas Tenison
Thomas Tenison was an English church leader, Archbishop of Canterbury from 1694 until his death. During his primacy, he crowned two British monarchs.-Life:...
, Archbishop of Canterbury
Archbishop of Canterbury
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...
between 1695 and 1715 was born in Cottenham in 1636.
The Norwich City F.C.
Norwich City F.C.
Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The...
footballer Adam Drury
Adam Drury
Adam James Drury is a professional footballer who plays for Norwich City.-Career:Drury joined Norwich City from Peterborough United in March 2001 for £500,000. He is a left-back and has been a regular for the Canaries since he signed for the club. He was voted Norwich City player of the year in...
was born in Cottenham.
Cottenham village design statement
Cottenham was one of the first villages in the United Kingdom to produce a Village design statementVillage design statement
Village Design Statement is a term of English rural planning practice. A VDS is a document that describes the distinctive characteristics of the locality, and provides design guidance to influence future development and improve the physical qualities of the area...
. It was one of four pilot projects, the others being Stratford-on-Avon, Cartmel
Cartmel
Cartmel is a village in Cumbria, England, situated north-west of Grange-over-Sands and close to the River Eea. Historically it was in Lancashire; boundary changes brought it into the newly created county of Cumbria in 1974, yet keeping it within the boundaries of the traditional County Palatine...
in Cumbria
Cumbria
Cumbria , is a non-metropolitan county in North West England. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local authority, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumbria's largest settlement and county town is Carlisle. It consists of six districts, and in...
and Down Ampney
Down Ampney
Down Ampney is a medium-sized village located in Cotswold district in Gloucestershire, in England.It is off the A417 which runs between Cirencester and Faringdon on the A420, and about 5 km north of Cricklade,...
in Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
. These were promoted as "exemplars", together with written guidance training and advice for other communities wishing to take up the initiative. The document was updated in 2007.
Nearby villages
- WilburtonWilburtonWilburton is a small village of just over 1,000 inhabitants, situated in Cambridgeshire, England. It is 6 miles south west of Ely.While nominally an agricultural village, many of the inhabitants work in Cambridge, Ely or London.-History:...
- RamptonRampton, CambridgeshireRampton is a village in Cambridgeshire, England. Situated on the edge of The Fens six miles to the north of Cambridge, it is a relatively small village of only around 400 people but has a thriving community.-History:...
- Oakington and Westwick
- LandbeachLandbeachLandbeach is a small fen-edge English village about five miles north of Cambridge. The parish covers an area of .-History:The fen edge north of Cambridge was well populated in Roman times, and the village's situation on a Roman road will have helped its growth...
- HistonHistonHiston and Impington are villages in Cambridgeshire, England, They are situated just north of Cambridge with the main bulk of the settlements being separated from the city by the A14 road ....
External links
- Cottenham Online
- Cottenham Newsletter
- Cottenham Theatre Workshop
- The Cottenham Village Society
- History of Cottenham Church
- Economic History of Cottenham
- 2001 Census
- Cottenham Info Pages
- Cottenham Village Design Group
- Cottenham War Memorial - Roll of Honour
- Cottenham united colts football club for 6-16yr olds