Earith
Encyclopedia
Earith is a village in the Fens
of Cambridgeshire
, England, south of Chatteris
and east of Huntingdon
. At Earith, two artificial diversion channels of the River Great Ouse
, the Old Bedford River
and the New Bedford River
, leave the river on a course to Denver Sluice
near Downham Market
, where they rejoin the Great Ouse in its tidal part.
The village has a small number of local shops, a post office, two public houses, a part-time surgery, and a school. The village does not have a parish church.
A business now occupies what was once the National School, and the Wesleyan Chapel, erected in 1828, is now a private house.
, and during winter months ice skating
is popular at nearby Bury Fen. Both activities are depicted in the village sign.
Two large lakes were formed to the north of the village during gravel quarrying in the 1960s. Today the site is home to a fishery
.
bronze statue was found to the west of the village at Bury Fen in 1826. It is now in the British Museum
.
To the North East of the village, between the Old Bedford River
and the New Bedford River
lies the remains of an English Civil War
fort known as Earith Bulwark. It is believed to have been constructed as early as 1643, to fortify the crossing point of the River Ouse. Many fenland inhabitants resented the Royalists
because they believed that the King's drainage projects undertaken by Dutch engineer Cornelius Vermuyden
, had damaged their livelihoods (his Forty Foot Drain
had been completed in 1637). Today, the fort is visible as a series of earthworks only, showing a square fort design with ditches and corner bastions. It is similar in design to Fort Nassau
in the Netherlands
. During the Second World War, a machine gun turret was built on the south bastion.
In 1947, there was the "Battle of Earith Gap". Melting snow had built up in the Fenland
waterways, unable to be released into the sea because of high tides. On 17 March a 50 yards (46 m) gap was torn in the river bank, and water poured out to flood the Fen farms for five days. Eventually the breach was blocked with amphibious vehicles while more orthodox repair work was carried out.
located to the east of the village, in an area named Earith Bridge
, on the Ely and St Ives Railway
. Passenger services were discontinued in 1931, and the Earith section of railway was closed in 1958.
The long distance footpath The Ouse Valley Way links the village with Stretham
(11 miles (18 km)) and St. Ives
(6 miles (10 km)).
The village is served by a number of regular bus services:
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....
of 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, south of Chatteris
Chatteris
Chatteris is a civil parish and one of four market towns in the Fenland district of Cambridgeshire, England, situated in The Fens between Huntingdon, March and Ely...
and east 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...
. At Earith, two artificial diversion channels of the River Great Ouse
River Great Ouse
The Great Ouse is a river in the east of England. At long, it is the fourth-longest river in the United Kingdom. The river has been important for navigation, and for draining the low-lying region through which it flows. Its course has been modified several times, with the first recorded being in...
, the Old Bedford River
Old Bedford River
The Old Bedford River is an artificial, partial diversion of the waters of the River Great Ouse in the Fens of Cambridgeshire, England. It was named after the fourth Earl of Bedford who contracted with the local Commission of Sewers to drain the Great Level of the Fens beginning in 1630.The idea of...
and the New Bedford River
New Bedford River
The New Bedford River, also known as the Hundred Foot Drain because of the distance between the tops of the two embankments on either side of the river, is a man-made cut-off or by-pass channel of the River Great Ouse in the Fens of Cambridgeshire, England. It provides an almost straight channel...
, leave the river on a course to Denver Sluice
Denver, Norfolk
Denver is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. It is located on the River Great Ouse, 1 mile south of the small town of Downham Market, 14 miles south of the larger town of King's Lynn, and 37 miles west of the city of Norwich.The civil parish has an area of...
near Downham Market
Downham Market
Downham Market is a town and civil parish in Norfolk, England. It lies on the edge of the Fens, on the River Great Ouse, some 20 km south of the town of King's Lynn, 60 km west of the city of Norwich and the same distance north of the city of Cambridge....
, where they rejoin the Great Ouse in its tidal part.
A business now occupies what was once the National School, and the Wesleyan Chapel, erected in 1828, is now a private house.
Leisure
The village is home to a marinaMarina
A marina is a dock or basin with moorings and supplies for yachts and small boats.A marina differs from a port in that a marina does not handle large passenger ships or cargo from freighters....
, and during winter months ice skating
Ice skating
Ice skating is moving on ice by using ice skates. It can be done for a variety of reasons, including leisure, traveling, and various sports. Ice skating occurs both on specially prepared indoor and outdoor tracks, as well as on naturally occurring bodies of frozen water, such as lakes and...
is popular at nearby Bury Fen. Both activities are depicted in the village sign.
Two large lakes were formed to the north of the village during gravel quarrying in the 1960s. Today the site is home to a fishery
Fishery
Generally, a fishery is an entity engaged in raising or harvesting fish which is determined by some authority to be a fishery. According to the FAO, a fishery is typically defined in terms of the "people involved, species or type of fish, area of water or seabed, method of fishing, class of boats,...
.
History
A RomanAncient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
bronze statue was found to the west of the village at Bury Fen in 1826. It is now in the British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
.
To the North East of the village, between the Old Bedford River
Old Bedford River
The Old Bedford River is an artificial, partial diversion of the waters of the River Great Ouse in the Fens of Cambridgeshire, England. It was named after the fourth Earl of Bedford who contracted with the local Commission of Sewers to drain the Great Level of the Fens beginning in 1630.The idea of...
and the New Bedford River
New Bedford River
The New Bedford River, also known as the Hundred Foot Drain because of the distance between the tops of the two embankments on either side of the river, is a man-made cut-off or by-pass channel of the River Great Ouse in the Fens of Cambridgeshire, England. It provides an almost straight channel...
lies the remains of an English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
fort known as Earith Bulwark. It is believed to have been constructed as early as 1643, to fortify the crossing point of the River Ouse. Many fenland inhabitants resented the Royalists
Cavalier
Cavalier was the name used by Parliamentarians for a Royalist supporter of King Charles I and son Charles II during the English Civil War, the Interregnum, and the Restoration...
because they believed that the King's drainage projects undertaken by Dutch engineer Cornelius Vermuyden
Cornelius Vermuyden
Sir Cornelius Wasterdyk Vermuyden was a Dutch engineer who introduced Dutch reclamation methods to Britain, and made the first important attempts to drain The Fens of East Anglia.-Life:...
, had damaged their livelihoods (his Forty Foot Drain
Forty Foot Drain
In the drainage schemes of The Fens of Eastern England, some of the principal drainage channels are each known as The Forty Foot or Forty Foot Drain, the name being qualified when there is a need to distinguish between them...
had been completed in 1637). Today, the fort is visible as a series of earthworks only, showing a square fort design with ditches and corner bastions. It is similar in design to Fort Nassau
Fort Nassau
The name Fort Nassau was used by the Dutch in the 17th century for several fortifications, mostly trading stations, named for the House of Orange-Nassau...
in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. During the Second World War, a machine gun turret was built on the south bastion.
In 1947, there was the "Battle of Earith Gap". Melting snow had built up in the Fenland
Fenland
Fenland is a local government district in Cambridgeshire, England. Its council is based in March, and covers the neighbouring market towns of Chatteris, Whittlesey, and Wisbech, often called the "capital of the fens"...
waterways, unable to be released into the sea because of high tides. On 17 March a 50 yards (46 m) gap was torn in the river bank, and water poured out to flood the Fen farms for five days. Eventually the breach was blocked with amphibious vehicles while more orthodox repair work was carried out.
Transportation
The village was connected to railway services in 1865, with a stationEarith Bridge railway station
Earith Bridge railway station was a station in Earith, Cambridgeshire on the Ely and St Ives Railway. It was the first station on the line to close, along with the section of line between and Sutton....
located to the east of the village, in an area named Earith Bridge
Earith Bridge railway station
Earith Bridge railway station was a station in Earith, Cambridgeshire on the Ely and St Ives Railway. It was the first station on the line to close, along with the section of line between and Sutton....
, on the Ely and St Ives Railway
Ely and St Ives Railway
The Ely and St Ives Railway is a closed railway that ran between Ely, Cambridgeshire and St Ives. The route was long single track, built to standard gauge and was completely closed on 5 October 1964...
. Passenger services were discontinued in 1931, and the Earith section of railway was closed in 1958.
The long distance footpath The Ouse Valley Way links the village with Stretham
Stretham
Stretham is a small village and civil parish south-south-west of Ely in Cambridgeshire, England, about by road from London. Its main attraction is Stretham Old Engine, a steam-powered pump used to drain the fens. The pump is still in use today although converted to electric power. It has open...
(11 miles (18 km)) and St. Ives
St Ives, Cambridgeshire
St Ives is a market town in Cambridgeshire, England, around north-west of the city of Cambridge and north of London. It lies within the historic county boundaries of Huntingdonshire.-History:...
(6 miles (10 km)).
The village is served by a number of regular bus services:
- 21, two hourly service to St Ives or villages towards RamseyRamsey, CambridgeshireRamsey is a small Cambridgeshire market town and parish, north of Huntingdon and St Ives. For local government purposes it lies in the district of Huntingdonshire within the local government county of Cambridgeshire....
(operated by Whippet Coaches) - 21, two hourly service to St Ives or villages towards Chatteris (operated by Stagecoach in Huntingdonshire)
- 91, one morning service to Cambridge allowing a return journey in the evening (college days) (operated by Stagecoach in Huntingdonshire)