Fletton
Encyclopedia
Fletton is a residential area and electoral ward of the city of Peterborough
, Cambridgeshire
in the United Kingdom
. For parliamentary purposes it falls within North West Cambridgeshire constituency. The area is home to League One Peterborough United F.C.
, known locally as The Posh, who play at London Road Stadium.
, the area was historically
part of Huntingdonshire
(although not the present district of that name), rather than the Soke of Peterborough
in Northamptonshire
. It was divided into Old Fletton, which prior to the Local Government Act 1972
formed a separate town with its own council (Old Fletton Urban District) and New Fletton which, from 1874, was administered as part of Peterborough Municipal Borough. Some maps still show New Fletton (on the south bank of the river) as well as Old Fletton (further to the south) with the boundary at Fletton Spring. Fletton Spring rises in the west of the area near Celta Road but soon disappears underground, re-emerging near Fletton Fields before being fenced in again and eventually merging with Stanground Lode in the east.
In 1965, the administrative counties of Huntingdonshire and the Soke of Peterborough amalgamated as Huntingdon and Peterborough
and, in 1974, Fletton became part of the Peterborough district of non-metropolitan Cambridgeshire.
The parish church, which is situated on Fletton Avenue, is dedicated to Saint Margaret
. Although in the Diocese of Ely
, it has now been placed under the pastoral care of the Bishop of Peterborough
, acting as Assistant Bishop
in the Diocese of Ely. The Italian Catholic mission church of Saint Anthony
(San Antonio) is run by the Scalabrini Fathers
.
Old Fletton County Primary School is located in the area; secondary pupils attend nearby Stanground College
and Orton Longueville School
.
, the character of which led to the establishment of large brickworks. The area gave its name to the Fletton Brick Company and to Fletton Brick in the nineteenth century, when a large area of land was auctioned off to investors; this eventually became the London Brick Company, now owned by Hanson Plc
. The dominance of London Brick in the market during this period gave rise to some of the country's most well known landmarks, all built using the ubiquitous Fletton. During the 1950s the requirement for workers in the brick industry was far greater than that available locally and many Italians
—initially housed in the old prisoner of war camps and in barracks and hostels belonging to the company—were recruited in the southern regions of Puglia
and Campania
.
By 1960, approximately 3,000 Italian men were employed by London Brick, mostly at the Fletton works. Very soon after the first men had arrived, they were followed by around 2,000 Italian women, some of whom worked alongside the men, whilst others worked in sectors such as clothing, rubber, ceramics, food processing, agriculture and the NHS
. Consequently Fletton has a significant Italian
population today. The Fleet complex, off the High Street, has been managed by the Italian Community Association since it opened in 1985.
Historically, diesel manufacturers, Perkins Engines, (previously Joseph Farrow
's canning factory) and Bennie Lifts, situated on Queens Road, also gave work to a large number of people locally.
Peterborough
Peterborough is a cathedral city and unitary authority area in the East of England, with an estimated population of in June 2007. For ceremonial purposes it is in the county of Cambridgeshire. Situated north of London, the city stands on the River Nene which flows into the North Sea...
, 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...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. For parliamentary purposes it falls within North West Cambridgeshire constituency. The area is home to League One Peterborough United F.C.
Peterborough United F.C.
Peterborough United Football Club are a professional English football club based in Peterborough. Peterborough United formed in 1934 and played in the old Midland League, which they won six times; eventually being admitted to the Football League in 1960, replacing Gateshead. Their home ground is...
, known locally as The Posh, who play at London Road Stadium.
Administration
Lying south of the River NeneRiver Nene
The River Nene is a river in the east of England that rises from three sources in the county of Northamptonshire. The tidal river forms the border between Cambridgeshire and Norfolk for about . It is the tenth longest river in the United Kingdom, and is navigable for from Northampton to The...
, the area was historically
Historic counties of England
The historic counties of England are subdivisions of England established for administration by the Normans and in most cases based on earlier Anglo-Saxon kingdoms and shires...
part of Huntingdonshire
Huntingdonshire
Huntingdonshire is a local government district of Cambridgeshire, covering the area around Huntingdon. Traditionally it is a county in its own right...
(although not the present district of that name), rather than the Soke of Peterborough
Soke of Peterborough
The Soke of Peterborough is an historic area of England that is traditionally associated with the City and Diocese of Peterborough, but considered part of Northamptonshire...
in Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
. It was divided into Old Fletton, which prior to the Local Government Act 1972
Local Government Act 1972
The Local Government Act 1972 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974....
formed a separate town with its own council (Old Fletton Urban District) and New Fletton which, from 1874, was administered as part of Peterborough Municipal Borough. Some maps still show New Fletton (on the south bank of the river) as well as Old Fletton (further to the south) with the boundary at Fletton Spring. Fletton Spring rises in the west of the area near Celta Road but soon disappears underground, re-emerging near Fletton Fields before being fenced in again and eventually merging with Stanground Lode in the east.
In 1965, the administrative counties of Huntingdonshire and the Soke of Peterborough amalgamated as Huntingdon and Peterborough
Huntingdon and Peterborough
Huntingdon and Peterborough was a short-lived administrative county in East Anglia in the United Kingdom. It existed from 1965 to 1974, when it became part of Cambridgeshire.-Formation:...
and, in 1974, Fletton became part of the Peterborough district of non-metropolitan Cambridgeshire.
The parish church, which is situated on Fletton Avenue, is dedicated to Saint Margaret
Margaret the Virgin
Margaret the Virgin, also known as Margaret of Antioch , virgin and martyr, is celebrated as a saint by the Roman Catholic and Anglican Churches on July 20; and on July 17 in the Orthodox Church. Her historical existence has been questioned; she was declared apocryphal by Pope Gelasius I in 494,...
. Although in the Diocese of Ely
Diocese of Ely
The Diocese of Ely is a Church of England diocese in the Province of Canterbury. It is headed by the Bishop of Ely, who sits at Ely Cathedral in Ely. There is one suffragan bishop, the Bishop of Huntingdon. The diocese now covers Cambridgeshire and western Norfolk...
, it has now been placed under the pastoral care of the Bishop of Peterborough
Bishop of Peterborough
The Bishop of Peterborough is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Peterborough in the Province of Canterbury.The diocese covers the counties of Northamptonshire, Rutland and the Soke of Peterborough in Cambridgeshire...
, acting as Assistant Bishop
Assistant Bishop
An assistant bishop in the Anglican Communion is a bishop appointed to assist a diocesan bishop.-Church of England:In the established Church of England, assistant bishops are usually are retired bishops – in which case they are honorary assistant bishops...
in the Diocese of Ely. The Italian Catholic mission church of Saint Anthony
Anthony of Padua
Anthony of Padua or Anthony of Lisbon, O.F.M., was a Portuguese Catholic priest and friar of the Franciscan Order. Though he died in Padua, Italy, he was born to a wealthy family in Lisbon, Portugal, which is where he was raised...
(San Antonio) is run by the Scalabrini Fathers
Missionaries of St. Charles Borromeo
The Missionaries of St. Charles Borromeo or Scalabrinian Missionaries are a Roman Catholic religious order of brothers and priests founded by Giovanni Battista Scalabrini, Bishop of Piacenza in Italy, in 1887...
.
Old Fletton County Primary School is located in the area; secondary pupils attend nearby Stanground College
Stanground College
Stanground College is a co-educational foundation Comprehensive School and specialist college for sport, in the city of Peterborough in the United Kingdom. It has capacity for around 1,500 pupils aged 11 to 18, of whom almost 300 are in the Sixth Form. The school was officially opened by Alderman Dr...
and Orton Longueville School
Orton Longueville School
Nene Park Academy, formally Orton Longueville School is a secondary comprehensive in Peterborough.-Admissions:The school population in 2010 is nearly 1200. About a quarter of students come from several minority ethnic groups and a small number of students are at an early stage of English language...
.
Industry
The sub-soil is Oxford ClayOxford Clay
The Oxford Clay Formation is a Jurassic marine sedimentary rock formation underlying much of southeast England, from as far west as Dorset and as far north as Yorkshire. The Oxford Clay is of middle Callovian to lower Oxfordian age and comprises 2 main facies. The lower facies comprises the...
, the character of which led to the establishment of large brickworks. The area gave its name to the Fletton Brick Company and to Fletton Brick in the nineteenth century, when a large area of land was auctioned off to investors; this eventually became the London Brick Company, now owned by Hanson Plc
Hanson plc
Hanson plc is a British based international building materials company, headquartered in Maidenhead. Traded on the London Stock Exchange and a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index for many years, the company was acquired by a division of German rival Heidelberg Cement in August 2007.-History:Hanson...
. The dominance of London Brick in the market during this period gave rise to some of the country's most well known landmarks, all built using the ubiquitous Fletton. During the 1950s the requirement for workers in the brick industry was far greater than that available locally and many Italians
Italian people
The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
—initially housed in the old prisoner of war camps and in barracks and hostels belonging to the company—were recruited in the southern regions of Puglia
Apulia
Apulia is a region in Southern Italy bordering the Adriatic Sea in the east, the Ionian Sea to the southeast, and the Strait of Òtranto and Gulf of Taranto in the south. Its most southern portion, known as Salento peninsula, forms a high heel on the "boot" of Italy. The region comprises , and...
and Campania
Campania
Campania is a region in southern Italy. The region has a population of around 5.8 million people, making it the second-most-populous region of Italy; its total area of 13,590 km² makes it the most densely populated region in the country...
.
By 1960, approximately 3,000 Italian men were employed by London Brick, mostly at the Fletton works. Very soon after the first men had arrived, they were followed by around 2,000 Italian women, some of whom worked alongside the men, whilst others worked in sectors such as clothing, rubber, ceramics, food processing, agriculture and the NHS
National Health Service
The National Health Service is the shared name of three of the four publicly funded healthcare systems in the United Kingdom. They provide a comprehensive range of health services, the vast majority of which are free at the point of use to residents of the United Kingdom...
. Consequently Fletton has a significant Italian
Italian diaspora
The term Italian diaspora refers to the large-scale migration of Italians away from Italy in the period roughly beginning with the unification of Italy in 1861 and ending with the Italian economic miracle in the 1960s...
population today. The Fleet complex, off the High Street, has been managed by the Italian Community Association since it opened in 1985.
Historically, diesel manufacturers, Perkins Engines, (previously Joseph Farrow
Joseph Farrow
-Life:Farrow was born at Boston, Lincolnshire, of ‘religious parents,’ and educated at the grammar school of that town. He was afterwards entered at Magdalene College, Cambridge, as a member of which he proceeded M.A...
's canning factory) and Bennie Lifts, situated on Queens Road, also gave work to a large number of people locally.