Fordham, Cambridgeshire
Encyclopedia
Fordham is a village
in rural Cambridgeshire
, England
. Fordham is part of the East Cambridgeshire
district. It is four miles north of Newmarket, as well as being close to the settlements of Soham
, Burwell
, Isleham
, Mildenhall
and Chippenham
.
and most of its south-eastern border with Snailwell
follows the path of the River Snail. It also borders Chippenham
and Isleham
to the east, Soham
to the north, and Burwell
to the west, as well as having a short boundary with Wicken
at its western tip. In 1953 the civil parish was merged with that of Landwade
, a tiny parish of only 147 acres (59.5 ha), although Landwade and its ecclesiastical parish are both in Suffolk.
The parish has been occupied for several thousand years; weapons and tools in both flint and metal have been found from the Early Bronze Age
and Iron Age
, as well as pottery and burials. Wall plaster and tiles have been found from the Roman era, indicating that villas may have been sited near to Biggin and Block Farms in the 2nd to 4th centuries A.D.
In the Middle Ages the village was home to Fordham Abbey, a Gilbertine priory and cell to Sempringham Abbey that was founded in the reign of Henry III
in the 13th century by Robert de Fordham.
Fordham had a railway station
serving as a junction the Cambridge to Mildenhall railway
and the Ipswich to Ely line
that opened to the west of the village in 1879. The station finally closed in 1966.
Though spelled Fordeham in the Domesday Book
of 1086, the village's spelling has remained unchanged since the 10th century. The name "Fordham" means "homestead or enclosure by a ford".
It is a grade 1 listed building.
The earliest parts of the building date from the 12th century, and stonework suggest that by 1200 it was already its present size. The majority of the current structure date from an extensive rebuild in the 13th century. The church is noted for its fine 14th century north chapel, unusual in having an upper floor and undercroft.
-controlled Primary School which feeds into So-ham Village College.
Fordham has three pubs. The Cheqe mate and The Crown, which were both open by 1760, and The Greyhound, which opened in the 1990s. Former pubs include the Green Dragon (previously known as The Bull) on the Market Street green which was also open by 1760 and closed by the 1960s.
Fordham Community Archive has been set up to record the history of Fordham in the form of photographs, documents and written and oral memories. The group was formed in August 2007 and holds community events.
HMS Fordham
is named after the village.
The 'Hedgerow poet' James Withers lived in the village. Fordham is the birthplace of operatic bass-baritone Darren Jeffery.
In 2007, villager Tracey Barnard was a contestant on Channel 4's Big Brother
.
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...
in rural 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...
. Fordham is part of the East Cambridgeshire
East Cambridgeshire
East Cambridgeshire is a local government district in Cambridgeshire, England. Its council is based in Ely....
district. It is four miles north of Newmarket, as well as being close to the settlements of Soham
Soham
Soham is a small town in the English county of Cambridgeshire. It lies just off the A142 between Ely and Newmarket . Its population is 9,102 , and it is within the district of East Cambridgeshire.-Archaeology:...
, Burwell
Burwell, Cambridgeshire
Burwell is a large fen-edge village and civil parish in Cambridgeshire, England, about 10 miles north east of Cambridge. It is situated on the south-eastern edge of The Fens, a large area of relatively flat former marshland which lies close to sea level and covers the majority of Cambridgeshire...
, Isleham
Isleham
Isleham is a small village and civil parish in the English county of Cambridgeshire. It is part of the Fens.-Geography:Isleham is located in the Fens of south-east Cambridgeshire. The western parish boundary is formed by the Crooked Ditch, the eastern boundary largely by the Lea Brook and the north...
, Mildenhall
Mildenhall, Suffolk
Mildenhall is a small market town and civil parish in Suffolk, England. It is run by Forest Heath District Council and has a population of 9,906 people. The town is near the A11 and is located north-west of county town, Ipswich. The large Royal Air Force base, RAF Mildenhall as well as RAF...
and Chippenham
Chippenham, Cambridgeshire
Chippenham is a village and civil parish in Cambridgeshire, England, part of East Cambridgeshire district around north-east of Newmarket and north-east of Cambridge.-History:The parish of Chippenham covers at the eastern end of Cambridgeshire...
.
History
The parish of Fordham covers 4331 acres (1,752.7 ha) in an irregular shape. Its southern border is the county border with SuffolkSuffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
and most of its south-eastern border with Snailwell
Snailwell
Snailwell is a small village and civil parish in East Cambridgeshire, England around north of Newmarket.-History:The parish of Snailwell covers an area of in the extension of eastern Cambridgeshire that surrounds the town of Newmarket in Suffolk...
follows the path of the River Snail. It also borders Chippenham
Chippenham, Cambridgeshire
Chippenham is a village and civil parish in Cambridgeshire, England, part of East Cambridgeshire district around north-east of Newmarket and north-east of Cambridge.-History:The parish of Chippenham covers at the eastern end of Cambridgeshire...
and Isleham
Isleham
Isleham is a small village and civil parish in the English county of Cambridgeshire. It is part of the Fens.-Geography:Isleham is located in the Fens of south-east Cambridgeshire. The western parish boundary is formed by the Crooked Ditch, the eastern boundary largely by the Lea Brook and the north...
to the east, Soham
Soham
Soham is a small town in the English county of Cambridgeshire. It lies just off the A142 between Ely and Newmarket . Its population is 9,102 , and it is within the district of East Cambridgeshire.-Archaeology:...
to the north, and Burwell
Burwell, Cambridgeshire
Burwell is a large fen-edge village and civil parish in Cambridgeshire, England, about 10 miles north east of Cambridge. It is situated on the south-eastern edge of The Fens, a large area of relatively flat former marshland which lies close to sea level and covers the majority of Cambridgeshire...
to the west, as well as having a short boundary with Wicken
Wicken, Cambridgeshire
Wicken is a small village on the edge of the fens near Soham in East Cambridgeshire, 10 miles north east of Cambridge and 5 miles south of Ely. It is the site of Wicken Fen National Nature Reserve.-History:...
at its western tip. In 1953 the civil parish was merged with that of Landwade
Landwade
Landwade is a parish in west Suffolk, England, four miles north of Newmarket. One of the smallest parishes in the county, it is only 1 kilometre from north to south and at most 500m from east to west....
, a tiny parish of only 147 acres (59.5 ha), although Landwade and its ecclesiastical parish are both in Suffolk.
The parish has been occupied for several thousand years; weapons and tools in both flint and metal have been found from the Early Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
and Iron Age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
, as well as pottery and burials. Wall plaster and tiles have been found from the Roman era, indicating that villas may have been sited near to Biggin and Block Farms in the 2nd to 4th centuries A.D.
In the Middle Ages the village was home to Fordham Abbey, a Gilbertine priory and cell to Sempringham Abbey that was founded in the reign of Henry III
Henry III of England
Henry III was the son and successor of John as King of England, reigning for 56 years from 1216 until his death. His contemporaries knew him as Henry of Winchester. He was the first child king in England since the reign of Æthelred the Unready...
in the 13th century by Robert de Fordham.
Fordham had a railway station
Fordham railway station
For the active station in New York, see Fordham Fordham railway station is a disused railway station that served the village of Fordham, Cambridgeshire....
serving as a junction the Cambridge to Mildenhall railway
Cambridge to Mildenhall railway
The Cambridge to Mildenhall railway is a closed railway between Cambridge and Mildenhall in England. The line was built by the Great Eastern Railway and opened from Cambridge to Fordham on 2 June 1884 and then to Mildenhall on 1 April 1885 with a length of ....
and the Ipswich to Ely line
Ipswich to Ely Line
The Ipswich to Ely Line is a railway line linking East Anglia to the English Midlands via Ely. There is also a branch line to . Passenger services are operated by National Express East Anglia...
that opened to the west of the village in 1879. The station finally closed in 1966.
Though spelled Fordeham 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...
of 1086, the village's spelling has remained unchanged since the 10th century. The name "Fordham" means "homestead or enclosure by a ford".
Church
The parish church has been dedicated to St Peter since around 1850, prior to which it had been dedicated to St Mary since at least the 14th century. The present building consists of a chancel with side chapels and a two-storeyed north chapel, an aisled and clerestoried nave with south porch and west tower.It is a grade 1 listed building.
The earliest parts of the building date from the 12th century, and stonework suggest that by 1200 it was already its present size. The majority of the current structure date from an extensive rebuild in the 13th century. The church is noted for its fine 14th century north chapel, unusual in having an upper floor and undercroft.
Village life
The village has a Church of EnglandChurch of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
-controlled Primary School which feeds into So-ham Village College.
Fordham has three pubs. The Cheqe mate and The Crown, which were both open by 1760, and The Greyhound, which opened in the 1990s. Former pubs include the Green Dragon (previously known as The Bull) on the Market Street green which was also open by 1760 and closed by the 1960s.
Fordham Community Archive has been set up to record the history of Fordham in the form of photographs, documents and written and oral memories. The group was formed in August 2007 and holds community events.
Other details
A Ham class minesweeperHam class minesweeper
The Ham class was a class of inshore minesweepers , known as the Type 1, of the British Royal Navy. The class was designed to operate in the shallow water of rivers and estuaries. It took its name from the fact that all the ship names were British place names ending in -"ham"...
HMS Fordham
HMS Fordham
HMS Fordham was one of 93 ships of the of inshore minesweepers.Their names were all chosen from villages ending in -ham. The minesweeper was named after Fordham in Cambridgeshire.-References:*Blackman, R.V.B. ed. Jane's Fighting Ships...
is named after the village.
The 'Hedgerow poet' James Withers lived in the village. Fordham is the birthplace of operatic bass-baritone Darren Jeffery.
In 2007, villager Tracey Barnard was a contestant on Channel 4's Big Brother
Big Brother 2007 (UK)
Big Brother 2007 was the eighth series of the United Kingdom reality television programme Big Brother, airing on Channel 4, with a number of closely associated programmes also airing on E4....
.