Potton
Encyclopedia
Potton is a town and civil parish in Bedfordshire
, England
. It is 10 miles (17 kilometres) from Bedford
and the population in 2001 was 4,473 people. In 1783 the 'Great Fire of Potton' destroyed a large part of the town. The parish church dates from the 13th Century and is dedicated to St Mary. Potton's horse fairs were some of the largest in the country.
The aims of the society are
1. To promote an interest in history and particularly in that of Potton through regular meetings, exhibitions and other activities.
2. To collect, record and publish information on the history of Potton for the benefit of members and the local community.
3. To record current events in Potton for the benefit of future generations.
4. To help in the general conservation and preservation of the buildings and surrounding countryside.
http://www.pottonhistorysociety.com/
. It is derived from the Old English for 'farmstead where pots are made'.
, St Mary's, survived, however. Rebuilding after the fire has left the town with a number of Georgian buildings.
in the Tudor
and Stuart period
s, but it declined after the Great Fire. Corn and straw plait were the principal goods in 1831.
The fair was granted by Henry II in 1227; as of 1831, fairs were held on the third Tuesday in January, the last Tuesday in April, first Tuesday in July and the Tuesday before the 29 October. The horse fairs were some of the largest in the country, but ended in 1932.
'The Shambles' provided folding market stalls in the town square before brick buildings were put in place by Samuel Whitbread, the Lord of the Manor, in 1797. They became dilapidated in the 1930s and were demolished after the Second World War, with a modern library built in their place. The Clock House was opened on 23 July 1956 and utilised The Shambles' clock, illuminated dials and bell. In spring 2006 the mechanism was replaced with an automatic winding system costing £3,000.
, and was also known as Captain Peel's Railway. When the Great Northern Railway
came to Sandy
in 1850, Captain Peel had a branch line built to his estate and on to Potton. The railway's locomotive was named Shannon, after the frigate Captain Peel was commanding. He never saw his railway; he died of smallpox
on 22 April 1858 in India
. The engine itself is in the collection of the National Railway Museum
and is currently housed at Didcot Railway Centre
. The Potton Barbershop Harmony Club named its male chorus 'Shannon Express
' after the locomotive.
Potton railway station
, which opened in 1862 and served the Varsity Line
between Oxford
to Cambridge
, was closed in 1968. The railway was partly to blame for the decline of Potton market but made London
accessible for the district's market garden
ers.
Sir Malcolm Stewart, Potton's last Lord of the Manor, set up the Land Settlement Association (LSA) in 1935 and gave houses and land to cultivate to unemployed men and their families. Many were former miners from Durham
before the LSA began to favour families with agricultural knowledge.
Potton Manor was built in the 1860s. It was requesitioned by the armed forces and used as a laboratory during the war and as a car factory by Eva Pokorova and Otto van Smekal. The Champion car built in Potton was purchased from the National Motor Museum
by Potton History Society, whose aim it is to restore the vehicle to full working order. The house was finally demolished in the early 1980s.
On 18 September 1945, a B-24 Liberator
bomber crashed on the southern edge of Potton Wood
. Four men were killed; the place where it fell can still be seen.
as part of the North East Bedfordshire constituency.
, 15 miles (24 km) south-west of Cambridge
and 43 miles (69 km) north of London
. It is on the B1042 road between the town of Sandy
, to the west, and the village of Gamlingay
, to the north.
The parish ranges from 81 metres, in the east, to 33 metres above sea level, in the south-west. Potton Wood
, managed by the Forestry Commission
, is in the south-east part of the parish.
The parish church stands a short distance from the town centre on a small hill. It has a chancel, a nave, aisles and north porch, and a western tower with circular turret containing five bells. A separate cemetery was established in 1880, west of the town on the road to Sandy.
from around 1784 until 1922 when it was bought by the Bedford
brewery of Newland & Nash. This company subsequently closed the brewery in Potton and sold the site to the Co-operative Society (the original buildings remain intact). In 1998 brewing returned to Potton when the current Potton Brewery Company was re-established.
Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire is a ceremonial county of historic origin in England that forms part of the East of England region.It borders Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Northamptonshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the west and Hertfordshire to the south-east....
, 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 10 miles (17 kilometres) from Bedford
Bedford
Bedford is the county town of Bedfordshire, in the East of England. It is a large town and the administrative centre for the wider Borough of Bedford. According to the former Bedfordshire County Council's estimates, the town had a population of 79,190 in mid 2005, with 19,720 in the adjacent town...
and the population in 2001 was 4,473 people. In 1783 the 'Great Fire of Potton' destroyed a large part of the town. The parish church dates from the 13th Century and is dedicated to St Mary. Potton's horse fairs were some of the largest in the country.
Potton History Society
The Society was formed in 1977 and has built up a membership of over 100. It holds monthly meetings in the Community Centre in Brook End, normally on the fourth Thursday of a month. It is an active society which organises trips, publishes material and maintains a developing archive of past and present photographs and documents.The aims of the society are
1. To promote an interest in history and particularly in that of Potton through regular meetings, exhibitions and other activities.
2. To collect, record and publish information on the history of Potton for the benefit of members and the local community.
3. To record current events in Potton for the benefit of future generations.
4. To help in the general conservation and preservation of the buildings and surrounding countryside.
http://www.pottonhistorysociety.com/
History
The village's name was spelled Pottun in 960 AD and Potone in the 1086 Domesday bookDomesday 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...
. It is derived from the Old English for 'farmstead where pots are made'.
Great Fire
The 'Great Fire of Potton' started in a stack of clover in a field in the area of what is now Spencer Close in 1783. King Street, half the Market Square and some of the Brook End area were destroyed. It was reported to have burned for a day. Local people raised £6,000 to help those most in need. Providing temporary accommodation in nearby fields for the townsfolk alone cost £25,000. The 13th Century parish churchParish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
, St Mary's, survived, however. Rebuilding after the fire has left the town with a number of Georgian buildings.
Market and fairs
King William II granted a market in 1094; it may have been held in the churchyard before moving to the site of the modern Market Square in the 13th Century. Potton's market was one of the largest in BedfordshireBedfordshire
Bedfordshire is a ceremonial county of historic origin in England that forms part of the East of England region.It borders Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Northamptonshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the west and Hertfordshire to the south-east....
in the Tudor
Tudor period
The Tudor period usually refers to the period between 1485 and 1603, specifically in relation to the history of England. This coincides with the rule of the Tudor dynasty in England whose first monarch was Henry VII...
and Stuart period
Stuart period
The Stuart period of English and British history refers to the period between 1603 and 1714, while in Scotland it begins in 1371. These dates coincide with the rule of the Scottish royal House of Stuart, whose first monarch to rule England was James I & VI...
s, but it declined after the Great Fire. Corn and straw plait were the principal goods in 1831.
The fair was granted by Henry II in 1227; as of 1831, fairs were held on the third Tuesday in January, the last Tuesday in April, first Tuesday in July and the Tuesday before the 29 October. The horse fairs were some of the largest in the country, but ended in 1932.
'The Shambles' provided folding market stalls in the town square before brick buildings were put in place by Samuel Whitbread, the Lord of the Manor, in 1797. They became dilapidated in the 1930s and were demolished after the Second World War, with a modern library built in their place. The Clock House was opened on 23 July 1956 and utilised The Shambles' clock, illuminated dials and bell. In spring 2006 the mechanism was replaced with an automatic winding system costing £3,000.
Railway
The Sandy and Potton Railway opened on 9 November 1857. It was established by Captain Sir William Peel VC, who resided at The LodgeRSPB The Lodge
RSPB The Lodge is a nature reserve run by the RSPB, named after the building there, The Lodge, which is their headquarters. It is located south-east of the town of Sandy, Bedfordshire, in England.- Reserve :...
, and was also known as Captain Peel's Railway. When the Great Northern Railway
Great Northern Railway (Great Britain)
The Great Northern Railway was a British railway company established by the Great Northern Railway Act of 1846. On 1 January 1923 the company lost its identity as a constituent of the newly formed London and North Eastern Railway....
came to Sandy
Sandy, Bedfordshire
Sandy is a small market town and civil parish in Bedfordshire, England. It is between Cambridge and Bedford, and on the A1 road from London to Edinburgh. The area is dominated by a range of hills known as the Sand Hills. The River Ivel runs through Sandy. The dedication of the Anglican church is to...
in 1850, Captain Peel had a branch line built to his estate and on to Potton. The railway's locomotive was named Shannon, after the frigate Captain Peel was commanding. He never saw his railway; he died of smallpox
Smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning "spotted", or varus, meaning "pimple"...
on 22 April 1858 in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. The engine itself is in the collection of the National Railway Museum
National Railway Museum
The National Railway Museum is a museum in York forming part of the British National Museum of Science and Industry and telling the story of rail transport in Britain and its impact on society. It has won many awards, including the European Museum of the Year Award in 2001...
and is currently housed at Didcot Railway Centre
Didcot Railway Centre
Didcot Railway Centre, located in the town of Didcot in the English county of Oxfordshire, is based around the site of a comprehensive "engine shed" which became redundant after the nationalisation of the UK railways, due to the gradual changeover from steam to diesel motive power.-Description:The...
. The Potton Barbershop Harmony Club named its male chorus 'Shannon Express
Shannon Express
Shannon Express is a male barbershop chorus based in Potton, Bedfordshire, England. The chorus formed in 1978 and has twice won the British Association of Barbershop Singers gold medal, in 1995 and 1998...
' after the locomotive.
Potton railway station
Potton railway station
Potton was a railway station on the Varsity Line which served the small town of the same name in Bedfordshire. Opened in 1858 as part of Sir William Peel's Sandy and Potton Railway, the station was initially situated further south near the Biggleswade Road...
, which opened in 1862 and served the Varsity Line
Varsity Line
The Varsity Line is an informal name for the railway route that formerly linked the English university cities of Oxford and Cambridge, operated successively by the London and North Western Railway, the London, Midland and Scottish Railway, and British Railways...
between Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
to 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...
, was closed in 1968. The railway was partly to blame for the decline of Potton market but made London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
accessible for the district's market garden
Market garden
A market garden is the relatively small-scale production of fruits, vegetables and flowers as cash crops, frequently sold directly to consumers and restaurants. It is distinguishable from other types of farming by the diversity of crops grown on a small area of land, typically, from under one acre ...
ers.
Sir Malcolm Stewart, Potton's last Lord of the Manor, set up the Land Settlement Association (LSA) in 1935 and gave houses and land to cultivate to unemployed men and their families. Many were former miners from Durham
Durham
Durham is a city in north east England. It is within the County Durham local government district, and is the county town of the larger ceremonial county...
before the LSA began to favour families with agricultural knowledge.
Potton Manor was built in the 1860s. It was requesitioned by the armed forces and used as a laboratory during the war and as a car factory by Eva Pokorova and Otto van Smekal. The Champion car built in Potton was purchased from the National Motor Museum
National Motor Museum
The National Motor Museum is a museum in the village of Beaulieu, set in the heart of the New Forest, in the English county of Hampshire.- History :...
by Potton History Society, whose aim it is to restore the vehicle to full working order. The house was finally demolished in the early 1980s.
On 18 September 1945, a B-24 Liberator
B-24 Liberator
The Consolidated B-24 Liberator was an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and a small number of early models were sold under the name LB-30, for Land Bomber...
bomber crashed on the southern edge of Potton Wood
Potton Wood
Potton Wood covers an area of 85ha and is two miles east of the small town of Potton in the county of Bedfordshire, England. It is part of Ampthill Forest and is managed by Forest Enterprise and owned by the Forestry Commission....
. Four men were killed; the place where it fell can still be seen.
Governance
Potton Town Council is based at the Community Centre in Brook End, and is represented on Central Bedfordshire Council. Potton is represented at the House of Commons by Alistair BurtAlistair Burt
Alistair James Hendrie Burt is a British Conservative Party politician. He is the Member of Parliament for North East Bedfordshire...
as part of the North East Bedfordshire constituency.
Geography
Potton is 10 miles (17 kilometres) east of the county town of BedfordBedford
Bedford is the county town of Bedfordshire, in the East of England. It is a large town and the administrative centre for the wider Borough of Bedford. According to the former Bedfordshire County Council's estimates, the town had a population of 79,190 in mid 2005, with 19,720 in the adjacent town...
, 15 miles (24 km) south-west of 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 43 miles (69 km) north of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. It is on the B1042 road between the town of Sandy
Sandy, Bedfordshire
Sandy is a small market town and civil parish in Bedfordshire, England. It is between Cambridge and Bedford, and on the A1 road from London to Edinburgh. The area is dominated by a range of hills known as the Sand Hills. The River Ivel runs through Sandy. The dedication of the Anglican church is to...
, to the west, and the village of Gamlingay
Gamlingay
Gamlingay is a village and civil parish in South Cambridgeshire, England, near the border with Bedfordshire, and the traditional county of Huntingdonshire...
, to the north.
The parish ranges from 81 metres, in the east, to 33 metres above sea level, in the south-west. Potton Wood
Potton Wood
Potton Wood covers an area of 85ha and is two miles east of the small town of Potton in the county of Bedfordshire, England. It is part of Ampthill Forest and is managed by Forest Enterprise and owned by the Forestry Commission....
, managed by the Forestry Commission
Forestry Commission
The Forestry Commission is a non-ministerial government department responsible for forestry in Great Britain. Its mission is to protect and expand Britain's forests and woodlands and increase their value to society and the environment....
, is in the south-east part of the parish.
Demography
At the time of the 2001 census, Potton had 4,473 inhabitants living in 1,869 households. The ethnic origin of 95.5% was British. 73.9% were Christian, 1.3% followed another religion and 24.9% stated no religion or were not religious.Landmarks
A memorial cross to Potton men killed in the First and Second World Wars stands in the cemetery, with a brass plaque bearing the same names in the parish church.Religious sites
Economy
Potton had its own breweryBrewery
A brewery is a dedicated building for the making of beer, though beer can be made at home, and has been for much of beer's history. A company which makes beer is called either a brewery or a brewing company....
from around 1784 until 1922 when it was bought by the Bedford
Bedford
Bedford is the county town of Bedfordshire, in the East of England. It is a large town and the administrative centre for the wider Borough of Bedford. According to the former Bedfordshire County Council's estimates, the town had a population of 79,190 in mid 2005, with 19,720 in the adjacent town...
brewery of Newland & Nash. This company subsequently closed the brewery in Potton and sold the site to the Co-operative Society (the original buildings remain intact). In 1998 brewing returned to Potton when the current Potton Brewery Company was re-established.