Trumpington, Cambridgeshire
Encyclopedia
Trumpington is a village within the city of Cambridge
, UK, of which it is a suburb. It is located on the south-west side of the city and borders Cherry Hinton
to the east, Grantchester
to the west and Great Shelford
and Little Shelford
to the south-east.
The village was a separate parish from Anglo Saxon times until the twentieth century. In 1912 all of the land north of Long Road was transferred to Cambridge, and in 1934 the majority of the remaining land, including all of the village, was also given over to Cambridge. Only 382 acres, almost uninhabited, were transferred to Haslingfield
parish.
and Roman
settlements in Trumpington who lived near to the ford over the River Cam
that now lies near the road to Grantchester, and a Roman cemetery has been found. An Anglo-Saxon cemetery has also been found nearby at Dam Hill.
By 1086 there was a thriving community of 33 peasants at the time of the Domesday Book
, and the population had risen to 100 by the late 13th century. The village remained sizeable throughout the Middle Ages and by 1801 there were 494 residents. By the time the parish was dissolved there were around 1200 inhabitants. Until the 20th century Trumpington was an agricultural village with cattle and sheep as well as crops.
Trumpington's association with agriculture was extended further in 1955, when the Plant Breeding Institute (PBI) – founded in 1912 as part of the University of Cambridge
's School of Agriculture – moved to a site adjoining Maris Lane in Trumpington. Here the PBI developed new plants, notably potato
es called Maris Piper and Maris Peer, a barley
called Maris Otter
, and a wheat called Maris Wigeon
. These are now in use worldwide. In 1990 the PBI relocated to Colney
, near Norwich
, but the reference to the Maris Lane site survives in the names of plants.
The war memorial in the village was designed and carved by Eric Gill
, who also designed and carved the crocodile on the wall of the Cavendish Laboratory
. The memorial was dedicated on Sunday 11 December 1921 to commemorate 36 Trumpington men who died in the First World War. The Second World War claimed eight more local men; their names were added by David Kindersley
, a pupil of Gill.
There was a church in the village by the start of the 13th century. Parts of the present church, dedicated to St Mary and St Michael, date from the mid-13th century and the nave was rebuilt in the 14th century.
The parish church is the resting place of Henry Fawcett
, the blind academic and politician who, as Postmaster General
(1880-1884), introduced parcel post, postal orders and other innovations. The primary school is named Fawcett School after him. The church also contains the monumental brass
of Sir Roger de Trumpington, a crusader
knight bearing the date 1289; it is said to be the second oldest brass in England.
is set in the village, and a water mill on the Cam is mentioned in it. The location of the mill is believed to be Old Mill Holt on the river to the southwest of the village.
The nineteenth-century novelist G. A. Henty
, was born in Trumpington. The BBC
journalist Bridget Kendall
grew up in Trumpington and attended Perse School for Girls
.
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...
, UK, of which it is a suburb. It is located on the south-west side of the city and borders Cherry Hinton
Cherry Hinton
Cherry Hinton is a suburban area of the city of Cambridge, in Cambridgeshire, England. It is around southeast of Cambridge city centre.-History:...
to the east, Grantchester
Grantchester
Grantchester is a village on the River Cam or Granta in Cambridgeshire, England. It is listed in the Domesday Book as Grantesete and Grauntsethe...
to the west and Great Shelford
Great Shelford
Great Shelford is a village located approximately four miles to the south of Cambridge, in the county of Cambridgeshire, in eastern England. In 1850 Great Shelford parish contained intersected by the river Cam. The population in 1841 was 803 people...
and Little Shelford
Little Shelford
Little Shelford is a village located to the south of Cambridge, in the county of Cambridgeshire, in eastern England. The River Granta lies between it and the larger village of Great Shelford, and both are served by Shelford railway station, which is on the line from Cambridge to London Liverpool...
to the south-east.
The village was a separate parish from Anglo Saxon times until the twentieth century. In 1912 all of the land north of Long Road was transferred to Cambridge, and in 1934 the majority of the remaining land, including all of the village, was also given over to Cambridge. Only 382 acres, almost uninhabited, were transferred to Haslingfield
Haslingfield
Haslingfield is a village and civil parish in South Cambridgeshire, England. The village is about six miles south-west of Cambridge, between Harston, Barton and Barrington. The population in the 2001 census was 1,550 people living in 621 households. The main streets in the village are called High...
parish.
History
There is evidence of Iron AgeIron 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...
and Roman
Ancient 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....
settlements in Trumpington who lived near to the ford over the River Cam
River Cam
The River Cam is a tributary of the River Great Ouse in the east of England. The two rivers join to the south of Ely at Pope's Corner. The Great Ouse connects the Cam to England's canal system and to the North Sea at King's Lynn...
that now lies near the road to Grantchester, and a Roman cemetery has been found. An Anglo-Saxon cemetery has also been found nearby at Dam Hill.
By 1086 there was a thriving community of 33 peasants at the time of 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...
, and the population had risen to 100 by the late 13th century. The village remained sizeable throughout the Middle Ages and by 1801 there were 494 residents. By the time the parish was dissolved there were around 1200 inhabitants. Until the 20th century Trumpington was an agricultural village with cattle and sheep as well as crops.
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
's School of Agriculture – moved to a site adjoining Maris Lane in Trumpington. Here the PBI developed new plants, notably potato
Potato
The potato is a starchy, tuberous crop from the perennial Solanum tuberosum of the Solanaceae family . The word potato may refer to the plant itself as well as the edible tuber. In the region of the Andes, there are some other closely related cultivated potato species...
es called Maris Piper and Maris Peer, a barley
Barley
Barley is a major cereal grain, a member of the grass family. It serves as a major animal fodder, as a base malt for beer and certain distilled beverages, and as a component of various health foods...
called Maris Otter
Maris Otter
Maris Otter is a 2-row "winter" variety of barley commonly used in the production of malt for the brewing industry. The variety was bred by Dr G D H Bell and his team of plant breeders at Cambridge...
, and a wheat called Maris Wigeon
Maris Wigeon
Maris Widgeon, is an heritage variety of wheat that has traditionally been used for thatching in the UK. This variety was developed in 1964 by the Plant Breeding Institute in Cambridgshire...
. These are now in use worldwide. In 1990 the PBI relocated to Colney
Colney
Colney is a village in the western outskirts of Norwich in Norfolk, England. It is in the administrative district of South Norfolk. It covers an area of and had a population of 124 in 35 households at the 2001 census....
, near Norwich
Norwich
Norwich is a city in England. It is the regional administrative centre and county town of Norfolk. During the 11th century, Norwich was the largest city in England after London, and one of the most important places in the kingdom...
, but the reference to the Maris Lane site survives in the names of plants.
The war memorial in the village was designed and carved by Eric Gill
Eric Gill
Arthur Eric Rowton Gill was a British sculptor, typeface designer, stonecutter and printmaker, who was associated with the Arts and Crafts movement...
, who also designed and carved the crocodile on the wall of the Cavendish Laboratory
Cavendish Laboratory
The Cavendish Laboratory is the Department of Physics at the University of Cambridge, and is part of the university's School of Physical Sciences. It was opened in 1874 as a teaching laboratory....
. The memorial was dedicated on Sunday 11 December 1921 to commemorate 36 Trumpington men who died in the First World War. The Second World War claimed eight more local men; their names were added by David Kindersley
David Kindersley
David Guy Barnabas Kindersley was a British stone letter-carver and typeface designer, and the founder of the Kindersley Workshop . His carved plaques and inscriptions in stone and slate can be seen on many churches and public buildings in the United Kingdom...
, a pupil of Gill.
Trumpington Fair
In 1314, the lord of the manor, Giles of Trumpington, was given permission to hold a three-day fair on the feast of St Peter's Chains (August 1). The feast was still held in the 19th century though was transferred to June 28-30, and became known for the rowdiness and drunkenness of its many visitors. It was reduced to only one day (June 29) in 1882 and was still held in the 1930s.Church
The parish church is the resting place of Henry Fawcett
Henry Fawcett
Henry Fawcett PC was a blind British academic, statesman and economist.-Background and education:Fawcett was born in Salisbury, and educated at King's College School and the University of Cambridge: entering Peterhouse in 1852, he migrated to Trinity Hall the following year, and became a fellow...
, the blind academic and politician who, as Postmaster General
United Kingdom Postmaster General
The Postmaster General of the United Kingdom is a defunct Cabinet-level ministerial position in HM Government. Aside from maintaining the postal system, the Telegraph Act of 1868 established the Postmaster General's right to exclusively maintain electric telegraphs...
(1880-1884), introduced parcel post, postal orders and other innovations. The primary school is named Fawcett School after him. The church also contains the monumental brass
Monumental brass
Monumental brass is a species of engraved sepulchral memorial which in the early part of the 13th century began to partially take the place of three-dimensional monuments and effigies carved in stone or wood...
of Sir Roger de Trumpington, a crusader
Crusades
The Crusades were a series of religious wars, blessed by the Pope and the Catholic Church with the main goal of restoring Christian access to the holy places in and near Jerusalem...
knight bearing the date 1289; it is said to be the second oldest brass in England.
Cultural references
Chaucer's The Reeve's TaleThe Reeve's Prologue and Tale
"The Reeve's Tale" is the third story told in Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales. The reeve, named Oswald in the text, is the manager of a large estate who reaped incredible profits for his master and himself. He is described in the Tales as skinny and bad-tempered. The Reeve had once been...
is set in the village, and a water mill on the Cam is mentioned in it. The location of the mill is believed to be Old Mill Holt on the river to the southwest of the village.
The nineteenth-century novelist G. A. Henty
G. A. Henty
George Alfred Henty , was a prolific English novelist and a special correspondent. He is best known for his historical adventure stories that were popular in the late 19th century. His works include Out on the Pampas , The Young Buglers , With Clive in India and Wulf the Saxon .-Biography:G.A...
, was born in Trumpington. The BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
journalist Bridget Kendall
Bridget Kendall
Bridget Kendall MBE is an English radio and television correspondent.-Early life:Kendall is a daughter of statistician David George Kendall and Diana...
grew up in Trumpington and attended Perse School for Girls
Perse School for Girls
The Stephen Perse Foundation is an independent, fee-paying day school situated near the centre of Cambridge, England. The Foundation is made up of four schools: The Stephen Perse Pre-Prep School, for boys and girls aged 3-7, Perse Girls Junior School,for girls aged 7-11, Perse Girls Senior School,...
.