Stuntney

From Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core
Jump to: navigation, search
Stuntney
Closeup of Holy Cross Church in Stuntney - geograph.org.uk - 394378.jpg
Holy Cross Church
 Stuntney shown within Cambridgeshire
Population 200 
OS grid reference TL554767
District East Cambridgeshire
Shire county Cambridgeshire
Region East
Country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Postcode district CB7
Dialling code 01353
EU Parliament East of England
Website http://www.stuntneyvillage.org.uk
List of places
UK
England
Cambridgeshire

Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

Stuntney is a village in East Cambridgeshire, located between Ely and Soham. It is just off the main road going from Newmarket to Ely, the A142.

History

Early History

The earliest record of the village itself dates back to at least 1067, where the village of 'Stuntenei', is identified a eel fishing port in the Domesday Book,[1] and medieval remains, including a large stone coffin, have been unearthed near Stuntney, showing that an early civilisation existed near here. It was once surrounded by water and a bronze age causeway connected Stuntney to the nearby cathedral town of Ely. Before the course of the River Great Ouse was straightened by the Bishops of Ely in the 12th century it came right up the edge of the island on which the village stood, and docks existed on what is now agricultural land.

Recent History

1868 saw a school built in Stuntney as the population rose to around 220 (which is similar to the current population); this school was expanded in 1958 and closed in 1983. The church in Stuntney, which dates back to 1876, was built on the site of a previous Norman Church, which was demolished due to unsafe conditions. The present church was also rebuilt in 1903 for the same reason. In the village's history there has also been a shop, which closed in 1991 and two public houses, which closed to become private residences in the late 1900's. Arguably the biggest change in village life was the construction of a bypass around the village in 1986, which took traffic between Ely and Newmarket around the village, rather than through it. Until the late 2000's, Shire horses were kept in the village. Traditionally, the horses were used on the land, but when machinery took over in the 1970's, the horses were kept for breeding purposes.[2]

Village Today

Although the village no longer has a school, a shop or a pub, the Stuntney Social Club is open most evenings and has a licensed bar for the use of members and guests. Stuntney Church of the Holy Cross has some very nice architectural features and holds regular services on Sunday mornings.[3] The majority of the 60 houses are located across the three main roads in the village, however some houses in Quanea and Nornea also belong to the village. Cole Ambrose Ltd, who have been involved in agriculture in the village since the 1600s, are located in Harlocks Farm, Stuntney.[4]

John Harding, the novellist was born here in 1951.[5]

Archaeology

The region between Devil's Dyke and the line between Littleport and Shippea Hill shows a remarkable amount of archaeological findings of the Stone Age, the Bronze Age and the Iron Age[6]

References

  1. http://www.domesdaybook.co.uk/cambridgeshire2.html
  2. http://www.stuntneyvillage.org.uk/history.htm#STUNTNEY HISTORY
  3. http://www.stuntneyvillage.org.uk/village.htm
  4. http://www.gs-growers.com/growers_profiles/363/
  5. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links