Caxton, Cambridgeshire

Last updated

Caxton
Caxton, St Andrew - geograph.org.uk - 3282.jpg
St Andrew's Church
Village Hall, Caxton, Cambridgeshire - geograph.org.uk - 331162.jpg
Village Hall
Cambridgeshire UK location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Caxton
Location within Cambridgeshire
Population572 (2011)
OS grid reference TL303584
District
Shire county
Region
Country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town CAMBRIDGE
Postcode district CB23
Dialling code 01954
Police Cambridgeshire
Fire Cambridgeshire
Ambulance East of England
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Cambridgeshire
52°12′30″N0°05′40″W / 52.20843°N 0.09450°W / 52.20843; -0.09450 Coordinates: 52°12′30″N0°05′40″W / 52.20843°N 0.09450°W / 52.20843; -0.09450

Caxton is a small rural village and civil parish in the South Cambridgeshire district of Cambridgeshire, England. It is 9 miles west of the county town of Cambridge. In 2001, the population of Caxton parish was 480 people, increasing to 572 at the 2011 Census. [1] Caxton is most famous for the Caxton Gibbet.

Contents

History

The name Caxton is probably derived from 'farmstead of a man called Kakkr'. It was spelled Caustone in the 1086 Domesday book [2] when 35 peasants lived there. [3] It is probable that the village came into existence as a late Scandinavian settlement in an area of woodland. The use of the names 'weald' and 'wald' in the 12th century indicate the influence of woods. [3]

What was the Roman Ermine Street, now the A1198 road, bisects Caxton parish. The modern village has grown up around the road, although the church is a short distance south-west, along Gransden Road. There are also three medieval moated sites further from the road: Caxton Moats, which has signs of Anglo-Saxon or Norman occupation; Caxton Pastures, south-west of Caxton Gibbet, which may have belonged to John of Caxton, a 13th-century landowner; and Swansley, south-east of the gibbet. St Peter's Street (or, Lane), north and east of the church, may have been the centre of the original village. [3]

The road provided passing trade; the market was held next to it and the Crown and George inns were built there. Parts of the Crown inn date from the 15th century and it was known by that name by 1545. Caxton benefitted from travellers passing through but highway robbers could also be a problem. The road became busier after the 16th century and a post office was opened at the Crown inn 'many years' before 1660. By the mid-18th century, Caxton post office was one of only two in the whole county. [3]

After the end of the coaching era, Caxton declined. In 1863, a traveller described the village as "a small, rambling village, which looked as if it had not shaved and washed its face, and put on a clean shirt for a shocking length of time". Fires in 1896 and 1897 destroyed more than a dozen houses and, although the arrival of the motor car brought traffic back through the village, its former prosperity did not return. [3] In 2004 a bypass was completed around Caxton to accommodate traffic for the newly built Cambourne to the north.

Governance

Caxton is represented on South Cambridgeshire District Council by three councillors for the Bourn electoral ward [4] and on Cambridgeshire County Council by one councillor for the Bourn electoral division. [5] It is represented at the House of Commons as part of the South Cambridgeshire constituency.

Geography

Caxton parish is 9 miles west of Cambridge, 7 miles east of the town of St Neots and 48 miles north of London. It stands on the A1198 (Ermine Street, the Old North Road) between the villages of Papworth Everard, to the north, and Longstowe, to the south. Roads run from Caxton to the villages of Bourn and Great Gransden. [6] It ranges from 44 to 68 metres above sea level [6] and the soil is clay with a blue gault subsoil. [7] Bourn Brook runs through Caxton, eventually joining the River Cam.

Sport

Speedway racing was staged at Caxton. The venue was described as being on the main Cambridge to St Neots road near Caxton Gibbet. The first meeting was staged on 6 April 1931 and a number of Sunday afternoon events were staged that year and again in 1932. Fewer meetings appear to have been staged 1933 and further research is needed to ascertain other activity. A greyhound racing track was opened adjacent to the speedway track on 11 September 1932. [8] The racing was independent (not affiliated to the sports governing body the National Greyhound Racing Club) and was known as a flapping track, which was the nickname given to independent tracks. Totalisator and refreshment facilities were available in addition to a free car park. [9]

Demography

At the time of the 2001 census, the population of Caxton parish was 480 people. All residents were white and 72% described themselves as Christian, with 27.8% either having no religion or stating none. [10] In 1881 the population was 129, and in 1921 the population had grown to 398.

Landmarks

Caxton Gibbet stands by the side of the A428 road, north of Caxton village. The roundabout at the junction of the A428 and A1198 is also known as Caxton Gibbet. [11]

A war memorial, commemorating Caxton men who died in the First and Second World Wars, stands at the junction of Ermine Street, Bourn Road and Gransden Road. [12]

Noted Person

Peter King (British Army officer)

Religious sites

Caxton has two churches. The Church of St Andrew was built of stone and flint mainly in the Early English style. It has a low tower with six bells. There are some pictures and a description of the church at the Cambridgeshire Churches website. [13] A Baptist church was built in 1842. [7]

See also

Related Research Articles

St Neots Human settlement in England

St Neots is a town in the Huntingdonshire District in Cambridgeshire, England. It lies about 50 miles (80 km) north of London and about 18 miles (29 km) west of Cambridge. The districts of Eynesbury, Eaton Ford and Eaton Socon were formerly independent but nowadays are considered merged into St Neots.

Gamlingay Human settlement in England

Gamlingay is a village and civil parish in the South Cambridgeshire district of Cambridgeshire, England about 14 miles (23 km) west southwest of the county town of Cambridge.

Little Gransden Human settlement in England

Little Gransden is a civil parish and village in South Cambridgeshire, England. In 2001 the population was 262 people, including Waresley and increasing to 296 at the 2011 Census. It is 11 miles (18 km) from Cambridge, on the border with the district of Huntingdonshire. Little Gransden has two airfields, one of which was used in World War II.

Caxton Gibbet Small knoll in southwest Cambridgeshire, England

Caxton Gibbet is a small knoll on Ermine Street in England, running between London and Huntingdon, near its crossing with the road between St Neots and Cambridge. There are tales of murderers being hanged and displayed at the nearby village of Caxton in the 1670s, and records in a court case that the gibbet was still there in 1745. Several local writers say that it was no longer there by the early decades of the nineteenth century, but in January 1822, William Cobbett recorded seeing the gibbet in his "Huntingdon Journal", and in 1831 the Rev H.G. Watkins, whilst on a carriage tour of England, records passing, a mile from Caxton village, 'a gibbet on the roadside with an inscription, Caxton Gibbet'. There is a modern replica, which can be seen in photographs dating back to 1900, the erection of which may have been connected with the nearby inn of the same name.

A428 road Road in England

The A428 road is a major road in central and eastern England. It runs between the cities of Coventry and Cambridge by way of the county towns of Northampton and Bedford. Together with the A421,, the eastern section of the A428 forms the route between Cambridge and Oxford. The A428 was formerly part of the main route from Birmingham to Felixstowe before the A14 was fully opened in 1993.

Abbotsley Human settlement in England

Abbotsley is a village and civil parish within the Huntingdonshire district of Cambridgeshire, England. It is three miles from St Neots and 14 miles from the county town of Cambridge. At the time of the 2001 census, the resident population was 425 people living in 164 households. increasing to a population of 446 at the 2011 Census.

Yelling, Cambridgeshire Human settlement in England

Yelling is a linear village and civil parish in the Huntingdonshire administrative district of Cambridgeshire, England. The village is about 5 miles (8 km) east of St Neots and 6 miles (10 km) south of Huntingdon.

Great Paxton Human settlement in England

Great Paxton is a village and civil parish in Cambridgeshire, England lying 2.6 miles (4.2 km) north of St Neots in the Great Ouse river valley.

Tetworth Human settlement in England

Tetworth is a village in Cambridgeshire, England. Tetworth lies approximately 12 miles (19 km)south of Huntingdon, near Waresley south of St Neots. Tetworth is in the civil parish of Waresley-cum-Tetworth. Tetworth is situated within Huntingdonshire which is a non-metropolitan district of Cambridgeshire as well as being a historic county of United Kingdom.

Waresley Human settlement in England

Waresley is a village in Cambridgeshire, England. Waresley lies approximately 11 miles (18 km) south of Huntingdon and 5 miles (8 km) south-east of the town of St Neots. Waresley is in the civil parish of Waresley-cum-Tetworth. Waresley is situated within Huntingdonshire which is a non-metropolitan district of Cambridgeshire as well as being a historic county of England.

Great Gransden Village in Huntingdonshire, England

Great Gransden is a civil parish and village in the Huntingdonshire district of Cambridgeshire, England. In 2001, the parish population was 969, which rose to 1,023 at the 2011 Census. It lies 16 miles (25 km) west of Cambridge and 13 miles (21 km) south of Huntingdon. It contains the oldest post mill in England.

Arrington, Cambridgeshire Human settlement in England

Arrington is a small village and civil parish in the South Cambridgeshire district of Cambridgeshire, England, with a population of 415 at the time of 2011 census. The village is 6 miles (10 km) north of Royston, Hertfordshire, and 9 miles (14 km) south-west of the county city of Cambridge.

Offord Cluny Human settlement in England

Offord Cluny is a village 4.9 miles (7.9 km) north of St Neots and 3 miles (4.8 km) south-west of Huntingdon. Offord Cluny is in Huntingdonshire which is a non-metropolitan district of Cambridgeshire as well as a historic county of England. Offord Cluny is the twin village of Offord D'Arcy and together they are known as The Offords. At the time of the 2001 census, the population of Offord Cluny was 502 people. Historically both had their own parish councils but these were merged in 2009. Council tax rates are higher in Offord Cluny than in Offord D'Arcy.

Croxton, Cambridgeshire Human settlement in England

Croxton is a village and civil parish about 13 miles (21 km) west of Cambridge in South Cambridgeshire, England. In 2001, the resident population was 163 people, falling slightly to 160 at the 2011 Census. Croxton Park is to the south of the current village and contains a large house and parkland.

Longstowe is a civil parish and small rural village of nearly 200 residents in South Cambridgeshire, England, 12 miles (19 km) west of Cambridge. The population was measured at 205 at the 2011 Census. It is situated on the western side of the A1198 road, running for about a mile along the B1046.

Bourn Brook, Cambridgeshire River in Cambridgeshire, England

Bourn Brook is a minor tributary of the River Cam in Cambridgeshire, England.

Croydon is a small village and civil parish in South Cambridgeshire, England. It is 10 miles (16 km) south-west of Cambridge and immediately west of the A1198 road. The population in 2001 was 221 people, increasing to 235 at the 2011 Census. The site of the deserted medieval village of Clopton is in Croydon parish, which was formerly known as Croydon-cum-Clopton.

Eltisley Human settlement in England

Eltisley is a village and civil parish in South Cambridgeshire, England, on the A428 road about 5.5 miles (9 km) east of St Neots and about 11 miles (18 km) west of the city of Cambridge. The population in 2001 was 421 people, falling slightly to 401 at the 2011 Census.

Bourn is a small village and civil parish in South Cambridgeshire, England. Surrounding villages include Caxton, Eltisley and Cambourne. It is 8 miles (12 km) from the county town of Cambridge. The population of the parish was 1,015 people at the time of the 2011 census.

Hardwick, Cambridgeshire Human settlement in England

Hardwick is a village and civil parish in the county of Cambridgeshire, England with a large housing estate located about 6 miles (9.7 km) west of the city of Cambridge, England. The village lies immediately south of the A428 road between Cambridge and St Neots. It is about 4 miles (6.4 km) east of the newly developed town of Cambourne. The village is nearly on the Greenwich Meridian. The northern border of the village is St Neots Road, now largely bypassed by the A428, with no houses or property on the north side of the road. In the 2001 census, the population was 2,630 in 946 households, increasing to 2,670 in 1,017 households at the 2011 Census.

References

  1. ↑ "Civil Parish population 2011". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 14 July 2016.
  2. ↑ Mills, A.D. (1998). A Dictionary of English Place-names. Second Edition. Oxford University Press, Oxford. p74. ISBN   0-19-280074-4
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 'Parishes: Caxton', A History of the County of Cambridge and the Isle of Ely: Volume 5 (1973), pp. 26-35. Date accessed: 27 July 2008
  4. ↑ South Cambridgeshire District Council: Electoral wards Archived 24 July 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  5. ↑ Cambridgeshire County Council: Councillors Archived 13 May 2009 at the Wayback Machine
  6. 1 2 Ordnance Survey: www.getamap.co.uk
  7. 1 2 GENUKI: Caxton
  8. ↑ Barnes, Julia (1988). Daily Mirror Greyhound Fact File, page 413. Ringpress Books. ISBN   0-948955-15-5.
  9. ↑ "Caxton Gibbett". Greyhound Racing Times.
  10. ↑ Cambridgeshire County Council: Parish Census Profiles Archived 1 June 2006 at the Wayback Machine
  11. ↑ Highways Agency: A428 Caxton Common to Hardwick Improvement Archived 16 October 2006 at the Wayback Machine
  12. ↑ Roll of Honour: Caxton
  13. ↑ The church's page at the Cambridgeshire Churches website

Commons-logo.svg Media related to Caxton at Wikimedia Commons

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.