The Offords

Offord Cluny and Offord D'Arcy
Offord Cluny and Offord D'Arcy
	Offord Cluny and Offord D'Arcy Location within Cambridgeshire
Population	1,341 (2011)
OS grid reference	TL 21958 66803
Civil parish	Offord Cluny and Offord D'Arcy;
District	Huntingdonshire ;
Shire county	Cambridgeshire ;
Region	East ;
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	ST. NEOTS
Postcode district	PE19
Dialling code	01480
Police	Cambridgeshire
Fire	Cambridgeshire
Ambulance	East of England
UK Parliament	Huntingdon ;
	List of places UK England Cambridgeshire 52°17′10″N0°12′47″W / 52.286°N 0.213°W

Last updated October 15, 2024

The Offords is the name given to the two villages of Offord Cluny and Offord D'Arcy, situated on the east bank of the River Great Ouse between Saint Neots and Huntingdon in west Cambridgeshire. The Offords were both recorded in the Domesday Book as 'Upeforde' under two different landowners,^[1] which suggests they were one village at that time. By the 13th Century they had evolved into two distinct settlements, and remained so until the proximity and resulting close co-operation of the two villages lead to their merger in 2010.^[2] In 2008 the Parish Councils merged, and in 2010 the Huntingdon (Parishes) Order 2009 officially created the new Parish of 'Offord Cluny and Offord D'Arcy'.

Origins

The name 'Offord' originates from the name found in the Domesday Book 'Upeforde', which in turn is believed to be derived from the Old English pre 7th Century "uppe", up (stream), and "ford", ford.^[3] The name 'Cluny' comes from Cluny Abbey in the Bourgogne region of France, which were granted a manor in Offord by Arnulf de Hesding some time before 1086.^[1] The name 'D'Arcy' is first mentioned in records when, in 1279 "William de Broughton was holding a manor, with a common fishery, in Offord Darcy of the Abbot of Ramsey".^[4]

Today

Today the Offords have an estimated population of 1,240;^[5] in the 2001 census Offord Cluny had a population of 502^[6] and Offord D'Arcy a population of 747.^[7] The parish church shared by the Offords is All Saints in Offord Cluny, a Grade II* listed building dating back to the 13th Century.^[8] Baptism, weddings and funerals are held there along with a monthly family service. Offord Village Hall provides a meeting place for (amongst others) the Offord Players (the local amateur dramatics group), the Offord Gardeners Association, the Mums and Tots group and on occasion the 'Cotton Farm Action Group'.

The community is served by two garages (a MOT test and servicing centre and a TVR/Noble Automotive garage), a village store and two pubs (the Swan Inn and the Horseshoe Inn & Restaurant). Local children can attend the Offord Primary school, ranked in the top five in Cambridgeshire. There are a number of events held throughout the year including the Offord Film Festival, the Offord Dog Show and the Offord Music Festival, the last two of which are held at Millennium Green, the local village green. There is an equestrian centre providing riding instruction and livery service, and a local angling club which fishes the river Great Ouse in and around the villages.

Demography

Population

In the period 1801 to 1901 the population of Offord Cluny was recorded every ten years by the UK census. During this time the population was in the range of 170 (the lowest was in 1801) and 369 (the highest was in 1851).^[9] At the same time, the population of Offord D'Arcy was in the range of 156 (the lowest was in 1801) and 437 (the highest was in 1861).

From 1901, a census was taken every ten years with the exception of 1941 (due to the Second World War).

Parish	1911	1921	1931	1951	1961	1971	1981	1991	2001	2011
Offord Cluny	221	205	217	242	321	505	453	434	502
Offord D'Arcy	358	293	291	295	295	453	624	746	747
The Offords	579	498	508	537	616	958	1077	1180	1249	1341

All population census figures from report Historic Census figures Cambridgeshire to 2011 by Cambridgeshire Insight.^[9]

Related Research Articles

Godmanchester is a town and civil parish in the Huntingdonshire district of Cambridgeshire, England. It is separated from Huntingdon, 1 mile (1.6 km) to the north, by the valley of the River Great Ouse. Being on the Roman road network, the town has a long history. It has a waterside location, surrounded by open countryside of high value for its biodiversity but it remains highly accessible, with a railway line to London, the A1 road and M11/A14 which run nearby.

Hemingford Grey is a village and civil parish in Cambridgeshire, England. Hemingford Grey lies approximately 4 miles (6 km) east of Huntingdon. Hemingford Grey is situated within Huntingdonshire which is a non-metropolitan district of Cambridgeshire as well as being a historic county of England.

Alconbury is a village and civil parish in Cambridgeshire, England. Alconbury is situated within Huntingdonshire which is a non-metropolitan district of Cambridgeshire as well as being an historic county of England. Alconbury lies approximately 5 miles (8 km) north-west of Huntingdon.

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 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.

Buckden is a village and civil parish 3.7 miles (6.0 km) north of St Neots and 4 miles (6.4 km) south-west of Huntingdon, England. It includes the hamlets of Stirtloe and Hardwick. It lies in Huntingdonshire, a non-metropolitan district of Cambridgeshire and a historic county, close to three transport routes of past and present: the River Great Ouse, along its eastern boundary, the Great North Road that once crossed the village, but now bypasses it to the west, and the East Coast Mainline along the eastern side of the Great Ouse valley in the neighbouring parish of The Offords.

Little Paxton in Cambridgeshire, England is a village and civil parish that lies 5 miles (8.0 km) south of Huntingdon and 1.7 miles (2.7 km) north of St Neots. It is in the district and historic county of Huntingdonshire. Until the 1970s it was a minor village and the church was under threat of closure. The building of a housing estate and a junior school revived its fortunes and the establishment of the Paxton Pits Nature Reserve around part of the nearby gravel pits has brought visitors to the village.

Great Paxton is a village and civil parish in Cambridgeshire, England. It is in Huntingdonshire which is a non-metropolitan district of Cambridgeshire as well as being a historic county of England. The village lies 2.6 miles (4.2 km) north of St Neots in the Great Ouse river valley.

Diddington is a small village and civil parish in Cambridgeshire, England. Diddington lies approximately 5 miles (8 km) south-west of Huntingdon, near to Buckden. Diddington is situated within Huntingdonshire which is a non-metropolitan district of Cambridgeshire as well as being a historic county of England. Its population at the time of the 2011 census was 139.

Fenstanton is a village and civil parish in Cambridgeshire, England, 2 miles (3 km) south of St Ives in Huntingdonshire, a non-metropolitan district of Cambridgeshire and historic county. Fenstanton lies on the south side of the River Ouse.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tetworth</span> Human settlement in England

Tetworth is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Waresley-cum-Tetworth, in Cambridgeshire, England. Tetworth lies approximately 12 miles (19 km)south of Huntingdon, near Waresley south of St Neots. Tetworth is situated within Huntingdonshire which is a non-metropolitan district of Cambridgeshire as well as being a historic county of United Kingdom. In 2001 the parish had a population of 45.

Waresley is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Waresley-cum-Tetworth, 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 situated within Huntingdonshire which is a non-metropolitan district of Cambridgeshire as well as being a historic county of England.

Hemingford Abbots is a village and civil parish in Cambridgeshire, England. Hemingford Abbots lies approximately 3 miles (5 km) east of Huntingdon, and is almost continuous with neighbouring Hemingford Grey. Hemingford Abbots is situated within Huntingdonshire which is a non-metropolitan district of Cambridgeshire as well as being a historic county of England.

Catworth is a village and civil parish in Cambridgeshire, England. Catworth lies approximately 9 miles (14 km) west of Huntingdon. The civil parish covers an area of 3,094 acres. Catworth village has two parts, Catworth, at the top of the hill, and Little Catworth, at the bottom. Catworth is situated within Huntingdonshire which is a non-metropolitan district of Cambridgeshire as well as being a historic county of England.

Southoe and Midloe is a small civil parish in Cambridgeshire, England. The parish lies approximately 6 miles (10 km) south-west of Huntingdon. The parish comprises the small village of Southoe and the even smaller settlement of Midloe. The two settlements are situated within Huntingdonshire which is a non-metropolitan district of Cambridgeshire as well as being a historic county of England.

Grafham is a village and civil parish in Cambridgeshire, England. The village lies approximately 5 miles (8 km) south-west of Huntingdon. Grafham is situated within Huntingdonshire which is a non-metropolitan district of Cambridgeshire as well as being a historic county of England. The village gives its name to the nearby reservoir, Grafham Water. The village recently successfully raised funds as a community venture and via external funding sources to open a community convenience store located in the grounds of the village hall.

Hamerton is a village in and former civil parish, now in the parish of Hamerton and Steeple Gidding, in Cambridgeshire, England. Hamerton lies approximately 8 miles (13 km) north-west of Huntingdon. Hamerton is situated within Huntingdonshire which is a non-metropolitan district of Cambridgeshire as well as being a historic county of England. Hamerton Zoo is on the north side of the village. The village has a church dedicated to All Saints. In 2001 the parish had a population of 87.

Offord Cluny is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Offord Cluny and Offord D'Arcy. It is 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.

Southoe is a small village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Southoe and Midloe, in Cambridgeshire, England. Southoe lies approximately 6 miles (10 km) south-west of Huntingdon on the A1. Southoe is situated within Huntingdonshire which is a non-metropolitan district of Cambridgeshire as well as being a historic county of England. In 1931 the parish had a population of 211.

Offord D'Arcy is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Offord Cluny and Offord D'Arcy. It is 4 miles (6.4 km) north of St Neots and 3 miles (4.8 km) south-west of Huntingdon. Offord D'Arcy is in Huntingdonshire which is a non-metropolitan district of Cambridgeshire as well as a historic county of England. It is the twin village of Offord Cluny and together they are known as The Offords. Historically both villages had their own parish councils but the two civil parishes were merged on 1 April 2010. At the time of the 2001 census, the population of Offord D'Arcy was 747 people.

References

1 2 "Great Domesday Book". The National Archives. 1086. Retrieved 29 December 2010.
↑ "The Huntingdon (Parishes) Order 2009" (PDF). Huntingdonshire District Council. 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 July 2011. Retrieved 29 December 2010.
↑ "Surname Database: Offord Last Name Origin". Name Origin Research. 2010. Retrieved 30 December 2010.
↑ William Page; Granville Proby; S. Inskip Ladds (1932). "A History of the County of Huntingdon: Volume 2". University of London & History of Parliament Trust. Retrieved 30 December 2010.
↑ "Huntingdonshire Population Estimates". The Cambridgeshire County Council Research Group. 2010. Retrieved 30 December 2010.
↑ "Offord Cluny 2001 Census". Office for National Statistics. 2004. Retrieved 30 December 2010.
↑ "Offord D'Arcy 2001 Census". Office for National Statistics. 2004. Retrieved 30 December 2010.
↑ "Offord Cluny Conservation Area Character Statement" (PDF). Cambridgeshire County Council. 2004. Retrieved 30 December 2010.
1 2 "Historic Census figures Cambridgeshire to 2011". www.cambridgeshireinsight.org.uk. Cambridgeshire Insight. Archived from the original (xlsx – download) on 15 February 2016. Retrieved 12 February 2016.

External links

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.

[Great_Domesday_Book-1] 1 2 "Great Domesday Book". The National Archives. 1086. Retrieved 29 December 2010.

[2] "The Huntingdon (Parishes) Order 2009" (PDF). Huntingdonshire District Council. 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 July 2011. Retrieved 29 December 2010.

[3] "Surname Database: Offord Last Name Origin". Name Origin Research. 2010. Retrieved 30 December 2010.

[4] William Page; Granville Proby; S. Inskip Ladds (1932). "A History of the County of Huntingdon: Volume 2". University of London & History of Parliament Trust. Retrieved 30 December 2010.

[5] "Huntingdonshire Population Estimates". The Cambridgeshire County Council Research Group. 2010. Retrieved 30 December 2010.

[6] "Offord Cluny 2001 Census". Office for National Statistics. 2004. Retrieved 30 December 2010.

[7] "Offord D'Arcy 2001 Census". Office for National Statistics. 2004. Retrieved 30 December 2010.

[8] "Offord Cluny Conservation Area Character Statement" (PDF). Cambridgeshire County Council. 2004. Retrieved 30 December 2010.

[Camin-9] 1 2 "Historic Census figures Cambridgeshire to 2011". www.cambridgeshireinsight.org.uk. Cambridgeshire Insight. Archived from the original (xlsx – download) on 15 February 2016. Retrieved 12 February 2016.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]