Newton, Cambridgeshire
Encyclopedia
Newton is a civil parish and small village
in Cambridgeshire
, England
. Situated around 7 miles to the south-west of Cambridge
, its lies on the old coaching road between London
and Cambridge. Its population in 2001 was 401
; they were ruled by a single manor, were a single civil parish until the 16th century and until 1930 formed a single ecclesiastical parish. There were disputes over the parish boundaries with Harston
and Little Shelford
until they were finally settled in 1800, when the parish of Newton was set at 402 hectares.
In 970 the land around Newton and Hauxton was passed to King Edgar who offered them to Bishop Aethelwold for the new Abbey at Ely
. However, Edgar died before the lands were transferred and the lands were subject to a series of disputes until they were purchased for the Abbey.
At the time of the Domesday Book
the lands in modern Newton fell under the manor at Hauxton and both villages remained the property of Ely Abbey until the Dissolution of the Monasteries
in 1539. Since then the manor has been owned by the Dean and Chapter of Ely Cathedral
.
The village of Newton itself built up around the intersection of the five roads from Harston, Hauxton, Whittlesford
, Thriplow
and Foxton
. It has always been a small village, and in 1801 was home to only 114 people. In 1746 much of the village was destroyed by a fire. The village's economy has always been dominated by farming.
There are 31 listed buildings and monuments in the village.
.
The oldest parts of the present building date from the early 13th century, including its octagonal font. The church was substantially restored in 1851.
.
The village also retains its own post office.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
in Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire is a county in England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the northeast, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to the west...
, 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...
. Situated around 7 miles to the 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...
, its lies on the old coaching road between 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...
and Cambridge. Its population in 2001 was 401
History
The history of Newton has long been tied to that of neighbouring HauxtonHauxton
Hauxton is a small village in Cambridgeshire, England around 5 miles to the south-west of Cambridge.-History:Hauxton has been occupied for well over two thousand years thanks to its position on the River Cam and a ford near Hauxton Mill that has probably been used since the Bronze Age. A bridge was...
; they were ruled by a single manor, were a single civil parish until the 16th century and until 1930 formed a single ecclesiastical parish. There were disputes over the parish boundaries with Harston
Harston
Harston is a village to the south of Cambridge, England.-Harston House:Harston House is a historic private house in Harston. It was formerly known as Harston Hall....
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...
until they were finally settled in 1800, when the parish of Newton was set at 402 hectares.
In 970 the land around Newton and Hauxton was passed to King Edgar who offered them to Bishop Aethelwold for the new Abbey at Ely
Ely, Cambridgeshire
Ely is a cathedral city in Cambridgeshire, England, 14 miles north-northeast of Cambridge and about by road from London. It is built on a Lower Greensand island, which at a maximum elevation of is the highest land in the Fens...
. However, Edgar died before the lands were transferred and the lands were subject to a series of disputes until they were purchased for the Abbey.
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...
the lands in modern Newton fell under the manor at Hauxton and both villages remained the property of Ely Abbey until the Dissolution of the Monasteries
Dissolution of the Monasteries
The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the set of administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, priories, convents and friaries in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their...
in 1539. Since then the manor has been owned by the Dean and Chapter of Ely Cathedral
Ely Cathedral
Ely Cathedral is the principal church of the Diocese of Ely, in Cambridgeshire, England, and is the seat of the Bishop of Ely and a suffragan bishop, the Bishop of Huntingdon...
.
The village of Newton itself built up around the intersection of the five roads from Harston, Hauxton, Whittlesford
Whittlesford
Whittlesford is a village in Cambridgeshire, England, and also the name of an old hundred. The village is situated on the Granta branch of the River Cam, seven miles south of Cambridge...
, Thriplow
Thriplow
Thriplow is a village in Cambridgeshire, England, south of Cambridge. The village also gives its name to a former Cambridgeshire hundred.-History:...
and Foxton
Foxton, Cambridgeshire
Foxton is a small village in South Cambridgeshire, England. It has a number of well-preserved fifteenth and sixteenth century houses, and a thirteenth century church dedicated to St Lawrence.-History:...
. It has always been a small village, and in 1801 was home to only 114 people. In 1746 much of the village was destroyed by a fire. The village's economy has always been dominated by farming.
There are 31 listed buildings and monuments in the village.
Church
There has been a small church in the village for at least a thousand years and the present church had long been in use as a chapel when it was finally consecrated in 1346. The church was dedicated to St James until the 18th century when it was dedicated to Saint MargaretSaint Margaret
Saint Margaret may refer to:-People:* Saint Margaret the Virgin of Antioch * Saint Margaret of Scotland * Saint Margaret of England * Saint Margaret of Hungary * Saint Margaret of Cortona...
.
The oldest parts of the present building date from the early 13th century, including its octagonal font. The church was substantially restored in 1851.
Village life
The village is home to the Queen's Head public house which has been open since at least 1729. The pub is one of very few that have appeared in every edition of the Good Pub Guide since it started in the 1970s. Its sign depicts Anne of ClevesAnne of Cleves
Anne of Cleves was a German noblewoman and the fourth wife of Henry VIII of England and as such she was Queen of England from 6 January 1540 to 9 July 1540. The marriage was never consummated, and she was not crowned queen consort...
.
The village also retains its own post office.