Christchurch, Cambridgeshire

Christchurch

Christchurch parish church
Christchurch
Christchurch shown within Cambridgeshire
Population 833 (2011)
OS grid reference TL4996
District
Shire county
Region
Country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town Wisbech
Postcode district PE14
Dialling code 01354
Police Cambridgeshire
Fire Cambridgeshire
Ambulance East of England
EU Parliament East of England

Christchurch is a village in the Fenland district of Cambridgeshire, England.[1][2] The population (including Tipp's End) of the civil parish at the 2011 Census was 833.[3] The village is sited close to the Cambridgeshire/Norfolk border.

Christchurch has a small church, The Church of Christ, which was built in 1863 and consecrated in 1865. This is the source of Christchurch's claim to fame. The rector of the church from 1917 to 1928 was The Rev. Henry Sayers, father of the novelist, Dorothy L. Sayers. He and his wife were buried in unmarked graves in the churchyard at the behest of their daughter Dorothy. A plaque has since been installed in the churchyard to commemorate their interment. One of Sayers' novels, The Nine Tailors is set in the Christchurch and Upwell area.

The village was allegedly named after the church because of the two large oil paintings hanging in the nave. One depicts Christ crowned with thorns and the other his descent from the cross. Both were brought from Italy by Sir Roger Pratt. Until the turn of the century, the village name was still spelt "Christ Church", and prior to that was known as Brimstone-Hill, presumably after the butterfly which used to be common in the area.[4]

In 2016, the first village election took place for the superficial position of village mayor. This resulted in Chris Harvey-Hawes being elected as mayor for the village in a vote cast in the summer (08/08/2016). He ran on a platform of engaging with the youth of the village and ensuring activities were unaffected by recent building activity. The mayoral election will be ran annually in the future.

Village facilities include a small combined village school and preschool. There is also a public house, The Dun Cow, which is tithed to Elgood's Brewery of Wisbech. There is a recreation ground with football pitch and children's play area. The village playing field also has a skatepark, which was co-funded by donations and the Parish Council, and a new Village Hall is currently being built next to the Bowling green adjacent to the playing field.

References

  1. ↑ Ordnance Survey: Landranger map sheet 143 Ely & Wisbech (Downham Market) (Map). Ordnance Survey. 2014. ISBN 9780319231319.
  2. ↑ "Ordnance Survey: 1:50,000 Scale Gazetteer" (csv (download)). www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk. Ordnance Survey. 1 January 2016. Retrieved 18 February 2016.
  3. ↑ "Civil Parish population 2011". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 15 July 2016.
  4. ↑ Wisbech Hundred: Outwell and Upwell in A History of the County of Cambridge and the Isle of Ely: Volume 4, City of Ely; Ely, N. and S. Witchford and Wisbech Hundreds ( Victoria County History, London, 2002) pp. 206-219

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