Consecration of St John's Church

Information

1407: There were some controversial points behind the consecration of, and the first Mass at, St John's church by Peterborough's mitred Abbot Genge. Philip Repington, the Bishop of Lincoln, should have attended but, it was claimed, he had more pressing engagements. Bishop Repington was chaplain and confessor to King Henry VI and it was 'suggested' that he was too busy chasing promotion to come to Peterborough. Was it a coincidence that he became a cardinal in 1408? (Bull, J&V., A History of Peterborough Parish Church - St John the Baptist 1407-2007; Mackreth, Donald, Peterborough - History & Guide,Sutton, 1994)

Taken from: The Peterborough Book of Days by Brian Jones, The History Press, 2014.

Opening of Ferry Meadows

1978

Information

Nene Park’s centrepiece, Ferry Meadows, was opened on 1 July 1978 by the broadcaster and environmentalist David Bellamy. In its first year of opening, the Park received 90,000 visits and is now one of the most visited country parks in the UK.

Resources

Start of the Nene Park Story

1968

Information

Prior to the creation of Nene Park, there were very few recreational green spaces in Peterborough. In 1968, a year after the New Towns Act, the Peterborough Development Corporation was established and land from the Embankment in the city centre to Wansford, seven miles west, was purchased from landowners including Earl Fitzwilliam. Gravel extractors Amey Roadstone approached the Corporation and negotiations began to ensure that the resulting lakes were planned and landscaped carefully for the best possible visitor experience. Plans also included space for car parking, a water sports centre, a lake specifically for water sports and facilities including a café and shop.

Resources

Nene Park , Ferry Meadows , Recreation

Stories From Skeletons

200-300AD

Information

We have a fascinating insight into Roman lives in what is now Ferry Meadows thanks to the Coney Meadow Cemetery, which was in use around 200-300AD. Archaeologists discovered that the people who were buried here had tough lives, through analysis of skeletons found at the site. These skeletons give us an understanding of death and disease in Roman Britain, through a family with arm abnormalities, children with ear infections and women with new-born babies. There were also fragments of cheap, rough pottery close to the burials and a large aisled barn nearby.

Resources

Nene Park , Ferry Meadows , Roman , Cemetery

Farming at Nene Park

200-300AD

Information

A clue to life as a Roman in Nene Park, is the remains of a large timber barn on Roman Point, probably used for furnace and smithing work for making small tools. Also close by are a well and a shallow tank, which experts think could be for making salt from the then-tidal flow of the River Nene. These features were part of a larger farming complex, known to archaeologists as Lynch Farm, which had several barns similar to this one.

Resources

Nene Park , Ferry Meadows , Roman , Smithing , Lynch Farm

Ferry Meadows Pun

1950s

Information

On a map of Horrell’s Farm Tenancies from the 1950s, it shows the names of all the fields and land to the west of Peterborough. One of the features is Ferry Meadows, so named by the original ferry that ran across the river Nene to the north of the meadows. It was replaced by a large stone bridge many years ago, which is currently known as Milton Ferry Bridge, but for many years was known simply as Ferry Bridge and formed a group with Ferry Meadows and Ferry Hill.

The area now known as Ferry Meadows Country Park, part of Nene Park, was divided up into separate fields separated by ditches still in place today. The fields to the east of the site and now partly submerged under Overton Lake were known as 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd Ferry Meadow. Another field close to the bridge was known as Bridge Ferry, but the award for the best field pun goes to the large field to the west of the site, largely under Gunwade Lake now, which was known as Ferry Big Meadow!

References

Horrell's Farm Tenancies, Peterborough Archive NOS/02/6/4

Maps of Peterborough accessed on old-maps.co.uk from 1886-19

Resources

Nene Park

Horrell's Farm Tenancies - Bum Gardens

1950

Information

A hand-drawn map from approximately 1950 was created to identify all of the fields and lands to the west of Peterborough, with the intention of identifying all of the land farmed by the Horrells. Each field stated its name and acreage and the boundary of each plot was carefully drawn. Although the size of the fields is varied, it is remarkable to see the huge area farmed by the Horrells, whom most people will associate with the dairy in what is now Netherton. Many of the fields were lost as Peterborough spread west and they were consumed by housing developments in Longthorpe, Netherton, Westwood and Bretton.

The field names provide clues about their use or their owners, for example Westwood cowfield and Scrimshire (likely to be a reference to Dr Scrimshire), but some are a little more curious and others downright silly. 1^st cottage piece sat next to 2^nd cottage piece; Little Walker was likely to be related to Long Walker (possibly the name of another doctor) and Blind Lane may have related to a blind resident, or more likely, to the dangerous blind corner on the track that ran next to it. However, Thieves Hurn Barn Field, Dib daw and Craney may leave you scratching your head, as might Girl Guide, Trundly Paddock and 1^st and 2^nd Polo. But the prize for the strangest name goes to Bum Gardens! Comparisons between the original and modern maps reveal that the site of Bum Gardens is now underneath the roundabout at the junction of Nene and Longthorpe Parkway, a hotel and a golf course – none of them were inspired to incorporate the name.

Resources

Nene Park , Longthorpe , Thorpe Wood

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Consecration of St John's Church

Information

Opening of Ferry Meadows

1978

Information

Resources

Start of the Nene Park Story

1968

Information

Resources

Stories From Skeletons

200-300AD

Information

Resources

Farming at Nene Park

200-300AD

Information

Resources

Ferry Meadows Pun

1950s

Information

Resources

Horrell's Farm Tenancies - Bum Gardens

1950

Information

Resources

Opening of Ferry Meadows

Start of the Nene Park Story

Stories From Skeletons

Farming at Nene Park

Ferry Meadows Pun

Horrell's Farm Tenancies -…

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Consecration of St John's Church

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Opening of Ferry Meadows

1978

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Start of the Nene Park Story

1968

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Stories From Skeletons

200-300AD

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Related stories

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Farming at Nene Park

200-300AD

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Related stories

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Ferry Meadows Pun

1950s

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Related stories

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Horrell's Farm Tenancies - Bum Gardens

1950

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Related stories

Opening of Ferry Meadows

Start of the Nene Park Story

Stories From Skeletons

Farming at Nene Park

Ferry Meadows Pun

Horrell's Farm Tenancies -…