Benwick
Encyclopedia
Benwick is a village and civil parish in the Fenland
district of Cambridgeshire
, England. It is approximately 15 miles (24 km) from Peterborough
and 30 miles (48 km) from Cambridge
. Benwick comprises around 330 houses, and in the United Kingdom Census 2001
showed the population to be 860.
bean or beam, and wic, meaning "farm where beans are grown" or "farm by a tree-trunk." Benwick was an ancient fenland village, but is unique among them by not being built on an actual "island." In 1221, Benwick had 15 tenants and by 1251, 32. It used to be in the parish of Doddington
.
From 1898 to 1966 Benwick was the terminus of the Benwick goods railway which ran from Three Horseshoes junction at Turves, on the Ely
to Peterborough
line. The station was on the road to Whittlesey
. There was never a passenger service on the line, except a group of railway enthusiasts who visited the line in 1956.
Benwick Bygones, a book on the History of Benwick was published in 2008 by Adam Keppel-Garner and Janet Fountain.
. Benwick is part of the parliamentary constituency of North East Cambridgeshire; the current Member of Parliament
is Steven Barclay.
and 30 miles (48 km) from Cambridge
, and stands on the old course of the River Nene
, on a rodham
.
, Benwick parish had 860 inhabitants – 445 males and 415 females, living in 333 households.
Methodist Chapel fell into disuse in 2006, leaving Benwick without a church as of 2011. A Baptist
chapel was built in 1818 on the site of the current Baptist graveyard. There are plans by the Friends of Benwick Church to build a new church next to the Village Hall. Although some people would rather it not be built.
Fenland
Fenland is a local government district in Cambridgeshire, England. Its council is based in March, and covers the neighbouring market towns of Chatteris, Whittlesey, and Wisbech, often called the "capital of the fens"...
district of 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. It is approximately 15 miles (24 km) from Peterborough
Peterborough
Peterborough is a cathedral city and unitary authority area in the East of England, with an estimated population of in June 2007. For ceremonial purposes it is in the county of Cambridgeshire. Situated north of London, the city stands on the River Nene which flows into the North Sea...
and 30 miles (48 km) from 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...
. Benwick comprises around 330 houses, and in the United Kingdom Census 2001
United Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....
showed the population to be 860.
History
The settlement's name is derived from the Old EnglishOld English language
Old English or Anglo-Saxon is an early form of the English language that was spoken and written by the Anglo-Saxons and their descendants in parts of what are now England and southeastern Scotland between at least the mid-5th century and the mid-12th century...
bean or beam, and wic, meaning "farm where beans are grown" or "farm by a tree-trunk." Benwick was an ancient fenland village, but is unique among them by not being built on an actual "island." In 1221, Benwick had 15 tenants and by 1251, 32. It used to be in the parish of Doddington
Doddington, Cambridgeshire
Doddington is a village in Cambridgeshire, between Chatteris and March. Historically, Doddington was one of the largest parishes in England. Under the Doddington Rectory Division Act of 1856 it was divided into seven rectories, Benwick, Doddington, Wimblington, March Old Town, March St Peter,...
.
From 1898 to 1966 Benwick was the terminus of the Benwick goods railway which ran from Three Horseshoes junction at Turves, on the Ely
Ely railway station
Ely railway station serves the city of Ely in Cambridgeshire, England. The station lies on the Fen Line from Cambridge to King's Lynn, which is electrified at 25 kV AC overhead...
to Peterborough
Peterborough East railway station
Peterborough East was a railway station in Peterborough, England. It was opened on 2 June 1845 and closed to passenger traffic on 6 June 1966. Located on Station Road just off Town Bridge, only the engine sheds and one platform remain extant today...
line. The station was on the road to Whittlesey
Whittlesey
Whittlesey, historically known as Whittlesea as the name of the railway station is still spelt, or Witesie, is an ancient Fenland market town around six miles east of Peterborough in the county of Cambridgeshire in England...
. There was never a passenger service on the line, except a group of railway enthusiasts who visited the line in 1956.
Governance
The Parish Council consists of seven members; elections are held every four years, the last were in 2007. Benwick is represented on Fenland District CouncilFenland
Fenland is a local government district in Cambridgeshire, England. Its council is based in March, and covers the neighbouring market towns of Chatteris, Whittlesey, and Wisbech, often called the "capital of the fens"...
. Benwick is part of the parliamentary constituency of North East Cambridgeshire; the current Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
is Steven Barclay.
Geography
Benwick village is approximately 15 miles (24 km) from PeterboroughPeterborough
Peterborough is a cathedral city and unitary authority area in the East of England, with an estimated population of in June 2007. For ceremonial purposes it is in the county of Cambridgeshire. Situated north of London, the city stands on the River Nene which flows into the North Sea...
and 30 miles (48 km) from 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...
, and stands on the old course of the River Nene
River Nene
The River Nene is a river in the east of England that rises from three sources in the county of Northamptonshire. The tidal river forms the border between Cambridgeshire and Norfolk for about . It is the tenth longest river in the United Kingdom, and is navigable for from Northampton to The...
, on a rodham
Roddon
thumb|right|alt=|High Street, [[Benwick]], [[East Cambridgeshire]], built on a roddonthumb|right|alt=|Houses built on a roddon at [[Prickwillow]], [[East Cambridgeshire]]...
.
Demography
At the time of the 2001 censusUnited Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....
, Benwick parish had 860 inhabitants – 445 males and 415 females, living in 333 households.
Education
Benwick Primary School, which caters for pupils aged 4–11, was built in 1873 and is located on the High Street.Religion
In 1637–68 an unconsecrated chapel was erected at Benwick, and in 1850–51 St Mary's church was built on its site. St Mary's was demolished in the mid-1980s, and the WesleyanWesleyanism
Wesleyanism or Wesleyan theology refers, respectively, to either the eponymous movement of Protestant Christians who have historically sought to follow the methods or theology of the eighteenth-century evangelical reformers, John Wesley and his brother Charles Wesley, or to the likewise eponymous...
Methodist Chapel fell into disuse in 2006, leaving Benwick without a church as of 2011. A Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
chapel was built in 1818 on the site of the current Baptist graveyard. There are plans by the Friends of Benwick Church to build a new church next to the Village Hall. Although some people would rather it not be built.