Chippenham, Cambridgeshire
Encyclopedia
Chippenham is a village
and civil parish
in Cambridgeshire
, England
, part of East Cambridgeshire
district around 4 miles (6.4 km) north-east of Newmarket and 10 miles (16.1 km) north-east of Cambridge
.
to both the north (where the border follows the River Kennett) and the south (where the border follows the Icknield Way
). To the east it is separated from Kennett
, and to the west there are borders with Fordham
and Snailwell
, and a short border with Isleham
. The present parish incorporates both the smaller medieval parish and the hamlet of Badlingham.
Chippenham Park was created by Edward Russell, 1st Earl of Orford
, MP for Cambridgeshire
and First Lord of the Admiralty, who owned the estate from 1689 until his death in 1727. Russell remodelled the manor house and greatly extended the estate park which now dominates the parish to the south of the village.
Royalty have visited Chippenham on numerous occasions. The first was in 1578 when Elizabeth I
knighted Thomas Revett, lord of the manor at the time. William Russell's bowling green was used at times by Charles I
in the 1640s and Charles II
also visited in around 1669. The Earl of Orford received George I
in 1717, and Edward VII
was a regular visitor while Prince of Wales in the 1870s and 1880s. George V
may also have attended shooting parties there.
Listed as Chipeham in the Domesday Book
of 1086, the name "Chippenham" probably means "river meadow of a man called Cippa".
The church has four 15th century wall paintings that were plastered over with psalms in the 17th century and rediscovered in the late 19th century.
John Gauden
, later Bishop of Exeter
and Worcester
, was vicar
of Chippenham in the 1630s.
. There was also an outdoor beer tent listed in the village in the 1850s.
Lord Orford founded the village's first school in 1708 and by 1712 a school building had been completed opposite the church (which survives today as a house). In 1821 additional space was added for junior children and children also attended from neighbouring Snailwell
. In the mid-19th century the attendance was around 36, and after 1875 it rose steadily until there were 100 pupils in 1910. This then fell to 77 in 1919 and under 40 by the 1930s. In 1954 senior children were moved to Burwell
and when numbers had fallen to only 25 juniors in 1978 the school closed, with the remaining children transferred to Isleham
.
A playground was built behind Tharp Way in 1980.
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...
and civil parish
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
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...
, part of East Cambridgeshire
East Cambridgeshire
East Cambridgeshire is a local government district in Cambridgeshire, England. Its council is based in Ely....
district around 4 miles (6.4 km) north-east of Newmarket and 10 miles (16.1 km) north-east 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...
.
History
The parish of Chippenham covers 4300 acres (1,740.1 ha) at the eastern end of Cambridgeshire. It is bordered by SuffolkSuffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
to both the north (where the border follows the River Kennett) and the south (where the border follows the Icknield Way
Icknield Way
The Icknield Way is an ancient trackway in southern England. It follows the chalk escarpment that includes the Berkshire Downs and Chiltern Hills.-Background:...
). To the east it is separated from Kennett
Kennett, Cambridgeshire
Kennett is a small village and civil parish at the very eastern tip of Cambridgeshire, England. Situated around north-east of Newmarket and north-west of Bury St Edmunds, it falls into the district of East Cambridgeshire.-History:...
, and to the west there are borders with Fordham
Fordham, Cambridgeshire
Fordham is a village in rural Cambridgeshire, England. Fordham is part of the East Cambridgeshire district. It is four miles north of Newmarket, as well as being close to the settlements of Soham, Burwell, Isleham, Mildenhall and Chippenham.-History:...
and Snailwell
Snailwell
Snailwell is a small village and civil parish in East Cambridgeshire, England around north of Newmarket.-History:The parish of Snailwell covers an area of in the extension of eastern Cambridgeshire that surrounds the town of Newmarket in Suffolk...
, and a short border with Isleham
Isleham
Isleham is a small village and civil parish in the English county of Cambridgeshire. It is part of the Fens.-Geography:Isleham is located in the Fens of south-east Cambridgeshire. The western parish boundary is formed by the Crooked Ditch, the eastern boundary largely by the Lea Brook and the north...
. The present parish incorporates both the smaller medieval parish and the hamlet of Badlingham.
Chippenham Park was created by Edward Russell, 1st Earl of Orford
Edward Russell, 1st Earl of Orford
Admiral of the Fleet Edward Russell, 1st Earl of Orford, PC was the First Lord of the Admiralty under King William III.-Naval career:...
, MP for Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire (UK Parliament constituency)
Cambridgeshire is a former United Kingdom Parliamentary constituency. It was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1885. It was represented by two Knights...
and First Lord of the Admiralty, who owned the estate from 1689 until his death in 1727. Russell remodelled the manor house and greatly extended the estate park which now dominates the parish to the south of the village.
Royalty have visited Chippenham on numerous occasions. The first was in 1578 when Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
knighted Thomas Revett, lord of the manor at the time. William Russell's bowling green was used at times by Charles I
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
in the 1640s and Charles II
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
also visited in around 1669. The Earl of Orford received George I
George I of Great Britain
George I was King of Great Britain and Ireland from 1 August 1714 until his death, and ruler of the Duchy and Electorate of Brunswick-Lüneburg in the Holy Roman Empire from 1698....
in 1717, and Edward VII
Edward VII of the United Kingdom
Edward VII was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910...
was a regular visitor while Prince of Wales in the 1870s and 1880s. George V
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
may also have attended shooting parties there.
Listed as Chipeham in 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...
of 1086, the name "Chippenham" probably means "river meadow of a man called Cippa".
Church
There has been a church in Chippenham since at least the 12th century which served both Chippenham and Badlingham. The present parish church has been dedicated to Saint Margaret of Antioch since 1279, and consists of a chancel with south chapel and north vestry, an aisled nave of seven bays, and a rectangular west tower. The oldest parts of the building date from the 12th century, with the nave added in the 13th century. The tower was rebuilt in the 15th century.The church has four 15th century wall paintings that were plastered over with psalms in the 17th century and rediscovered in the late 19th century.
John Gauden
John Gauden
John Gauden was an English bishop of Exeter then bishop of Worcester and writer, and the reputed author of the important Royalist work Eikon Basilike.-Life:...
, later Bishop of Exeter
Bishop of Exeter
The Bishop of Exeter is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Exeter in the Province of Canterbury. The incumbent usually signs his name as Exon or incorporates this in his signature....
and Worcester
Bishop of Worcester
The Bishop of Worcester is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Worcester in the Province of Canterbury, England. He is the head of the Diocese of Worcester in the Province of Canterbury...
, was vicar
Vicar
In the broadest sense, a vicar is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior . In this sense, the title is comparable to lieutenant...
of Chippenham in the 1630s.
Village life
The village has one pub, The Tharp Arms, which was opened in 1704 on the High Street. In the 18th century it was known as the New Goat Inn after which it was renamed The Angel and then The Hope Inn before receiving its present name in 1910. The current landlord of the pub is the nephew of magician Paul DanielsPaul Daniels
Paul Daniels, born Newton Edward Daniels on 6 April 1938, is a British magician and television performer. He achieved international fame through his television series The Paul Daniels Magic Show, which ran on the BBC from 1979 to 1994.-Early life:...
. There was also an outdoor beer tent listed in the village in the 1850s.
Lord Orford founded the village's first school in 1708 and by 1712 a school building had been completed opposite the church (which survives today as a house). In 1821 additional space was added for junior children and children also attended from neighbouring Snailwell
Snailwell
Snailwell is a small village and civil parish in East Cambridgeshire, England around north of Newmarket.-History:The parish of Snailwell covers an area of in the extension of eastern Cambridgeshire that surrounds the town of Newmarket in Suffolk...
. In the mid-19th century the attendance was around 36, and after 1875 it rose steadily until there were 100 pupils in 1910. This then fell to 77 in 1919 and under 40 by the 1930s. In 1954 senior children were moved to Burwell
Burwell, Cambridgeshire
Burwell is a large fen-edge village and civil parish in Cambridgeshire, England, about 10 miles north east of Cambridge. It is situated on the south-eastern edge of The Fens, a large area of relatively flat former marshland which lies close to sea level and covers the majority of Cambridgeshire...
and when numbers had fallen to only 25 juniors in 1978 the school closed, with the remaining children transferred to Isleham
Isleham
Isleham is a small village and civil parish in the English county of Cambridgeshire. It is part of the Fens.-Geography:Isleham is located in the Fens of south-east Cambridgeshire. The western parish boundary is formed by the Crooked Ditch, the eastern boundary largely by the Lea Brook and the north...
.
A playground was built behind Tharp Way in 1980.