Eastrea
Encyclopedia
Eastrea is a small hamlet in Cambridgeshire
, located on the A605
between Whittlesey
and Coates
. The site has been inhabited since Roman
times.
There was once a church in the village, lost in the 18th century, as well as a chapel which still stands today, albeit converted for commercial use. The first official wedding there took place on 27th September 1927. The village also had a railway station (Eastrea railway station
) from 1845 until 1866, as well as a shop which closed in the 1960s.
Eastrea was formerly the home of two public houses, The Windmill and The Nags Head. The Windmill was demolished in the mid 20th century and it was hoped that the site would be used for a new village hall; such plans never came to fruition.In 2010 the owners of The Nag's Head sought planning approval to convert the pub into houses, citing a significant downturn in business as the main reason for doing so. However, Fenland District Council refused permission, stating that 'financial loss is no reason to allow the conversion of a pub', which was described as 'the beating heart of the community' by locals and regulars.
Since the 1940s, residents have been fighting for permission to build a village hall. A number of possible locations have been suggested over the years, and permission was granted in the 1960s for a hall on the former site of The Windmill pub, but no work was completed before the permission expired. In the 1990s an area of land off Thornham Way was offered, but once again no work was done quickly enough, and the land is now public open space. The present site was provided by Fenland District Council in 2004, on the basis that 14 new homes would be also be constructed alongside the village hall. Planning permission was given in 2009. Work began in 2010 but was halted when an archeological dig revealed a human skeleton, believed to be around 2000 years old.
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...
, located on the A605
A605 road
The A605 road is a main road in the English counties of Northamptonshire and Cambridgeshire.-Route :The A605 strikes north from junction 13 of the trunk A14 road through the eastern parts of Thrapston, skirts the village of Thorpe Waterville, bypasses Oundle to its east, crosses the River Nene,...
between 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...
and Coates
Coates, Cambridgeshire
Coates, in the English county of Cambridgeshire, is a small village close to the town of Whittlesey.The origins of the name are from the word 'Cotes', a corruption of cottages...
. The site has been inhabited since Roman
Roman Britain
Roman Britain was the part of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire from AD 43 until ca. AD 410.The Romans referred to the imperial province as Britannia, which eventually comprised all of the island of Great Britain south of the fluid frontier with Caledonia...
times.
There was once a church in the village, lost in the 18th century, as well as a chapel which still stands today, albeit converted for commercial use. The first official wedding there took place on 27th September 1927. The village also had a railway station (Eastrea railway station
Eastrea railway station
Eastrea railway station was a station serving the village of Eastrea, Cambridgeshire on the Great Eastern Railway's line from Ely to Peterborough. The station was situated at the level crossing on the road leading south from the village towards Benwick...
) from 1845 until 1866, as well as a shop which closed in the 1960s.
Eastrea was formerly the home of two public houses, The Windmill and The Nags Head. The Windmill was demolished in the mid 20th century and it was hoped that the site would be used for a new village hall; such plans never came to fruition.In 2010 the owners of The Nag's Head sought planning approval to convert the pub into houses, citing a significant downturn in business as the main reason for doing so. However, Fenland District Council refused permission, stating that 'financial loss is no reason to allow the conversion of a pub', which was described as 'the beating heart of the community' by locals and regulars.
Since the 1940s, residents have been fighting for permission to build a village hall. A number of possible locations have been suggested over the years, and permission was granted in the 1960s for a hall on the former site of The Windmill pub, but no work was completed before the permission expired. In the 1990s an area of land off Thornham Way was offered, but once again no work was done quickly enough, and the land is now public open space. The present site was provided by Fenland District Council in 2004, on the basis that 14 new homes would be also be constructed alongside the village hall. Planning permission was given in 2009. Work began in 2010 but was halted when an archeological dig revealed a human skeleton, believed to be around 2000 years old.