Eye, Cambridgeshire
Encyclopedia
Eye is a village
in the unitary authority
area of Peterborough
in England, south of Crowland
and Eye Green
. It was formerly in the Soke of Peterborough
in Northamptonshire
.
Its name came from Anglo-Saxon
īeg = "island", likeliest here "dry ground in marsh".
with eight sails. Eye is separated from its sister village of Eye Green by the A47 trunk road
. Eye was previously one of the brick
making villages of the Peterborough area, along with Fletton
, Yaxley
and Stanground
. There was a brickpit (a quarry for clay for making bricks). northolme in Crowland Road was the site of the Brick works Social club. When this closed the buildings and pit were taken over by the British Sub Aqua Club and run as a National Dive Site, managed by the Peterborough Branch. When this closed the buildings were demolished; the brickpit is now a nature reserve
.
Eye is a large village by local standards and contains many amenities now lost in rural England. These include a post office, three pubs
, a kebab
and pizza
shop, a fish and chip
shop, a butcher
, a bakery
, a cafe
and a tanning salon. There is a Londis store that stocks a small range of fresh fruit and vegetables. There is also a pharmacy, medical centre, hairdresser and Italian restaurant.
The three-mile £7m A47 Eye bypass opened in October 1991.
There was an Eye Green railway station
on the line between Peterborough and Norfolk, which closed many years ago.
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...
in the unitary authority
Unitary authority
A unitary authority is a type of local authority that has a single tier and is responsible for all local government functions within its area or performs additional functions which elsewhere in the relevant country are usually performed by national government or a higher level of sub-national...
area of 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...
in England, south of Crowland
Crowland
Crowland or Croyland is a small town in south Lincolnshire, England, positioned between Peterborough and Spalding, with two sites of historical interest.-Geography:...
and Eye Green
Eye Green
Eye Green is a village in the unitary authority of Peterborough in England. It lies north of Eye and south of Crowland.Eye Green Nature Reserve abounds the A47 Trunk Road which separated Eye Green from its sister village of Eye....
. It was formerly in the Soke of Peterborough
Soke of Peterborough
The Soke of Peterborough is an historic area of England that is traditionally associated with the City and Diocese of Peterborough, but considered part of Northamptonshire...
in Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
.
Its name came from Anglo-Saxon
Old 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...
īeg = "island", likeliest here "dry ground in marsh".
History
There has been a church there since at least 1543. The present church, St. Matthew's, was built in 1846. Originally built with a spire, this was removed fairly recently for safety reasons and now has a roofed tower. Eye Cornmill was a windmillWindmill
A windmill is a machine which converts the energy of wind into rotational energy by means of vanes called sails or blades. Originally windmills were developed for milling grain for food production. In the course of history the windmill was adapted to many other industrial uses. An important...
with eight sails. Eye is separated from its sister village of Eye Green by the A47 trunk road
A47 road
The A47 is a trunk road in England originally linking Birmingham to Great Yarmouth. Most of the section between Birmingham and Nuneaton is now classified as the B4114.-Route:...
. Eye was previously one of the brick
Brick
A brick is a block of ceramic material used in masonry construction, usually laid using various kinds of mortar. It has been regarded as one of the longest lasting and strongest building materials used throughout history.-History:...
making villages of the Peterborough area, along with Fletton
Fletton
Fletton is a residential area and electoral ward of the city of Peterborough, Cambridgeshire in the United Kingdom. For parliamentary purposes it falls within North West Cambridgeshire constituency...
, Yaxley
Yaxley, Cambridgeshire
Yaxley is a village in the county of Cambridgeshire, England. Historically in Huntingdonshire, it is due south of the city of Peterborough, and is skirted to its west by the A15 road...
and Stanground
Stanground
Stanground is a residential area of the city of Peterborough, Cambridgeshire in the United Kingdom. For electoral purposes it comprises Stanground Central and Stanground East wards in North West Cambridgeshire constituency...
. There was a brickpit (a quarry for clay for making bricks). northolme in Crowland Road was the site of the Brick works Social club. When this closed the buildings and pit were taken over by the British Sub Aqua Club and run as a National Dive Site, managed by the Peterborough Branch. When this closed the buildings were demolished; the brickpit is now a nature reserve
Eye Green Nature Reserve
Eye Green Nature Reserve is managed by the Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Northamptonshire and Peterborough, a charity formed in 1994...
.
Eye is a large village by local standards and contains many amenities now lost in rural England. These include a post office, three pubs
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
, a kebab
Kebab
Kebab is a wide variety of meat dishes originating in Middle East and later on adopted by the Middle East, and Asia Minor, and now found worldwide. In English, kebab with no qualification generally refers more specifically to shish kebab served on the skewer...
and pizza
Pizza
Pizza is an oven-baked, flat, disc-shaped bread typically topped with a tomato sauce, cheese and various toppings.Originating in Italy, from the Neapolitan cuisine, the dish has become popular in many parts of the world. An establishment that makes and sells pizzas is called a "pizzeria"...
shop, a fish and chip
Fish and chips
Fish and chips is a popular take-away food in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and Canada...
shop, a butcher
Butcher
A butcher is a person who may slaughter animals, dress their flesh, sell their meat or any combination of these three tasks. They may prepare standard cuts of meat, poultry, fish and shellfish for sale in retail or wholesale food establishments...
, a bakery
Bakery
A bakery is an establishment which produces and sells flour-based food baked in an oven such as bread, cakes, pastries and pies. Some retail bakeries are also cafés, serving coffee and tea to customers who wish to consume the baked goods on the premises.-See also:*Baker*Cake...
, a cafe
Café
A café , also spelled cafe, in most countries refers to an establishment which focuses on serving coffee, like an American coffeehouse. In the United States, it may refer to an informal restaurant, offering a range of hot meals and made-to-order sandwiches...
and a tanning salon. There is a Londis store that stocks a small range of fresh fruit and vegetables. There is also a pharmacy, medical centre, hairdresser and Italian restaurant.
The three-mile £7m A47 Eye bypass opened in October 1991.
There was an Eye Green railway station
Eye Green railway station
Eye Green railway station was a station in Eye, Cambridgeshire on the Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway line between Peterborough and Wisbech. It later came under the control of British Railways and was closed in 1957. The station's full name "Eye Green for Crowland" was a typical historic...
on the line between Peterborough and Norfolk, which closed many years ago.