Kennett, Cambridgeshire
Encyclopedia
Kennett is a small village and civil parish at the very eastern tip of Cambridgeshire
, England
. Situated around 2.5 miles (4 km) north-east of Newmarket and 4 miles (6.4 km) north-west of Bury St Edmunds, it falls into the district of East Cambridgeshire
.
. Listed as Chenet in the Domesday Book
of 1086, the village is named after the river Kennett, a tributary of the River Lark
. The origin of the river's name is unclear, but it is of Celtic origin perhaps partially derived from cwm meaning "summit".
The parish is roughly square in shape, and borders Suffolk to its east and south. The eastern border is largely made up of the meandering medieval course of the River Kennett, though the river has been straightened in sections since the border was defined. The border deviates to the east of the river for a kilometre or so, such that the land around Kennett Hall falls into the parish. The straight southern border with Suffolk follows the ancient Icknield Way
. The relatively straight west and north borders are former field boundaries that separate it from Chippenham
.
The river was forded at the south-east of the parish in around 1161 (from which the village of Kentford
takes its name) and was navigable until at least the early 14th century, leading eventually to King's Lynn
. A 13th century ferry across the Kennett was known as Kentfayre, and the Newmarket to Bury St Edmunds road had a bridge over the river added in around 1600 on what became a busy turnpike. Occasional flooding of the Kennett would damage the east of the parish, and a flood in 1968 destroyed the railway bridge at Kennett End. A pumping station was built just to the east of the church in 1977 to control flow.
The railway reached the parish in 1854 and Kennett railway station
was opened at the south-east of the parish. It closed to goods trains in 1965 and became unstaffed after 1967, though trains between Cambridge
and Ipswich
still stop there, the only stop between Newmarket and Bury St Edmunds. The Newmarket by-pass opened in the early 1970s (now the A14) and runs alongside the railway at the south of the parish.
The village's population increased from 90 in the 1790s to a peak of 208 in 1851 before dropping to around 160 by the end of the 19th century. Increasing to around 200 between 1930 and 1950 it remained steady at about 270 between 1961 and 1991. In 2001 it stood at 364.
Kennett Hall, on the site which served as the manor house from the 12th century, was built in around 1870 by William Godfrey. The house has Neo-Palladian windows on the three-bayed south-west front. In 1958 it was divided into flats, and rented by members of the American armed forces.
A former quarry at the north west of the parish was bought in 1991 for use as a centre for off-road activities, claiming to own the largest collection of privately owned military vehicles in the country.
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...
. Situated around 2.5 miles (4 km) north-east of Newmarket and 4 miles (6.4 km) north-west of Bury St Edmunds, it falls into the district of East Cambridgeshire
East Cambridgeshire
East Cambridgeshire is a local government district in Cambridgeshire, England. Its council is based in Ely....
.
History
The small parish of Kennett covers 1431 acres (579.1 ha) at the easternmost point of the spur of Cambridgeshire that stretches into 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...
. Listed as Chenet 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 village is named after the river Kennett, a tributary of the River Lark
River Lark
The River Lark is a river in England, which crosses the border between Suffolk and Cambridgeshire. It is a tributary of the River Great Ouse, and was extended when that river was re-routed as part of drainage improvements. It is thought to have been used for navigation since Roman times, and...
. The origin of the river's name is unclear, but it is of Celtic origin perhaps partially derived from cwm meaning "summit".
The parish is roughly square in shape, and borders Suffolk to its east and south. The eastern border is largely made up of the meandering medieval course of the River Kennett, though the river has been straightened in sections since the border was defined. The border deviates to the east of the river for a kilometre or so, such that the land around Kennett Hall falls into the parish. The straight southern border with Suffolk follows the ancient 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:...
. The relatively straight west and north borders are former field boundaries that separate it from Chippenham
Chippenham, Cambridgeshire
Chippenham is a village and civil parish in Cambridgeshire, England, part of East Cambridgeshire district around north-east of Newmarket and north-east of Cambridge.-History:The parish of Chippenham covers at the eastern end of Cambridgeshire...
.
The river was forded at the south-east of the parish in around 1161 (from which the village of Kentford
Kentford
Kentford is a village and civil parish in the Forest Heath district of Suffolk in eastern England. In 2005 it had a population of 420. Located just off the A14, close to the border with Cambridgeshire, it is served by nearby Kennett railway station....
takes its name) and was navigable until at least the early 14th century, leading eventually to King's Lynn
King's Lynn
King's Lynn is a sea port and market town in the ceremonial county of Norfolk in the East of England. It is situated north of London and west of Norwich. The population of the town is 42,800....
. A 13th century ferry across the Kennett was known as Kentfayre, and the Newmarket to Bury St Edmunds road had a bridge over the river added in around 1600 on what became a busy turnpike. Occasional flooding of the Kennett would damage the east of the parish, and a flood in 1968 destroyed the railway bridge at Kennett End. A pumping station was built just to the east of the church in 1977 to control flow.
The railway reached the parish in 1854 and Kennett railway station
Kennett railway station
Kennett is a railway station serving the village of Kentford in Cambridgeshire, England. It opened in 1854 when the railway was extended from Newmarket to Bury St Edmunds. At its peak during the period 1860 to 1890 there was a station master and three other members of staff...
was opened at the south-east of the parish. It closed to goods trains in 1965 and became unstaffed after 1967, though trains between 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 Ipswich
Ipswich
Ipswich is a large town and a non-metropolitan district. It is the county town of Suffolk, England. Ipswich is located on the estuary of the River Orwell...
still stop there, the only stop between Newmarket and Bury St Edmunds. The Newmarket by-pass opened in the early 1970s (now the A14) and runs alongside the railway at the south of the parish.
The village's population increased from 90 in the 1790s to a peak of 208 in 1851 before dropping to around 160 by the end of the 19th century. Increasing to around 200 between 1930 and 1950 it remained steady at about 270 between 1961 and 1991. In 2001 it stood at 364.
Kennett Hall, on the site which served as the manor house from the 12th century, was built in around 1870 by William Godfrey. The house has Neo-Palladian windows on the three-bayed south-west front. In 1958 it was divided into flats, and rented by members of the American armed forces.
Church
The parish church has been dedicated to St Nicholas since the 13th century. The building consists of a chancel and an aisled nave with north porch and west tower. The oldest parts of the building are the nave and north porch which were built in the 12th century, with the chancel dating from the 13th century. Its impressive 15th-century tower dominates the local landscape and contains three bells, including one from the 13th century.Village life
The Bell Inn, the only pub in the parish, stands at the crossroads at Kennett End and dates from the 16th century. Village playing fields were opened to the east of Station Road in 1951 and are shared with Kentford in Suffolk.A former quarry at the north west of the parish was bought in 1991 for use as a centre for off-road activities, claiming to own the largest collection of privately owned military vehicles in the country.