Little Shelford
Encyclopedia
Little Shelford is a village located to the south of Cambridge
, in the county of Cambridgeshire
, in eastern England
. The River Granta lies between it and the larger village of Great Shelford
, and both are served by Shelford railway station
, which is on the line from Cambridge to London Liverpool Street. The village has one pub, The Navigator, on the High Street.
The parish is mostly low-lying. It is bounded on the west by the M11 motorway
and by field boundaries, and on the east by the River Cam
or Granta. The highest point of the parish is Clunch Pit Hill, 31 m (TL447499).
. It dates from pre-Norman times and is one of the oldest in the region. There are stones carved with Saxon
plaitwork below a tiny Norman
window, a carved coffin stone which may be Saxon in the porch, and in the chapel are four more stones which are probably Norman , like the queer animal with human arms propping up the 13th century chancel arch. The chancel
is 14th century. The small sacristy
is entered by an ancient door in a rich arch is 15th century, and has holes of three piscinas in a windowsill. The arcaded oak pulpit
is Jacobean
. The font
, like the tiny church spire, is 600 years old .
The stalls have on them the Arms
of the de Freville family, Lords of the Manor here, whose 15th century chapel (up three stairs) has some fine stone ornament on its piscina
and on a canopy over the figure of a saint, with fragments of old glass in its windows. Some of the de Frevilles who died before their chapel was built appear in the chancel in stone and brass
. Sir John, an alabaster
knight with an inscription in Norman French, is here from the beginning of the 14th century, and from the end of it, in brass, are Robert and Claricia, with a greyhound
and two dogs at their feet as they clasp hands, their son Thomas holding his wife's hand near them in a brass of 1405.
A 15th century Rector
, John Cate, has another fine brass portrait.
The shadow of a sword falls on three tablets telling of General Sir Charles Wale
, who survived many battles to die at Little Shelford in 1848, of his son who fell at Lucknow
, and of his eight grandsons and great-grandsons who gave up their lives in World War I
. Other notable members of the Wale
family associated with Little Shelford include Thomas Wale
, Gregory Wale
and Henry Charles Wale. A monument to Gregory Wale can be seen on St Margaret's Mount
to the west of the village.
The church today has a thriving congregation Its style of worship is low church
, evangelical
.
s streak over an ancient mill pool.
The children's writer Philippa Pearce
renamed the village "Little Barley", with Great Shelford becoming "Great Barley", the River Cam, which flows through the area, becoming the "River Say", and Cambridge being renamed "Castleford" and deprived of its university. These names are used in a number of her books, most famously Minnow on the Say (1955) and Tom's Midnight Garden (1958)
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...
, in the county 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...
, in eastern 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...
. The River Granta lies between it and the larger village of Great Shelford
Great Shelford
Great Shelford is a village located approximately four miles to the south of Cambridge, in the county of Cambridgeshire, in eastern England. In 1850 Great Shelford parish contained intersected by the river Cam. The population in 1841 was 803 people...
, and both are served by Shelford railway station
Shelford railway station
Shelford railway station serves the villages of Great Shelford, Little Shelford and Stapleford in Cambridgeshire, England.-Service Patterns:A train leaves hourly in each direction...
, which is on the line from Cambridge to London Liverpool Street. The village has one pub, The Navigator, on the High Street.
The parish is mostly low-lying. It is bounded on the west by the M11 motorway
M11 motorway
The M11 motorway in England is a major road running approximately north from the North Circular Road in South Woodford in north-east London to the A14, north-west of Cambridge.-Route:...
and by field boundaries, and on the east by the River Cam
River Cam
The River Cam is a tributary of the River Great Ouse in the east of England. The two rivers join to the south of Ely at Pope's Corner. The Great Ouse connects the Cam to England's canal system and to the North Sea at King's Lynn...
or Granta. The highest point of the parish is Clunch Pit Hill, 31 m (TL447499).
Church and notable families
The village church stands by the crossroads with thirteen fine lime trees and an ancient market crossMarket cross
A market cross is a structure used to mark a market square in market towns, originally from the distinctive tradition in Early Medieval Insular art of free-standing stone standing or high crosses, often elaborately carved, which goes back to the 7th century. Market crosses can be found in most...
. It dates from pre-Norman times and is one of the oldest in the region. There are stones carved with Saxon
Saxons
The Saxons were a confederation of Germanic tribes originating on the North German plain. The Saxons earliest known area of settlement is Northern Albingia, an area approximately that of modern Holstein...
plaitwork below a tiny Norman
Norman architecture
About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
window, a carved coffin stone which may be Saxon in the porch, and in the chapel are four more stones which are probably Norman , like the queer animal with human arms propping up the 13th century chancel arch. The chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
is 14th century. The small sacristy
Sacristy
A sacristy is a room for keeping vestments and other church furnishings, sacred vessels, and parish records.The sacristy is usually located inside the church, but in some cases it is an annex or separate building...
is entered by an ancient door in a rich arch is 15th century, and has holes of three piscinas in a windowsill. The arcaded oak pulpit
Pulpit
Pulpit is a speakers' stand in a church. In many Christian churches, there are two speakers' stands at the front of the church. Typically, the one on the left is called the pulpit...
is Jacobean
Jacobean architecture
The Jacobean style is the second phase of Renaissance architecture in England, following the Elizabethan style. It is named after King James I of England, with whose reign it is associated.-Characteristics:...
. The font
Baptismal font
A baptismal font is an article of church furniture or a fixture used for the baptism of children and adults.-Aspersion and affusion fonts:...
, like the tiny church spire, is 600 years old .
The stalls have on them the Arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
of the de Freville family, Lords of the Manor here, whose 15th century chapel (up three stairs) has some fine stone ornament on its piscina
Piscina
A piscina is a shallow basin placed near the altar of a church, used for washing the communion vessels. The sacrarium is the drain itself. Anglicans usually refer to the basin, calling it a piscina. Roman Catholics usually refer to the drain, and by extension, the basin, as the sacrarium...
and on a canopy over the figure of a saint, with fragments of old glass in its windows. Some of the de Frevilles who died before their chapel was built appear in the chancel in stone and brass
Brass
Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc; the proportions of zinc and copper can be varied to create a range of brasses with varying properties.In comparison, bronze is principally an alloy of copper and tin...
. Sir John, an alabaster
Alabaster
Alabaster is a name applied to varieties of two distinct minerals, when used as a material: gypsum and calcite . The former is the alabaster of the present day; generally, the latter is the alabaster of the ancients...
knight with an inscription in Norman French, is here from the beginning of the 14th century, and from the end of it, in brass, are Robert and Claricia, with a greyhound
Greyhound
The Greyhound is a breed of sighthound that has been primarily bred for coursing game and racing, and the breed has also recently seen a resurgence in its popularity as a pedigree show dog and family pet. It is a gentle and intelligent breed...
and two dogs at their feet as they clasp hands, their son Thomas holding his wife's hand near them in a brass of 1405.
A 15th century Rector
Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
, John Cate, has another fine brass portrait.
Charles Wale
Charles Wale was an English General and the last British governor of Martinique between about 1812 and 1815 He became Colonel of the 33rd Regiment of Foot on 25 February 1831 and was given the governorship in recognition of his capture Guadeloupe from the French...
, who survived many battles to die at Little Shelford in 1848, of his son who fell at Lucknow
Lucknow
Lucknow is the capital city of Uttar Pradesh in India. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of Lucknow District and Lucknow Division....
, and of his eight grandsons and great-grandsons who gave up their lives in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. Other notable members of the Wale
Wale
A wale is a broad, thick plank around the outside of a wooden ship.The garboard is the wale next to the keel; the gunwale is the top such plank and covers the heads of the timbers between the main and fore drifts....
family associated with Little Shelford include Thomas Wale
Thomas Wale
Thomas Wale was a Cambridgeshire gentleman born at Risby, Suffolk on the 7 September 1701 and died in 1796. He is notable for having left a significant quantity of documents collated throughout his life which constituted the book My Grandfather's Pocket Book. His documents provide a unique insight...
, Gregory Wale
Gregory Wale
Gregory Wale was a Cambridgeshire gentleman, a Justice of the Peace for Cambridgeshire and Conservator of the River Cam.-Parents:Gregory Wale was the son of Thomas Wale of Lackfort and Penelope Wood...
and Henry Charles Wale. A monument to Gregory Wale can be seen on St Margaret's Mount
Rowley's Hill
Rowley's Hill is a hill in Cambridgeshire, near the villages of Harston and Newton. Although of only moderate height , it has a relatively large prominence due to it being surrounded on all sides by a 'moat' of much lower land...
to the west of the village.
The church today has a thriving congregation Its style of worship is low church
Low church
Low church is a term of distinction in the Church of England or other Anglican churches initially designed to be pejorative. During the series of doctrinal and ecclesiastic challenges to the established church in the 16th and 17th centuries, commentators and others began to refer to those groups...
, evangelical
Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
.
Locality
The de Freville manor house survives. One of many hidden ways leads past the manor and the farm where the river slips through a wood and kingfisherKingfisher
Kingfishers are a group of small to medium sized brightly coloured birds in the order Coraciiformes. They have a cosmopolitan distribution, with most species being found in the Old World and Australia...
s streak over an ancient mill pool.
The children's writer Philippa Pearce
Philippa Pearce
Ann Philippa Pearce OBE was an English children's author.-Early life:The youngest of four children, Pearce was brought up in the Mill House in the village of Great Shelford, Cambridgeshire...
renamed the village "Little Barley", with Great Shelford becoming "Great Barley", the River Cam, which flows through the area, becoming the "River Say", and Cambridge being renamed "Castleford" and deprived of its university. These names are used in a number of her books, most famously Minnow on the Say (1955) and Tom's Midnight Garden (1958)