Quendon
Encyclopedia
Quendon is a linear village
in the English
county of Essex
. Quendon is located on the B1383 (formerly the A11 trunk road) between Saffron Walden
and Bishop's Stortford
. The trunk road status was lost due to the opening of the parallel M11 motorway
. Quendon is part of Quendon and Rickling
civil parish
and the district of Uttlesford
. The first mention of a postal service in the village was in 1793 and Quendon had a Penny Post
service from 1813. The village post office closed in February 2008.
The history of Quendon is closely associated with its close neighbour, Rickling village. Historically these two villages were separated by some distance, but it is thought that either due to the heavy loss of life during the 14th Century by the Black Death
or a significant fire in the old wooden buildings of the day, caused much of the village to relocate its current position. The original Rickling village was closely sited near its own, now isolated parish church, approximately 1.5 km away. Today, the villages nestle together and the boundary is almost unnoticeable.
Despite the close geographic tie between these two neighbours, the parishes were distinct until the late 20th century. The historic "Coffin Path" bridleway was used for the parish residents of Rickling to travel to its own church some distance over the fields.
Quendon Hall - At the Domesday Survey the manor that became Quendon Hall belonged to Eudo Dapifer, and afterwards it passed to the noble families of Mandeville, Bohun, and Stafford. In 1520, it had become the property of Thomas Newman, who built the Hall, which was re-built in the 17th century by John Turner, Esq., who enclosed the park. It was sold during the last century to Henry Cranmer, Esq., from whom it descended to the late James Powell Cranmer, Esq.
The Church is a small tiled building, and the rectory, valued in K. B. at £9, and in 1831 at £165, is in the patronage of Mrs. Cranmer, and incumbency of the Rev. John Collin, sen., M.A., who has a good residence, and 53A. of glebe. The tithes were commuted in 1839 for £150 per annum.
lived in the village in the 17th century, in a Tudor
farmhouse called Berries. Under the pseudonym Poor Robin Goodfellow, he wrote about the joys of celebrating Christmas
. This helped to restore the custom of such celebrations after a period when they had been banned by the Puritan
s.
Also, Henry Winstanley
famous for the design of the first Eddystone Lighthouse
, and the Pamphilon family, of which several members were noted violin makers, were thought to be residents.
The astronomer Fred Hoyle
lived in the village for 10 years just after the 2nd World War, Quendon being the closest to Cambridge he could afford to live at first. He left to live in Cambridge in late 1957, the same year he was elected a fellow of the Royal Society
.
Roger Whittaker
, the Kenyan-born English singer/songwriter and musician, lived in the village.
http://deadpubs.co.uk/EssexPubs/Quendon/kinghead.shtml
Linear village
In geography, a linear village, or linear settlement, is a small to medium-sized settlement that is formed around a transport route, such as a road, river, or canal. Wraysbury, a village in Berkshire, is one of the longest villages in England....
in the English
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...
county of Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
. Quendon is located on the B1383 (formerly the A11 trunk road) between Saffron Walden
Saffron Walden
Saffron Walden is a medium-sized market town in the Uttlesford district of Essex, England. It is located north of Bishop's Stortford, south of Cambridge and approx north of London...
and Bishop's Stortford
Bishop's Stortford
Bishop's Stortford is a historic market town and civil parish in the district of East Hertfordshire in the county of Hertfordshire in England. It is situated just west of the M11 motorway, on the county boundary with Essex and is the closest large town to London Stansted Airport and part of the...
. The trunk road status was lost due to the opening of the parallel 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:...
. Quendon is part of Quendon and Rickling
Quendon and Rickling
Quendon and Rickling is a civil parish in the Uttlesford district of Essex, England. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 514. The parish was created in the 1940s by the merger of Quendon and Rickling parishes....
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...
and the district of Uttlesford
Uttlesford
Uttlesford is a local government district in Essex, England. Its council is based in Saffron Walden.Its name is derived from the ancient Hundred of the same name....
. The first mention of a postal service in the village was in 1793 and Quendon had a Penny Post
Penny Post
The Penny Post is any one of several postal systems in which normal letters could be sent for one penny.-London Penny Post:In England, the Post Office had a monopoly on the collection and carriage of letters between post towns but there was no delivery system until the London Penny Post was...
service from 1813. The village post office closed in February 2008.
History
The name of Quendon derives from the Old English "cwena" (queen, or woman) and "denu" (a valley), meaning the valley owned by a queen, or a woman; the queen referred to may be Ricula, wife of King Sledd of Essex, who gave her name to Rickling, the adjacent parish.The history of Quendon is closely associated with its close neighbour, Rickling village. Historically these two villages were separated by some distance, but it is thought that either due to the heavy loss of life during the 14th Century by the Black Death
Black Death
The Black Death was one of the most devastating pandemics in human history, peaking in Europe between 1348 and 1350. Of several competing theories, the dominant explanation for the Black Death is the plague theory, which attributes the outbreak to the bacterium Yersinia pestis. Thought to have...
or a significant fire in the old wooden buildings of the day, caused much of the village to relocate its current position. The original Rickling village was closely sited near its own, now isolated parish church, approximately 1.5 km away. Today, the villages nestle together and the boundary is almost unnoticeable.
Despite the close geographic tie between these two neighbours, the parishes were distinct until the late 20th century. The historic "Coffin Path" bridleway was used for the parish residents of Rickling to travel to its own church some distance over the fields.
Quendon Hall - At the Domesday Survey the manor that became Quendon Hall belonged to Eudo Dapifer, and afterwards it passed to the noble families of Mandeville, Bohun, and Stafford. In 1520, it had become the property of Thomas Newman, who built the Hall, which was re-built in the 17th century by John Turner, Esq., who enclosed the park. It was sold during the last century to Henry Cranmer, Esq., from whom it descended to the late James Powell Cranmer, Esq.
The Church is a small tiled building, and the rectory, valued in K. B. at £9, and in 1831 at £165, is in the patronage of Mrs. Cranmer, and incumbency of the Rev. John Collin, sen., M.A., who has a good residence, and 53A. of glebe. The tithes were commuted in 1839 for £150 per annum.
Notable residents
The diarist and writer William WinstanleyWilliam Winstanley
William Winstanley was an English poet and compiler of biographies.-Life:Born about 1628, William Winstanley was the second son of William Winstanley of Quendon, Essex, by his wife Elizabeth. Henry Winstanley was his nephew. William was sworn in as a freeman of Saffron Walden on 21 April 1649. He...
lived in the village in the 17th century, in a Tudor
Tudor style architecture
The Tudor architectural style is the final development of medieval architecture during the Tudor period and even beyond, for conservative college patrons...
farmhouse called Berries. Under the pseudonym Poor Robin Goodfellow, he wrote about the joys of celebrating Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
. This helped to restore the custom of such celebrations after a period when they had been banned by the Puritan
Puritan
The Puritans were a significant grouping of English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries. Puritanism in this sense was founded by some Marian exiles from the clergy shortly after the accession of Elizabeth I of England in 1558, as an activist movement within the Church of England...
s.
Also, Henry Winstanley
Henry Winstanley
Henry Winstanley was an English engineer who constructed the first Eddystone lighthouse.-Early life and career:He was born in Saffron Walden, Essex, and baptised there on 31 March 1644...
famous for the design of the first Eddystone Lighthouse
Eddystone Lighthouse
Eddystone Lighthouse is on the treacherous Eddystone Rocks, south west of Rame Head, United Kingdom. While Rame Head is in Cornwall, the rocks are in Devon and composed of Precambrian Gneiss....
, and the Pamphilon family, of which several members were noted violin makers, were thought to be residents.
The astronomer Fred Hoyle
Fred Hoyle
Sir Fred Hoyle FRS was an English astronomer and mathematician noted primarily for his contribution to the theory of stellar nucleosynthesis and his often controversial stance on other cosmological and scientific matters—in particular his rejection of the "Big Bang" theory, a term originally...
lived in the village for 10 years just after the 2nd World War, Quendon being the closest to Cambridge he could afford to live at first. He left to live in Cambridge in late 1957, the same year he was elected a fellow of the Royal Society
Royal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
.
Roger Whittaker
Roger Whittaker
Roger Whittaker is an Anglo-Kenyan singer-songwriter and musician with worldwide record sales of over 55 million. His music can be described as easy listening. He is best known for his baritone singing voice and trademark whistling ability...
, the Kenyan-born English singer/songwriter and musician, lived in the village.
Further Information
Quendon & Rickling Village websitehttp://deadpubs.co.uk/EssexPubs/Quendon/kinghead.shtml