Swaffham Prior
Encyclopedia
Swaffham Prior is a village in East Cambridgeshire
, England
.
Lying 5 miles west of Newmarket, and two miles south west of Burwell
, the village is often paired with its neighbour Swaffham Bulbeck
, and are collectively referred to as 'The Swaffhams'. Swaffham Prior was often known as Great Swaffham in past centuries. It should not be confused with the town of Swaffham
in Norfolk
.
Children initially attend the Swaffham Prior Church of England Primary School in the village and usually then go on to Bottisham Village College
, a few villages across.
(dedicated to Saint Quiricus and Saint Julietta
). In 1667 a parliamentary order combined the churches under a single parish.
The church of St Mary was first built in Norman times, and over its history has at times been allowed to fall into ruin, only being fully restored at the start of the 20th century and now serving as the parish church. It contains an attractive rood screen, and is celebrated for its series of stained glass windows showing scenes from World War I
.
The original church of St Cyriac and St Julitta (Cyriac's mother) was built prior to 1200, and may possibly have existed before 1066. The present chapel is a plain Gothic-style church, consisting of a small chancel and nave with three small transeptal chapels. The tower was built in the 15th century tower and contains 6 bells. Having fallen into disuse, in 1878 an order was received that the church be demolished, but the order was never carried out. It now serves as a hall for exhibitions and other functions. Scottish poet Edwin Muir
(1887-1959) is buried here.
John George Witt
, the well-known barrister and Q.C./K.C. of Victorian and Edwardian England, who was born in 1836 at Denny Abbey
, Waterbeach, Cambridgeshire, was a son of James Maling Witt (1799 - 1870), a prosperous farmer at Waterbeach and at Queens' College Farm, Swaffham Prior. J.G. Witt lived at Swaffham Prior during much of his youth and early manhood. He died in London in 1906.
Swaffham Prior is famous not only for its two churches which tower above the village and can be seen for miles around but also for its two windmills (one still operating as a mill) which have also long been part of village life and are iconic symbols of the village, seen on the village sign on Cage Hill.
) escarpment
of Swaffham Prior and it runs the full length of this East Cambridgeshire
village
dating back to Anglo-saxon
times. The village literally is built along its top and its bottom and a lot of the houses sit upon the ridge itself.
The chalk escarpment straddles two very different local eco-systems. The Cambridgeshire
Fens to the west, where the land slopes down. The chalk heathland to the east, Swaffham Prior heath, part of the Greater Newmarket chalk heath, where the land height increases and plateaus to a larger area in the east. There are views of the Cambridgeshire countryside on all sides.
In a few places the ridge of the escarpment is exposed, although usually within private property. A fraction of it can be seen from the high street, opposite the parish
play area.
and Reach
at various times. These pairings due to boundary changes have been excluded from the table below.
East Cambridgeshire
East Cambridgeshire is a local government district in Cambridgeshire, England. Its council is based in Ely....
, 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...
.
Lying 5 miles west of Newmarket, and two miles south west of Burwell
Burwell, Cambridgeshire
Burwell is a large fen-edge village and civil parish in Cambridgeshire, England, about 10 miles north east of Cambridge. It is situated on the south-eastern edge of The Fens, a large area of relatively flat former marshland which lies close to sea level and covers the majority of Cambridgeshire...
, the village is often paired with its neighbour Swaffham Bulbeck
Swaffham Bulbeck
Swaffham Bulbeck is a village in East Cambridgeshire, England.Swaffham Bulbeck is located about from the city of Cambridge, and from the famous racing town of Newmarket. The parish of Swaffham Bulbeck is part of the Diocese of Ely and the Deanery of Fordham and Quy...
, and are collectively referred to as 'The Swaffhams'. Swaffham Prior was often known as Great Swaffham in past centuries. It should not be confused with the town of Swaffham
Swaffham
Swaffham is a market town and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. The town is situated east of King's Lynn and west of Norwich.The civil parish has an area of and in the 2001 census had a population of 6,935 in 3,130 households...
in Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
.
Children initially attend the Swaffham Prior Church of England Primary School in the village and usually then go on to Bottisham Village College
Bottisham Village College
Bottisham Village College is a comprehensive secondary school located in Cambridgeshire, England. The school opened in 1937 as the second village college in part of the Local Director of Education Henry Morris' vision for providing a good quality education for local people in the countryside around...
, a few villages across.
Churches
The village is dominated by its twin churches that have served the parish since at least the 12th century – the Church of St Mary, and the Church of St Cyriac and St JulittaChurch of St Cyriac and St Julitta, Swaffham Prior
The Church of St Cyriac and St Julitta, Swaffham Prior, is a redundant Anglican church in the village of Swaffham Prior, Cambridgeshire, England. It has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade II* listed building, and is under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust...
(dedicated to Saint Quiricus and Saint Julietta
Saint Quiricus and Saint Julietta
Saint Julietta and her son Saint Quiricus were martyred in AD 304 in Tarsus.-Cyricus:...
). In 1667 a parliamentary order combined the churches under a single parish.
The church of St Mary was first built in Norman times, and over its history has at times been allowed to fall into ruin, only being fully restored at the start of the 20th century and now serving as the parish church. It contains an attractive rood screen, and is celebrated for its series of stained glass windows showing scenes from 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...
.
The original church of St Cyriac and St Julitta (Cyriac's mother) was built prior to 1200, and may possibly have existed before 1066. The present chapel is a plain Gothic-style church, consisting of a small chancel and nave with three small transeptal chapels. The tower was built in the 15th century tower and contains 6 bells. Having fallen into disuse, in 1878 an order was received that the church be demolished, but the order was never carried out. It now serves as a hall for exhibitions and other functions. Scottish poet Edwin Muir
Edwin Muir
Edwin Muir was an Orcadian poet, novelist and translator born on a farm in Deerness on the Orkney Islands. He was remembered for his deeply felt and vivid poetry in plain language with few stylistic preoccupations....
(1887-1959) is buried here.
John George Witt
John George Witt
John George Witt was an English barrister.-Life:John George Witt was the second son of James Maling Witt , a prosperous Cambridgeshire farmer and barrister....
, the well-known barrister and Q.C./K.C. of Victorian and Edwardian England, who was born in 1836 at Denny Abbey
Denny Abbey
Denny Abbey is a former abbey near Waterbeach, six miles north of Cambridge in Cambridgeshire, England which was inhabited by a succession of three different religious orders during its history serving as a monastery....
, Waterbeach, Cambridgeshire, was a son of James Maling Witt (1799 - 1870), a prosperous farmer at Waterbeach and at Queens' College Farm, Swaffham Prior. J.G. Witt lived at Swaffham Prior during much of his youth and early manhood. He died in London in 1906.
Village History & Background
Swaffham Prior is an old village with rich and abundant history, even mentioned in the Domesday Book as possibly 'Great Swaffham', with Swaffham Bulbeck being 'Little Swaffham'. There are many houses in the village of great age dating back to all of the last few centuries, with the 17th century being most prominent. The village is and has always been one of trade and it has a history of trade down the centuries that continues to this day in different forms. Today it could be described as a 'dormitory' village especially looking back on its far busier past - but there is still a good community here with a great local primary school and The Red Lion pub, which many in the village consider the heart of the community today. There's also a picturesque Village Hall, also hosting many village get-togethers such as feasts, village fates etc.Swaffham Prior is famous not only for its two churches which tower above the village and can be seen for miles around but also for its two windmills (one still operating as a mill) which have also long been part of village life and are iconic symbols of the village, seen on the village sign on Cage Hill.
Geology
Swaffham Prior chalk escarpment is nearly hidden from view physically. This local natural history phenomenon is the chalk (local term clunchClunch
Clunch is a term for traditional building material used mainly in eastern England and Normandy. It is a term which encompasses a wide variety of materials, often locally variable....
) escarpment
Escarpment
An escarpment is a steep slope or long cliff that occurs from erosion or faulting and separates two relatively level areas of differing elevations.-Description and variants:...
of Swaffham Prior and it runs the full length of this East Cambridgeshire
East Cambridgeshire
East Cambridgeshire is a local government district in Cambridgeshire, England. Its council is based in Ely....
village
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...
dating back to Anglo-saxon
Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxon may refer to:* Anglo-Saxons, a group that invaded Britain** Old English, their language** Anglo-Saxon England, their history, one of various ships* White Anglo-Saxon Protestant, an ethnicity* Anglo-Saxon economy, modern macroeconomic term...
times. The village literally is built along its top and its bottom and a lot of the houses sit upon the ridge itself.
The chalk escarpment straddles two very different local eco-systems. The 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...
Fens to the west, where the land slopes down. The chalk heathland to the east, Swaffham Prior heath, part of the Greater Newmarket chalk heath, where the land height increases and plateaus to a larger area in the east. There are views of the Cambridgeshire countryside on all sides.
In a few places the ridge of the escarpment is exposed, although usually within private property. A fraction of it can be seen from the high street, opposite the 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...
play area.
Demography
Census counts for the village have been paired with BurwellBurwell, Cambridgeshire
Burwell is a large fen-edge village and civil parish in Cambridgeshire, England, about 10 miles north east of Cambridge. It is situated on the south-eastern edge of The Fens, a large area of relatively flat former marshland which lies close to sea level and covers the majority of Cambridgeshire...
and Reach
Reach, Cambridgeshire
Reach is a small village and civil parish on the edge of the fenland in East Cambridgeshire, England.Reach is located at the north end of Devil's Dyke, about west of Burwell. The dyke split the settlement in two until part of it was refilled to create the current Fair Green in the 18th century...
at various times. These pairings due to boundary changes have been excluded from the table below.