Sutton-in-the-Isle
Coordinates: 52°23′15″N 0°06′58″E / 52.38737°N 0.11600°E
| Sutton-in-the-Isle | |
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 Sutton-in-the-Isle
Sutton-in-the-Isle shown within Cambridgeshire |
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| Population | 3,363 (2001 Census) |
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| OS grid reference | TL441787 |
| District | East Cambridgeshire |
| Shire county | Cambridgeshire |
| Region | East |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | CAMBRIDGE |
| Postcode district | CB6 |
| Dialling code | 01353 |
| Police | Cambridgeshire |
| Fire | Cambridgeshire |
| Ambulance | East of England |
| EU Parliament | East of England |
| UK Parliament | North East Cambridgeshire |
| List of places: UK • England • Cambridgeshire | |
Sutton-in-the-Isle, commonly referred to simply as Sutton, is a parish and village in the county of Cambridgeshire in England, near the city of Ely. The "in-the-Isle" suffix refers to the fact that the village is part of the Isle of Ely, once an island in The Fens and also an administrative county until 1965.
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[edit] History
The village was mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086. The Anglican church, dedicated to St. Andrew was substantially completed by 1370. It has a distinctively shaped tower that often described as being the shape of a pepperpot. Numerous non-conformist chapels have also existed in the village, including a Methodist chapel constructed in 1790 after a visit by John Wesley in 1774 and a Baptist chapel constructed in the same century. Both of these closed in the last decade, leaving the Anglican church as the sole place of worship.
The school was built in 1860 with John Taylor as the first headmaster and his wife as headmistress, and continues to expand to serve the village's growing population. A railway station was opened in 1866 but closed in 1964 as part of the Beeching Axe. In 1941, due to World War II, Mepal Airfield was constructed between the villages of Sutton and Mepal. During the 1960s, Sutton Gault was host to a one mile section of one of the worlds first Tracked Hovercraft designed by Eric Laithwaite. This used air-cushion train tracks and a linear induction motor for propulsion.
The village was bypassed in 1984 and a straw burning power station opened in 1996. In 2002, the village won the East Cambs, Cambridgeshire and Calor England and Wales Village of the Year awards.
The village has had a variety of businesses throughout its history. For example, it was once well known for its fruit growing, has produced cheese and manufactured road sweepers. It also continues to host a monthly auction of construction and agricultural equipment that is the largest of its kind in Europe.
[edit] Village amenities
Currently the village has a One Stop, a pharmacy, two hairdressers, a tea and gift shop, an Indian restaurant and take-away, a Chinese take-away and chip shop and a family run garage. There is also a GP surgery. Bus services link the village to Ely and Cambridge to the south and March to the north. The Glebe provides a range of meeting rooms used by local community groups as well as being the location of the Parish Office.
[edit] Sports and recreation
The village has a cricket club and a bowls club each with their own facilities. The Parish Council provides playing fields and an adjacent pavilion used by local football teams as well as a recreation ground elsewhere in the village.
[edit] Wider parish
Sutton Gault (Bury Lane) is a part of the parish of Sutton-in-the-Isle. The name derives from the gault clay that has been extracted from there. It comprises a few houses and farms and an inn, "The Anchor". The Old Bedford River and New Bedford River pass through Sutton Gault. The land between them, known as the Ouse Washes, often floods and forms part of an internationally important wetland habitat.
The Americas, also known as The America or just America is another part of the parish. Although it is treated as a separate settlement from the village of Sutton-in-the-Isle on some maps, most residents consider it part of the village and the equivalent of a street name. So far the origins of the name remain a mystery. It is known to have had its name since at least 1881 as it is mentioned in the census of that year, although the name could be much older.
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Sutton-in-the-Isle |
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