Colne, Cambridgeshire
| Colne | |
|---|---|
 Signpost in Colne | |
| OS grid reference | TL368754 |
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Huntingdon |
| Postcode district | PE28 |
| Dialling code | 01487 |
Colne is a village and civil parish in Cambridgeshire, England.[1] Colne lies approximately 9 miles (14 km) east of Huntingdon; the villages of Bluntisham, Woodhurst, and Somersham are close by. Colne is situated within Huntingdonshire which is a non-metropolitan district of Cambridgeshire as well as being a historic county of England.
Etymology
The village was known as Collen in the 13th century and Colneye in the 14th century.[2] The name is pronounced like "cone".
History
The manor of Colne appears in the Domesday Book.[3] A large medieval pond, as well as the remains of an 18th-century building, were found in an archaeological excavation at Manor Farm on East Street. The team also found evidence of early to post-medieval pottery and a late medieval animal burial, as well as a 19th-century shoe.[4]
The historical quarrel between Thomas de Lisle, the Bishop of Ely and Blanche of Lancaster, daughter of Henry, Earl of Lancaster, and widow of Thomas Wake of Lidell, arose about property in the village. It is likely that Blanche claimed a mesne lordship over Colne's La Leghe Manor. The Bishop disputed her claim and in 1354 he and his men burnt some houses in the Manor. In 1355 he had Blanche's servant, William de Holme, murdered in Somersham Wood. He was rebuked by Edward III for both crimes and ordered to beg for forgiveness. In retaliation, he appealed to the Pope, and had Blanche and several others excommunicated.[2]
Drurys Manor existed to the east of the old church, but it was demolished circa 1787, and nothing remains of the original building. A site to the west of the old church is likely to be the location of La Leghe Manor, destroyed at an earlier date. The Carter family, Lords of the Manor in the 17th century, are likely to have lived in the village.[2]
Colne suffered a ruinous fire in 1844, which destroyed many of its historic houses and buildings. Several 17th-century half-timbered houses and cottages survived, as did a late 16th-century house near the centre of the village.[2]
Government
As a civil parish, Colne has a parish council. The parish council is elected by the residents of the parish who have registered on the electoral roll; the parish council is the lowest tier of government in England. A parish council is responsible for providing and maintaining a variety of local services including allotments and a cemetery; grass cutting and tree planting within public open spaces such as a village green or playing fields . The parish council reviews all planning applications that might affect the parish and makes recommendations to Huntingdonshire District Council, which is the local planning authority for the parish. The parish council also represents the views of the parish on issues such as local transport, policing and the environment. The parish council raises its own tax to pay for these services, known as the parish precept, which is collected as part of the Council Tax. The parish council has nine councillors and normally meets on the last Tuesday of the month.[5]
Colne is a part of the district ward of Somersham for Huntingdonshire District Council[6] and is represented on the district council by two councillors.[7] Colne is a part of the electoral division of Somersham and Earith for Cambridgeshire County Council[6] and is represented on the county council by one councillor.[8]
At Westminster, Colne is in the parliamentary constituency of North West Cambridgeshire,[6] and is represented in the House of Commons by Shailesh Vara (Conservative). Shailesh Vara has represented the constituency since 2005. The previous member of parliament was Brian Mawhinney (Conservative) who represented the consituency between 1997 and 2005. For the European Parliament Colne is in the East of England (European Parliament constituency).
Community and culture
There are no shops in Colne, although there is a public house (The Green Man) and a village hall. The Bluntisham & Colne Women's Institute meets at the village hall once a month.[9]
The nearest primary school is St. Helen's in Bluntisham. The nearest shops and amenities are also in Bluntisham.
Religious sites
The ancient church of St Helen was built between the 13th and 15th centuries. Its walls were chiefly of stone and rubble, but parts of it were brick and the roof was tiled. The nave and aisle were covered with one continuous roof in 1807. On 24 April 1896 the tower fell and destroyed much of the church - the chancel, the aisle walls and the porch were all that survived. The old church was taken down and a new church was built on another site. The church had four bells, three from the 17th century and a later bell from the early 18th century. Three of the bells were removed in 1892, while the fourth fell with the tower, but was undamaged. The south porch is all that remains of the original structure.[2]
The modern St Helens church was built in 1900 and is a Grade II listed building.[10] The building of the new church incorporated rescued elements from the ancient church (including partially restored 13th and 14th century windows and some of the ancient stone). Colne is a chapelry annexed with Pidley.[2]
Near to the centre of the village is the Baptist Chapel built in 1870.[2] The Chapel is now defunct.
References
- ^ Ordnance Survey: Landranger map sheet 142 Peterborough (Market Deeping & Chatteris) (Map). Ordnance Survey. 2012. ISBN 9780319229248.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Parishes - Colne". British History Online. Retrieved 2 June 2013.
- ^ "Colne Domesday Book". Open Domesday: Colne. Retrieved 2 June 2013.
- ^ "Medieval Building Remains at Manor Farm, Colne, Cambridgeshire Evaluation" (PDF). Archaeology Data Service. June 2008. Retrieved 2 June 2013.
- ^ "Colne Parish Council: Councillors". Colne Parish Council. Retrieved 5 February 2016.
- ^ a b c "Ordnance Survey Election Maps". www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk. Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 4 February 2016.
- ^ "Huntingdonshire District Council: Councillors". www.huntsdc.gov.uk. Huntingdonshire District Council. Retrieved 4 February 2016.
- ^ "Cambridgeshire County Council: Councillors" (pdf). www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk. Cambridgeshire County Council. Retrieved 4 February 2016.
- ^ "Bluntisham & Colne Women's Institute". National Federation of Women's Institutes. Retrieved 2 June 2013.
- ^ "St Helen, Colne". A Church Near You. Retrieved 2 June 2013.
External links
