Parson Drove
| Parson Drove | |
 The Cage, Parson Drove. |
|
  Parson Drove |
|
| OS grid reference | TF370085 |
|---|---|
| Shire county | Cambridgeshire |
| Region | East |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| EU Parliament | East of England |
|
|
Coordinates: 52°40′N 0°02′E / 52.66°N 0.03°E
Parson Drove is a village in the Fens, in Cambridgeshire, England. Located approximately 7 miles (11 km) west of Wisbech, the nearest town, the village is named after the central road around which the village developed, formerly a green drove wider than it is now.
Other nearby towns include Peterborough, 19 miles to the west, and King's Lynn, 21 miles to the east.
History
The area was originally farmed by the Romans, who left evidence of their presence in several places throughout Parson Drove and the surrounding parish.
Parson Drove was mentioned in the Domesday Book.
Samuel Pepys wrote about Parson Drove in his diaries in 1663, describing it as a "heathen place" where he stayed on 17 and 18 September, and apparently had his horse stolen.
Historical buildings
The Drove has many buildings dating from the 16th century, 10 of which are Grade II Listed Buildings. The village has three pubs, including The Swan Inn, in which Pepys stayed in the 17th century. The village has three churches, two of which are historically interesting:
- The Emmanuel Church (also called the "New Church") dates from 1873 and contains chandeliers originally from St Paul's Cathedral
- St John the Baptist (also called the "Old Church") dates from the 12th century, and includes additions and renovations from the 14th, 15th, and 17th centuries. It is a Grade II* listed building,[1] and is under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust.[2]
The Cage was built in 1829 as a village lock-up for local criminals and stray livestock and housed the village fire pump for nearly 100 years.
The last working woad mill in Britain was in Parson Drove,[3] and didn't close until 1910. It stood opposite St John the Baptist's church.
Sport
The local football club, Parson Drove F.C., played in the Peterborough & District League.
References
- ↑ Historic England, "Church of St John the Baptist, Parson Drove (1331998)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 20 December 2013
- ↑ Church of St John the Baptist, Parson Drove, Cambridgeshire, Churches Conservation Trust, retrieved 25 March 2011
- ↑ http://www.woad.org.uk/html/woad_mills.html
- ^ http://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/38D0C6DE-5558-4EED-B2D3-2F08CC02F751/0/ParsonDrove.pdf
- ^ http://www.parsondrove-pc.org.uk/
External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Parson Drove. |
- The Parson Drove village website: http://www.parsondrove-pc.org.uk/
- The Wisbech St Mary parish website: http://www.wisbechstmary.org.uk/
- http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=21917
- http://geodaisy.com/place/parsondrove.html