Cottenham

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Cottenham

Coordinates: 52.2865° N 0.1244° E
Population	5,652 (2001)
OS grid reference	TL450675
District	South Cambridgeshire
Shire county	Cambridgeshire
Region	East
Constituent country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	CAMBRIDGE
Postcode district	CB24
Dial code	01954
Police	Cambridgeshire
Fire	Cambridgeshire
Ambulance	East of England
UK Parliament	South East Cambridgeshire
European Parliament	East of England
List of places: UK • England • Cambridgeshire

Cottenham is a village in Cambridgeshire. It is close to The Fens. Before the fens were drained in the 19th century Cottenham was on the last contour before the water logged marshes, with Ely being the nearest dry land to the north (some 20 miles away).

All Saints' Church, Cottenham

1 History
2 Village Amenities
3 Churches
4 Sport and Recreation
5 Legends
6 Famous Residents
7 See also
8 External links

[edit] History

Great Fire of Cottenham - 4 April 1850

The village of Cottenham fell victim to a great many fires over the centuries, but none so devastating as that which occurred on 4 April 1850.

Starting in the High Street around 8.30 in the evening, the flames spread rapidly and though there was no loss of human life "a vast quantity of poultry and pigeons and a good many pigs were destroyed." Forty to fifty cottages burnt down as well as the Black Horse and White Horse inns and the Wesleyan Chapel which was housed in a barn on what is now Telegraph Street.

Damage caused by the fire of 1850, seen from Lambs Lane Corner

The arsonist was believed to be one William Hayward, who was lodging at the Lamb Inn whilst doing casual labour for Thomas Graves on the boundary of whose property the fire had started. The landlord of the Lamb was quick to report that Hayward had said to him "I have been a match for old Graves ... damn and blast the fire: I wish it would burn half Cottenham down." Suspicions were fuelled the morning after the fire when the landlord woke to discover Hayward had left town.

A rather trumped up case was brought against Hayward for referral to the coming assizes but, presumably for want of hard evidence, the bill was ignored by the Grand Jury.

[edit] Village Amenities

Cottenham has a fairly wide range of amenities in the village, including:

Two GP Surgeries, a Dental Surgery, a Library, a Co-operative Store and Pharmacy, a Junior School & SecEd School (also serving Willingham & Waterbeach), two Newsagents, a Post Office, Cambridge Building Society,four Pubs (The Chequers, Hopbind, Jolly Millers & Wagon & Horses), a Chinese take-away & fish & chip shop, a Bangladeshi/Indian restaurant, a Butcher, a Baker, no Candlestick maker....but we do have two Hairdressers and a Beauty Salon (!), B & C Motors, VIP Bookmakers, Cambridge Cabinets, Hollandceramics, a couple of Carpet Shops, a Picture Framer, Fire Station, Scout Hut, Conservative Club, Central Garage & Filling Station, British Legion & Salvation Army, Smithy Fen lucky heather emporium and much much more....but please, if you are reading.....don't all flock here

[edit] Churches

Cottenham has 3 different churches in the village, All Saints Anglican Church, Baptist and Methodist

[edit] Sport and Recreation

Cottenham has a King George's Field in memorial to King George V

Cottenham United Football Club play on the King George V Playing Fields, the club has boys and girls teams from U'7s up to Senior level. The Senior team have been constant competitors in the Kershaw Premier League (Top level of Amateur football in England) finishing 3rd in 2005/06

There is a successful cricket club playing on the fields in the summer months with both youth and adult teams. Cottenham does have a social rugby team for older generations who just want to play the game, called the Cottenham Rengades playing at Cottenham Village College.

Also at the King George Playing Fields is an outdoor bowling green

The Village college does provide facilites of a gym, sports hall and outdoor swimming pool with extensive field facilities for the community. Tennis courts and outside 5-aside courts get regular use by the public also.

The village is also home to Carters Gym off the village green.

[edit] Legends

The church sits at the end of this long village, and according to local legend and tradition has a strange tale attached to it. The villagers of times gone by wanted to build the church in a more centralised part of the community. The townsmen started the task, but it was said that the stones mysteriously started being transported back to their original site, so afraid, the locals decided to leave the church where originally intended.

[edit] Famous Residents

The Grandmother of Samuel Pepys (famous poet from the Fire of London) lived in Cottenham, the house in the northern area of the village can still be identified with a plaque