Fletton, Peterborough

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Fletton is a residential area and electoral ward of the city of Peterborough, Cambridgeshire in the United Kingdom. For parliamentary purposes it falls within North West Cambridgeshire constituency. The area is home to League One Peterborough United F.C., known as The Posh, who play at London Road Stadium.

Lying south of the River Nene, the area was historically part of Huntingdonshire (although not the present district of that name), rather than the Soke of Peterborough in Northamptonshire. It was divided into Old Fletton, which prior to the Local Government Act 1972 formed a separate town with its own council (Old Fletton Urban District) and New Fletton, which was administered as part of Peterborough Municipal Borough. Some maps still show New Fletton (on the south bank of the river) as well as Old Fletton (further to the south) with the boundary at Fletton Spring, which rises to the west near Celta Road.

The parish church, which is situated on Fletton Avenue, is dedicated to Saint Margaret.^[1]^[2] Although in the Diocese of Ely, it has now been placed under the pastoral care of the Bishop of Peterborough, acting as Assistant Bishop in the Diocese of Ely.^[3]^[4] Old Fletton County Primary School is located in the area; secondary pupils attend nearby Stanground College.

The sub-soil is Oxford Clay, the character of which led to the establishment of large brickworks. The area gave its name to the Fletton Brick Company and to Fletton Brick in the nineteenth century, when a large area of land was auctioned off to investors; this eventually became the London Brick Company, now owned by Hanson Plc. The dominance of London Brick in the market during this period gave rise to some of the country's most well known landmarks, all built using the ubiquitous Fletton.^[5] During the 1950s the requirement for workers in the brick industry was far greater than that available locally and many Italians, initially housed in the old prisoner of war camps and in barracks and hostels belonging to the company, were recruited in the southern regions of Puglia and Campania.

By 1960 approximately 3,000 Italian men were employed by London Brick, mostly at the Fletton works.^[6] Very soon after the first men had arrived, they were followed by around 2,000 Italian women, some of whom worked alongside the men, whilst others worked in sectors such as clothing, rubber, ceramics, food processing, agriculture and the NHS. Consequently Fletton has a significant Italian population today. The Fleet complex has been managed by the Italian Community Association since it opened in 1985.^[7]