Over, Cambridgeshire

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Over is a large village near the River Great Ouse in the English county of Cambridgeshire.

It is ten miles east of the town of Huntingdon and is also ten miles northwest from the City of Cambridge. Some say its name derives from the fact that to get to it travellers had to go over the fens to reach it, while others believe it may come from an old English word meaning "on the banks of the river".

In recent years, Over has expanded rapidly, with the inclusion of several housing estates, a Community and Conference Centre and modern sporting facilities. Because of its proximity to both Cambridge and Huntingdon, it is a popular choice for commuters.

Over contains all the basic village facilities, including a Primary School, Post Office, two Public Houses (The Admiral Vernon and The Exhibition), Community Centre, and St. Mary's Church.

In total, Over parish covers an area of approximately 2,535 acres. Originally there were two separate settlements, one of which was situated around the St Mary's Parish Church area, the other was at what is now the south-east part of the High Street.

The date is not known exactly, but a fire spread across a row of old thatched cottages on the north side of the High Street in the early to mid-Victorian period. These were replaced by the larger brick Victorian houses.

Many of the buildings in Over are old and historical. The Town Hall has the Latin date MDCCCXLIX (1849), possibly showing its date of construction. St Mary's Church is made almost entirely of stone brought in from local villages and has carvings and designs of a 14th-century style, including flower-ball carvings and gargoyles representing birds and beasts. The fact that St. Mary's church is highly decorative, unlike many other Fenland churches, demonstrates the wealth of the village at the time. This may be because of its proximity to the Great River Ouse. This would have allowed significant trading to be done within the village and the creation of local wealth.