Parson Drove

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Map sources for Parson Drove at grid reference TF370085

Parson Drove is a village in the Fens, in Cambridgeshire, England. Parson Drove is approximately 7 miles west of Wisbech, the nearest town. Its population is about 1,030.^[1]. The village is located at 52°39′25″N, 0°1′37″E. The village is increasingly used as a commuter suburb of London. Parson Drove is named for the central road around which the town grew up, 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.

1 History
- 1.1 Historical buildings
2 References
3 External links

[edit] 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.^[2]

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.

[edit] 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

The last working woad mill in Britain was in Parson Drove, and didn't close until 1910. It stood opposite St John the Baptist church.