Covington, Cambridgeshire
| Covington | |
 Covington Church |
|
  Covington |
|
| Population | 120 [1] |
|---|---|
| OS grid reference | TL056717 |
| – London | 58 miles (93 km) |
| District | Huntingdonshire |
| Shire county | Cambridgeshire |
| Region | East |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Huntingdon |
| Postcode district | PE28 |
| Dialling code | 01480 |
| Police | Cambridgeshire |
| Fire | Cambridgeshire |
| Ambulance | East of England |
| EU Parliament | East of England |
| UK Parliament | Huntingdon |
|
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Coordinates: 52°20′N 0°27′W / 52.33°N 0.45°W
Covington is a village and civil parish in Cambridgeshire, England.[2] Covington lies approximately 10 miles (16 km) west of Huntingdon near to Catworth and close to the county borders with both Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire. Covington is situated within Huntingdonshire which is a non-metropolitan district of Cambridgeshire as well as being a historic county of England. Covington (OE:Copp-ing-tun - The High Pasture Enclosures). The civil parish covers an area of 1,294 acres (524 hectares).
History
Covington (or Covingtune as it was then called) in the Leightonstone hundred was listed in the Domesday Book of 1086. At that time the village had 18 households and the lands belonged to a "Roger of Ivry".[3] The Domesday Book does not mention a church at Covington.
The inclosure of open fields took place in 1801.
Government
Covington does not have a parish council but holds an annual parish meeting.
Covington was in the historic and administrative county of Huntingdonshire until 1965. From 1965, the village was part of the new administrative county of Huntingdon and Peterborough. Then in 1974, following the Local Government Act 1972, Covington became a part of the county of Cambridgeshire. Covington is a part of the district ward of Kimbolton and Staughton for Huntingdonshire District Council[4] and is represented on the district council by one councillor.[5] Covington is a part of the electoral division of Brampton and Kimbolton for Cambridgeshire County Council[4] and is represented on the county council by one councillor.[6]
At Westminster, Covington is in the parliamentary constituency of Huntingdon,[4] and is represented in the House of Commons by Jonathan Djanogly (Conservative). Jonathan Djanogly has represented the constituency since 2001. The previous member of parliament was John Major (Conservative) who represented the constituency between 1983 and 2001. For the European Parliament Covington is in the East of England (European Parliament constituency).
Geography
The village and parish lies on a bedrock of Oxford clay from the Jurassic period[7] The land in the north of the parish is characterised as Oadby Member Diamicton, from the Quaternary period, with rocks formed during Ice Age conditions by glaciers scouring the land.[7]
The village lies between 140 feet (43 m) and 260 feet (79 m) above sea level. Most of the village is on the south side of a ridge, over looking the valley of the river Kym. Covington is about 2 miles (3.2 km) to the south of Junction 16 of the A14 road that runs from the Port of Felixstowe to the Catthorpe Interchange, Leicestershire.
 |
Clopton | Hargrave | Brington and Molesworth | |
| Bythorn and Keyston |  |
Catworth | ||
| ||||
 | ||||
| Dean and Shelton | Dean and Shelton | Tilbrook |
Demography
The population of Covington between 1801 and 1901 ranged from 104 to 162.
| Village |
1911 |
1921 |
1931 |
1951 |
1961 |
1991 |
2001 |
2011 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Covington | 113 | 109 | 82 | 90 | 92 | 83 | 90 | 120 |
Census: Covington 1801–1961[8] Census: Covington 1951, 1971, 1991[9] Population Estimates: Covington 2001–2011[1]
Culture and Community
The former Victorian school house which was built in 1876 closed in 1920; it is now used as the Village Hall. The thatched 17th Century Red Cow ale house closed as a public house in 1989; it is now a private residence.
Landmarks
Boring Field
The highest point of the historic county of Huntingdonshire, known as Boring Field, is within the Parish, although the ground continues to rise as it goes into Northamptonshire. The high point some 80 metres (260 ft) above sea level is located at TL04937127, and is the lowest county top of the historic counties of England.[10] Visiting this lowest historic county top, near Three Shires farm is of interest to participants in the sport of Hill bagging and Highpointing.[11]
Transport
Just to the north of the village, a railway line from Kettering to Huntingdon was built in 1866 and rail services were run between Kettering and Cambridge from 1882 until 1959, after which the railway was dismantled.[12] The Three Shires Way, a long distance path from Grafham Water to Salcey Forest, passes through Covington.
Religious Sites
The Anglican church at Covington is dedicated to All Saints and is a Grade II listed building. The church is in the deanery of Huntingdon in the diocese of Ely. There was no mention of a church in Covington in the Domesday Book, but by the end of the 12th Century a stone church had been built on the present site. The chancel was built c.1300 and the tower was added in the 14th century and altered c.1500. The church was restored in 1882-3.[13] It is possible that the church was originally dedicated to St Margaret and subsequently dedicated to All Saints.[14] In 2014 the original three bells in the church tower were restored and re-hung; a fourth bell was added.[15]
References
- 1 2 "Cambridgeshire Population Estimates". Cambridgeshire Insight. Retrieved 17 December 2015.
- ↑ Ordnance Survey: Landranger map sheet 153 Bedford & Huntingdon (St Neots & Biggleswade) (Map). Ordnance Survey. 2013. ISBN 9780319231722.
- ↑ "Domesday Book". Open Domesday. Retrieved 15 December 2015.
- 1 2 3 "Ordnance Survey Election Maps". www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk. Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 4 February 2016.
- ↑ "Huntingdonshire District Council: Councillors". www.huntsdc.gov.uk. Huntingdonshire District Council. Retrieved 4 February 2016.
- ↑ "Cambridgeshire County Council: Councillors" (pdf). www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk. Cambridgeshire County Council. Retrieved 4 February 2016.
- 1 2 "BGS: Geology Viewer". British Geological Survey. Retrieved 17 December 2015.
- ↑ "Covington Civil Parish". Vision of Britain. Retrieved 17 December 2015.
- ↑ "Genuki: Covington, Huntingdonshire". GENUKI. Retrieved 17 December 2015.
- ↑ Muir, Jonny (2011). The UK's County Tops: Reaching the top of 91 historic counties. Cicerone. p. 68. ISBN 9781849655538.
- ↑ Simon Edwardes (2001). "Boring Field". The Mountains of England and Wales. Retrieved 20 April 2014.
- ↑ "Railways to Cambridge". Cambridge Branch Lines. Retrieved 17 December 2015.
- ↑ "Parishes: Covington: A History of the County of Huntingdon". British History Online. Retrieved 17 December 2015.
- ↑ "A guide to the history of Covington Church" (PDF). Covington Village web site. Retrieved 17 December 2015.
- ↑ "Bell Restoration Project". Covington village web site. Retrieved 17 December 2015.
External links
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