End of an Era

28/09/1963

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This Saturday was a day so many people did not want to happen - it was the last day the market would be held in the city centre. A weekly event since the twelfth century, it was now to be no more. Peterborians lamented that it was just not the same. A common complaint was that 'they' - the council - had 'transplanted the heart of the city and dumped it in Cattle Market Road'. Predictably, the younger generation had a different view: they thought it was a good move. There were all the mod cons and, best of all, it was covered and therefore dry. (Harper-Tee, John, 'The Peterborough Story', Peterborough Evening Telegraph, 1992)

Taken from The Peterborough Book of Days by Brian Jones, The History Press, 2014.

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Milton Hall and the Jedburghs

1943

Information

Built towards the end of the 16^th century, Milton Hall is the largest private house in Peterborough. Once home to the Fitzwilliam family, it is now resided in by the Naylor Leyland family who inherited it from the 10^th Earl.

The Hall was used by the military during both world wars, a hospital being established in World War I and initially in World War II, the Czech army occupied part of the house and stable block.

In December 1943, 300 volunteers from the Special Operations Executive (SOE) were brought together and trained at Milton Hall. From there they were sent to join small teams to arm, train and co-ordinate foreign resistance fighters in preparation for the D-Day landings in Normandy in May and June 1944. Codenamed the Jedburghs, the volunteers came from army forces based in Britain, France and America with small contingents coming from Holland, Belgium and Canada. Between D-Day and VE Day they carried out 101 operations in Europe.

In May 1996 surviving members attended a special service at Peterborough Cathedral where a memorial plaque was unveiled to commemorate the 37 men who lost their lives during operations in Europe and the Far East.

Reference:

Peterborough Evening Telegraph, 22/02/1996. Peterborough Archives

Burghley House

1555-1587

Information

Burghley House was built by William Cecil, later Lord Burghley, Elizabeth I's Secretary of State and closest adviser. It was originally designed in the shape of an 'E' to honour the queen, although she was never to visit. However, Queen Victoria was one of many high-profile visitors to the house and she planted a tree in the family's personal gardens at the back of the house. The gardens and park of Burghley House were laid out by Lancelot 'Capability' Brown in the 18th century, in line with many great houses of the time.

William Cecil's descendants still live in the house and hold the Burghley Horse Trials every September, which have been running since 1961.

Buildings , Burghley , William Cecil , Lord Burghley , Burghley Horse Trials , Queen Victoria

Longthorpe Tower

1260

Information

A manor house was built by the Thorpe family in what is now known as Longthorpe in about 1250-1270, probably by the second William of Thorpe. The tower was a later addition built about 1290-1300 by Robert Thorpe, a lawyer. At the time it was a great status symbol. It is now most noted for its 14^th century wall paintings, the best preserved medieval wall paintings in a domestic setting in Europe. These paintings show heraldic images, pictures of the birds and animals and images of people doing everyday tasks as well as religious and mystical subjects. These include the 'Seven Ages of Man', the 'Three Dead Kings and Three Living Kings', the 'Wheel of the Senses' and the 'Bonnacon' a mystical best who shoots flaming excrement.

Buildings , Art , Longthorpe Tower , Longthorpe , Medieval

The Guildhall Completed

1671

Information

The Guildhall, also known as the Buttercross or Chamber Over the Cross, was built to commemorate the restoration of the monarchy and was paid for by public subscription. It was built by local builder John Lovin, who was partly paid by the minting of an octagonal Peterborough halfpenny.

Many local influential families subscribed to the building of the Guildhall and several coats of arms can be seen on the side of the building. Peterborough Museum houses a turtle shell decorated with the arms of Sir Humphrey Orme, MP and owner of Neville Place (the site of the present museum). It is said that Sir Humphrey supplied the turtle for soup eaten to celebrate its completion.

Buildings , Guildhall , Buttercross , Orme , Sir Humphrey Orme , John Lovin

Etton Sheela Na Gig

1100-1200

Information

St Stephen’s church is in Etton, close to Glinton. The church itself dates from the thirteenth century, although there was an earlier building on the site. However, resting high at the top of the tower, just below the spire, is a figure that is likely to be older and relate to the earlier church. Most of the figures and imagery on the church are traditional heads and stylistic flora and fauna, however there is a figure of a woman lying on her side which looks completely incongruous to the location. The woman is what is known as a Sheela Na Gig, a woman drawing attention to her reproductive organs, and is likely to have been a fertility symbol. Sheela Na Gigs are common in Ireland, but also appear in England with a few in Spain and France. Some appear to be associated with childbirth, others to sex and fertility. What is curious about the figure is that she is missing the top of her head, strongly suggesting that she was reused or resituated; many Sheela Na Gigs appear high up in churches suggesting that they were moved to be hidden from view and that the once tolerated statue was resigned to obscurity when tastes changed. A great number of churches display figures with their genitals on show, but the Sheela Na Gig is a more unusual find and the Etton Sheela Na Gig is a wonderful example. The closest example of other Sheela Na Gigs is Ely Cathedral.

Buildings , Art

Fairfax House Lived in by Fairfaxes

1400-1505

Information

Fairfax House sits at the foot of the bridge linking Deeping Gate and Deeping St James. It was once home to the Fairfax or Fayrfax family who were very well-known and influential family but have been mostly lost to obscurity in the area.

The Fairfaxes, so Reverend W. D. Sweeting claimed, originally came from Yorkshire in the early fifteenth century, with the last known Fairfax, William, dying in 1505. They lived in Fairfax Hall in Deeping Gate at the foot of the Deeping Gate bridge and were friends with Margaret Beauchamp of Maxey Castle, the St John family of Thorpe Hall fame and Brownes of Stamford. The most famous member of the family was composer Robert Fayrfax who was a favourite of both Henry VII and VIII and is fortunate to have his work collected in the Eton Choirbook.

The hall was built on the site of the Chapel of the Blessed Virgin Mary which had been on the site in the fourteenth century. The current house dates from the mid-seventeenth century, which means it was built after the Fairfaxes left Deeping. It is a handsome stone building with grade II listed status. The family name was also used for the nearby road Fairfax Way.

Source:

Maxey Church and Parish, Rev D. W . Sweeting, 1899 http://www.maxeychurch.co.uk/SweetingMaxey1899.pdf

Buildings , Bridge

Cumbergate Workhouse Created

1721

Information

In 1721 a house that had been built by wool merchants was bought by the town Feoffees to be used as a workhouse. The house in question is on Cumbergate, which was the centre of the wool industry in Peterborough, and now sits next to the entrance to Queensgate. It is listed as 'The Almsrooms' on the British Listed Buildings website but was known recently for many years as Burghley Academy.

The house has been dated to the fifteenth century, making it one of the oldest timber-framed buildings in the city. It was converted in 1721 to make it suitable as a workhouse, with cell-like rooms over three floors.

In Edwardian times the building was converted from a workhouse into almshouses along with the construction of Miss Pear’s Almshouses. The north eastern extension was supposedly added and dormer windows removed as well as others replaced. The current rooms of the building reflect the separate living quarters of the inhabitants, but they were further renovated in the late 20th century. The Peterborough Town Plan Map from 1886 shows two long rows of small houses running out from the back of the main house culminating in a little courtyard area. Most of this has been lost, but it is still a splendid building with many original features worth viewing.

Buildings

Freemasons' Lodge Meets Above Gateway

1802

Information

St Peter’s Lodge Freemasons group was first recorded in 1802. Members met in a variety of locations in the city, as was common with groups at that time; their first meeting place was the Angel Inn on Bridge Street. In 1820 a change of venue was recorded, and St Peter’s Lodge began meeting in a ‘Private Room over the Minster Gateway’. The room was used as a chapel and school amongst other uses over the years. By 1822 the lodge was meeting at the Windmill Inn a short distance away on the Market Place, now Cathedral Square. No doubt the ability to acquire a short draught of ale was an attractive addition to their new meeting place. The lodge is believed to have continued until 1834, and a new lodge of the same name was founded in 1836 in the same location. The new St Peter’s Lodge was in existence until 1863.

Reference

Lane's Masonic Records, version 1.0 (<http://www.hrionline.ac.uk/lane>, October 2011).
Published by HRI Online Publications, ISBN 978-0-955-7876-8-3

Buildings , Freemasons , Gateway

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End of an Era

28/09/1963

Information

Milton Hall and the Jedburghs

1943

Information

Burghley House

1555-1587

Information

Longthorpe Tower

1260

Information

The Guildhall Completed

1671

Information

Etton Sheela Na Gig

1100-1200

Information

Fairfax House Lived in by Fairfaxes

1400-1505

Information

Cumbergate Workhouse Created

1721

Information

Freemasons' Lodge Meets Above Gateway

1802

Information

Milton Hall and the Jedburghs

Burghley House

Longthorpe Tower

The Guildhall Completed

Etton Sheela Na Gig

Fairfax House Lived in by F…

Cumbergate Workhouse Created

Freemasons' Lodge Meets Abo…

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End of an Era

28/09/1963

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1943

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1555-1587

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1260

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The Guildhall Completed

1671

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Etton Sheela Na Gig

1100-1200

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Fairfax House Lived in by Fairfaxes

1400-1505

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Cumbergate Workhouse Created

1721

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Freemasons' Lodge Meets Above Gateway

1802

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Milton Hall and the Jedburghs

Burghley House

Longthorpe Tower

The Guildhall Completed

Etton Sheela Na Gig

Fairfax House Lived in by F…

Cumbergate Workhouse Created

Freemasons' Lodge Meets Abo…