|
The Origins of Godmanchester, Huntingdonshire
Godmanchester is a small town on the River Great Ouse in
the Huntingdonshire district of Cambridgeshire county.
It owes its name and origin to the Roman occupation of
Britain. The settlement was at the crossroads of two
Roman roads, one of which (Ermine Street) was utilized
by the Roman army in the crossing of the Ouse. River
crossings were carefully guarded by Roman armies and
commerce was an important by-product of the fortified
city. Excavations of Godmanchester's city centre have
revealed an ancient basillica (town hall), a mansio
(inn), a temple and bath house. These findings reflect
the settlement's past importance in the Roman culture.
In the third century, the Roman settlement was pillaged
by Anglo-Saxons who built up the town of Huntingdon into
a fortified Scandinavian city on the north side of the
Ouse. It soon became the dominant city with the
prominent market. By the fifth century, Godmanchester
was a self-governed manor held by the King. Many cities
who had involved landlords went through radical planning
and redesigning. This would allow for the central
location of markets and services for the community.
Godmanchester had no such redesign, being locally
administered by a committee. Yet it prospered.
Chartered by King John in 1212, it is said that he "bade
them use well their ploughs" when he left the area to
his tenants. The people of Godmanchester had grown
accustomed to visits by the Monarchs due to the town's
location between London and York. In 1603, King James I
came through Godmanchester and was greeted by 70 teams
of horses and their ploughs. When James later rewrote
the city charter, he excluded the requisition of horses
by the King, most probably due to his memory of his
visit the year prior.
The sixteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth centuries
brought about terrific building. Conservation over the
later centuries has preserved many of these buildings
and homes. Today, 130 of these buildings are cited for
architectural interest, many of them Tudor in size and
style. Tours of many of the buildings are available to
the historically minded.
Two bridges ford the River Great Ouse over to
Huntingdon: One, a medieval arched bridge made of stone,
the second a modern high level bridge carrying the A14
to Cambridge. A third bridge crosses a tributary of the
Ouse, known as Mill Pond, leading to Portholme,
England's largest meadow. The bridge is built in the
Chinese Chippendale style in 1827 to the specifications
of architect James Gallier. The original bridge fell
into disrepair and was replaced in 1960. A second
reproduction was crafted and set into place in February
of 2010.
Copyright Friends of Godmanchester 2010 |
