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Potton
Potton is a town and civil parish in the Central Bedfordshire district of Bedfordshire, England, about 10 miles (16 km) east of the county town Bedford. The parish, which includes the hamlet of Deepdale, had a population of 5,728 in 2021. In 1783 the Great Fire of Potton destroyed a large part of the town. The parish church dates from the 13th century, and is dedicated to St Mary. Potton's horse fairs were some of the largest in the country.
The village's name was spelled Pottun in 960 and Potone in the 1086 Domesday Book. It is derived from the Old English for "farmstead where pots are made".
Evidence of early-middle Iron Age settlement in the form of ditches, a pit and sherds of pottery was found in 2009 by archaeologists at Vicarage Farm off the B1042 Gamlingay Road. The parish of Potton underwent parliamentary inclosure twice - once in 1775, and again in 1832.
Potton was granted a market charter by William II in 1094. Potton's market was one of the largest in Bedfordshire in the Tudor and Stuart periods, but declined after the Great Fire in 1783. Corn and straw plait were the principal goods in 1831.
A fair was granted by Henry II in 1227. In 1831, fairs were held in January, April, July and October. The town's horse fairs were some of the largest in the country, until they ended in 1932.
The Shambles provided folding market stalls in the town square before brick buildings were put in place by Samuel Whitbread, the lord of the manor, in 1797. They became dilapidated in the 1930s and were demolished after the Second World War. A new library was built in their place, incorporating the old clock from the Shambles with illuminated dials and bell. The library building is called Clock House and was opened on 23 July 1956. It serves as a focal point in the centre of the market square. In spring 2006, the clock mechanism was replaced with an automatic winding system costing £3,000.
The Great Fire of Potton started in a stack of clover in a field in the area of what is now Spencer Close, in 1783. King Street, half the Market Square and some of the Brook End area were destroyed. It was reported to have burned for a day. Local people raised £6,000 to help those most in need.[citation needed] The 13th-century parish church, St Mary's, survived. Rebuilding after the fire has left the town with a number of Georgian buildings.
The Sandy and Potton Railway, also known as Captain Peel's Railway, opened on 9 November 1857. It was established by William Peel, who resided at The Lodge. When the Great Northern Railway came to Sandy in 1850, Peel had a branch line built to his estate and on to Potton. The railway's locomotive was named Shannon, after the frigate Captain Peel was commanding. He never saw his railway; he died of smallpox on 22 April 1858 in India. The engine itself is in the collection of the National Railway Museum and is currently housed at Didcot Railway Centre. The Potton Barbershop Harmony Club named its male chorus 'Shannon Express' after the locomotive.
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Potton AI simulator
(@Potton_simulator)
Potton
Potton is a town and civil parish in the Central Bedfordshire district of Bedfordshire, England, about 10 miles (16 km) east of the county town Bedford. The parish, which includes the hamlet of Deepdale, had a population of 5,728 in 2021. In 1783 the Great Fire of Potton destroyed a large part of the town. The parish church dates from the 13th century, and is dedicated to St Mary. Potton's horse fairs were some of the largest in the country.
The village's name was spelled Pottun in 960 and Potone in the 1086 Domesday Book. It is derived from the Old English for "farmstead where pots are made".
Evidence of early-middle Iron Age settlement in the form of ditches, a pit and sherds of pottery was found in 2009 by archaeologists at Vicarage Farm off the B1042 Gamlingay Road. The parish of Potton underwent parliamentary inclosure twice - once in 1775, and again in 1832.
Potton was granted a market charter by William II in 1094. Potton's market was one of the largest in Bedfordshire in the Tudor and Stuart periods, but declined after the Great Fire in 1783. Corn and straw plait were the principal goods in 1831.
A fair was granted by Henry II in 1227. In 1831, fairs were held in January, April, July and October. The town's horse fairs were some of the largest in the country, until they ended in 1932.
The Shambles provided folding market stalls in the town square before brick buildings were put in place by Samuel Whitbread, the lord of the manor, in 1797. They became dilapidated in the 1930s and were demolished after the Second World War. A new library was built in their place, incorporating the old clock from the Shambles with illuminated dials and bell. The library building is called Clock House and was opened on 23 July 1956. It serves as a focal point in the centre of the market square. In spring 2006, the clock mechanism was replaced with an automatic winding system costing £3,000.
The Great Fire of Potton started in a stack of clover in a field in the area of what is now Spencer Close, in 1783. King Street, half the Market Square and some of the Brook End area were destroyed. It was reported to have burned for a day. Local people raised £6,000 to help those most in need.[citation needed] The 13th-century parish church, St Mary's, survived. Rebuilding after the fire has left the town with a number of Georgian buildings.
The Sandy and Potton Railway, also known as Captain Peel's Railway, opened on 9 November 1857. It was established by William Peel, who resided at The Lodge. When the Great Northern Railway came to Sandy in 1850, Peel had a branch line built to his estate and on to Potton. The railway's locomotive was named Shannon, after the frigate Captain Peel was commanding. He never saw his railway; he died of smallpox on 22 April 1858 in India. The engine itself is in the collection of the National Railway Museum and is currently housed at Didcot Railway Centre. The Potton Barbershop Harmony Club named its male chorus 'Shannon Express' after the locomotive.