OS grid reference TL484750 Shire county Cambridgeshire Country England Zip code 74578 Local time Sunday 5:51 PM | District East Cambridgeshire Region East Sovereign state United Kingdom Population 2,756 (2013) | |
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Weather 14°C, Wind NE at 14 km/h, 96% Humidity Colleges and Universities Eastern Oklahoma State College, Kiamichi Technology Center | ||
Wilburton is a small village of just over 1,000 inhabitants, situated in Cambridgeshire, England. It is 6 miles south west of Ely. While nominally an agricultural village, many of the inhabitants work in Cambridge, Ely or London.
Contents
Map of Wilburton, OK 74578, USA
History
Wilburton is a parish of around 800 acres lying on the important medieval route from Earith to Stretham, and extending south to the River Great Ouse. As much of the land in the region is fenland, the village's position on the ridge between Stretham and Haddenham at the southern end of the Isle of Ely was important in its growth and success. Listed as Wilburhtun in 970 and Wilbertone in the Domesday Book, the name "Wilburton" means "Farmstead or village of a woman called Wilburh".
The village contains a number of old buildings, and was described in the 19th century as "very neat and contains some excellent houses". These include the Burystead (the former manor house, built c.1600), one of the few surviving half-timbered houses in the region, and the Victoria Place row of cottages. For the last few hundred years, the Pell family were the prominent local landowners, sponsoring the Ely and St Ives Railway in the late 19th century. Wilburton railway station, built in 1866, has been open for goods trains only since 1931.
Church
The parish church, dedicated to St Peter consists of a chancel, north vestry and organ chamber, a nave, north chapel, south porch, and west tower. The chancel arch and tower date from the 13th century and the extensive rebuilding in the second half of the 15th century produced the chancel, vestry, nave, and porch. The organ chamber and north chapel were added in the late 19th century. The three-storey tower contains five bells, all dating from the 17th century.
Village life
Their village is home to an Elizabethan manor house, a shop, and a garden centre. There is one public house, The King's Head. There is also a hall called St Peter's Hall that is used for events by the local community, such as school plays, wedding receptions, and after-school clubs. Adjoining St Peter's Hall is a social club. The village holds a fireworks display around Guy Fawkes night and two annual beer festivals.
Wilburton is home to two amateur football teams, Wilburton Blades and Wilburton Albion. Haddenham Harlequins were originally based in nearby Haddenham, before moving to Wilburton, renaming themselves Wilburton F.C., and then folding in 2012.