Parson Drove

Infobox UK place
official_name= Parson Drove
country= England
region= East of England
os_grid_reference= TF370085
latitude= 52.66
longitude= 0.03
post_town=
postcode_area=
postcode_district=
dial_code=
shire_county= Cambridgeshire
population=
hide_services= Yes

Parson Drove is a village in the Fens, in Cambridgeshire, England. Parson Drove is approximately convert|7|mi|0 west of Wisbech, the nearest town. Its population is about 1,030.ref|population. The village is increasingly used as a commuter suburb of London. Parson Drove is named for the central road around which the town grew up, formerly a green drove wider than it is now.

Other nearby towns include Peterborough, 19 miles to the west, and King's Lynn, 21 miles to the east.

History

The area was originally farmed by the Romans, who left evidence of their presence in several places throughout Parson Drove and the surrounding parish.

Parson Drove was mentioned in the Domesday Book.ref|domesday

Samuel Pepys wrote about Parson Drove in his diaries in 1663, describing it as a "heathen place" where he stayed on 17 and 18 September, and apparently had his horse stolen.

Historical buildings

The Drove has many buildings dating from the 16th century, 10 of which are Grade II Listed Buildings. The village has three pubs, including "The Swan Inn", in which Pepys stayed in the 17th century. The village has three churches, two of which are historically interesting:
* The Emmanuel Church (also called the "New Church") dates from 1873 and contains chandeliers originally from St Paul's Cathedral
* St John the Baptist (also called the "Old Church") dates from the 12th century, and includes additions and renovations from the 14th, 15th, and 17th centuries

The last working woad mill in Britain was in Parson Drove, and didn't close until 1910. It stood opposite St John the Baptist church.

References

# http://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/38D0C6DE-5558-4EED-B2D3-2F08CC02F751/0/ParsonDrove.pdf
# http://www.parsondrove-pc.org.uk/

External links

* The Parson Drove village website: http://www.parsondrove-pc.org.uk/
* The Wisbech St Mary parish website: http://www.wisbechstmary.org.uk/
* http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=21917
* http://geodaisy.com/place/parsondrove.html