Christchurch - History Notes
Where to find Christchurch, Cambridgeshire, U.K.
Before the church was built, the village was called "Brimstone Hill" after the Brimstone butterfly which
is found in the area - according to local legend.
From Kelly's 1883 Directory of Cambridgeshire:
"Christ Church is an ecclesiastical parish of Upwell, in the Isle of Ely, 4 miles south from the mother
church, and 3 east from Stonea station of the Great Eastern railway; the church is a cruciform building
of brick, with coloured facings, consisting of chancel, chancel aisles, nave, transepts, and bell turret
with one bell: there are two small stained east windows.
The register dates from the year 1866. The living is a rectory, gross yearly value £1,591 7s 2d, with 6
acres of glebe and residence, in the gift of Charles Watson Townley,esq. and held since 1862 by the
Rev. George Metcalfe, M.A. of Clare College, Cambridge.
The population of Christchurch ecclesiastical parish was 803.
EXMOOR (or Eusimoor, or Euximoor) is 4 1/2 miles south (of Upwell); Lakes End is 5 miles south;
Tips End, 5 miles south."
From Kelly's 1908 Directory of Cambridgeshire:
"The population in 1901 of Christchurch ecclesiastical parish was 840, there was a mixed Public
Elementary School which erected in 1865 with places for 150 children but the average attendance
was 113.
Benjamin R. Skyrme was the master and J.H. Haigh of March was correspondent for the committee.
The attendance officer was Samuel Dye of Tilney St. Lawrence, King's Lynn.
The Methodist Chapel
The Village Shop
Newscutting [+ transcription] about Christchurch, the village shop, and Euximoor; found in Australia after the death of an uncle
of my new CAWTHORN cousin, Bethel.
The Rectory & Dorothy L. Sayers
The Townley School
The Pubs!
Tips End Road - now known as Padgetts Road.
Upwell Road - a view into the village from the Dun Cow.
Example of a Carrier's Cart c.1909, as would have been used by my Gt Grandfather's cousin, William Matthew CAWTHORN,
to carry people from Welney, via Christchurch and Upwell, to Wisbech on Thursdays and Saturdays, as noted
in Kelly's 1908 Directory.
(Link courtesey of John Marfleet).
Christchurch Sports Day, 8 July 1920 - as reported in the Wisbech Standard, July 16, 1920.
Upwell & Outwell - so much of Christchurch's early history is tied up with Upwell through
the Beaupre family and the church.
Some of the illustrations used on the above pages come from a set of postcards c.1905, which were published by
my Great-Grandfather, John Cawthorn.
The earliest postmark is 1909 and if you wish to read the messages from the cards, click on the postcard link.
The rectory postcard appears to have been sent by the Rev. Townley's wife to her (?)sister in London.
June 2001 - 2 more early views of Christchurch can now be found on the Fenprint webpages.
Both are of Church Road - one by the church wall; the other opposite the village shop with "The Dun Cow" in the background.
Modern Day Christchurch now has a web site!
There is now a book about a neighbouring fenland village "Three Holes"
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This page created August 2000
& amended/updated 13:55 30/04/2009
