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Historical lnformation Plaques for Burwell (Note: This page is not up to date)
Several years ago, Burwell History Society came up with the idea
of marking the important historical sites in our village that are in
danger of being lost or forgotten.
At the same time the society was updating and repackaging a
book of village walks.
They took the idea of the plaques to the Parish Council at about
the same time as an application for funding for the walks books.
The Parish Council agreed to fund the books on the
understanding that proceeds from sales would finance the
plaques and other small conservation projects in Burwell
So far, we have sited 5 plaques:
The first plaque was the one we considered the most
important. lt marks the spot of the Barn Fire of 1727
which resulted in the deaths of 80 people, mostly children.The plaque was unveiled by Mike Pike who first began writing the walks books that funded the project. People of Burwell showed their respect for the victims by parading down to the churchyard where a special service was held by the mass burial site.
Plaque number two was sited on the Old Lock-up,
where village offenders were held ovemight until
they could be taken before the magistrates. This is
now a builder's store and it's history was in danger
of being forgotten.
We marked the occasion by staging a Victorian-
style arrest at the Burwell at Large Exhibition in
2005 and inviting our former village constable to unveil the plaque
Stocks Green outside the gates of St Mary's
Church was the third site. The village stocks
stood here from the 1400s until the mid 1800s.
County Councillor Hazel Williams unveiled the
plaque and our local parish and district
councillors came in for the wet sponge
treatment. The replica stocks can be seen at
Burwell Museum.
In May 2007 the plaque at Pound Hill, was unveiled by Connie Baker, granddaughter of one of Burwell's best known residents, Granny 'Doe' who ran a sweet shop on Pound Hill and was one of the last organisers of the Village May Feast - the yearly festival that had been held on Pound Hill since the Middle Ages. We re-created some of the traditional atmosphere of a village festival, with stalls, a maypole, and, of course the animals in the pound.
On a sunny afternoon in September 2007 villagers walked across the fields to Sheepwash Corner, where our local shepherd, Andrew Hill unveiled the 5th plaque, this time on the site of the old sheepwash pool where, until 1905, sheep from the village were washed before sheering or going to market.
For more information contact Pat Kilbey.
Tel: 01638 743283 Email: pat.kilbey@ntlworld.com