What's New? (New Page!)
New pages, new links and recent progress on the rebuild.

Wimpole Parish Registers (Rebuilt Page)
Index page to the Parish Registers from 1560 to 1863, baptisms, banns, marriages and burials plus churchyard register, censuses 1881-1901, a huge index of Wimpole surnames and many other pages of information to aid genealogical research.

Wimpole Parish Church (Rebuilt Page)
Index page and links relating to St Andrew's Parish Church (and Chicheley Chapel), including history, churchyard, vault, rectors and early photographs.

Wimpole Hall (Rebuilt Page)
Index page and links to a selection of history and information pages and some external sites relating to Wimpole Hall.

Photograph Archive (Site being Rebuilt)
A new archive of early photographs (c1895 - c1950) from the parishes of Arrington, Croydon, Orwell and Orwell (being rebuilt from mid-January 2005).

The Diary (Rebuilt Page)
A list of meetings and events in and around the communities of Orwell, Wimpole and Arrington over the next few months.

News and Postings (Rebuilt Page)
Community news, posts, local events, information, notices and small ads.

Wimpole Parish Council (New Page!)
A new page providing contact details, parish council noticeboard and minutes of recent parish council meetings. Also links to recent issues of "The Sawston Beat" - the local police newsletter edited by Pc John Sutton, Wimpole's Community Beat Officer.

Local Contact Directory (Rebuilt Page)
A quick reference list of local names, businesses and telephone numbers.

Parish Directory 
Directory covering Wimpole organisations and local services.
Wimpole Parish Council, District Councillor, County Councillor, Member of Parliament Member of European Parliament, South Cambridgeshire District Council, Cambridgeshire County Council, St Andrew’s Parish Church, Parochial Church Council, Wimpole Women’s Institute, Post Office and Stores, Orwell, Doctor's Surgery, Wimpole Village Hall Committee, Orwell Bulletin, Church Magazine, Photograph Archive, Wimpole Charity, Heron Self Help Scheme, Mother Goose Pre-School, Mother's Union, Petersfield (C.E.) Primary School, Bassingbourn Village College, Royal British Legion, Neighbourhood Watch, Mobile Library Service, Cambridgeshire Police, Wimpole Hall (National Trust) and Wysing Arts.

Advertise on this Web Site (Rebuilt Page)
If you would like to advertise your company or service on this web site, the range of options can be viewed on this page. I can offer anything from small-ads through traditional banners up to full-page advertisements, and all at extremely reasonable rates.... And you will be supporting this non-profit community resource.

The 1881 Census
The full 1881 Census Record for the Parish of Wimpole. The residence, name, relation to head of family, marital status, age, sex, occupation and place of birth of the men, women and children living in Wimpole in 1881.

The 1881 Census (Caxton Union Workhouse)
The full 1881 Census Record for the staff and inmates of the Caxton and Arrington Union Workhouse which is where the able-bodied poor from the Parish of Wimpole were sent. The name, marital status, age, sex, occupation and place of birth of the 129 men, women and children living at the Workhouse in 1881. Now includes map, photographs and site plan.

The 1891 Census (Rebuilt Page)
The full 1891 Census Record for the Parish of Wimpole. The residence, name, relation to head of family, marital status, age, sex, occupation and place of birth of the men, women and children living in Wimpole in 1891.

The 1901 Census (Rebuilt Page)
The full 1901 Census Record for the Parish of Wimpole. The residence, name, relation to head of family, marital status, age, sex, occupation and place of birth of the men, women and children living in Wimpole in 1901. It might be of interest that a full 10% of the 1901 population of Wimpole record Cornwall as their county of birth.The presentation includes family photographs and additional information.

The 1901 Census (Orwell)
Page two of the 1901 Census for the Parish of Orwell. Of local interest are the 14 properties listed as numbers 2 to 15 New Orwell. These properties are now within the Parish of Wimpole following the parish boundary change in April 1999. Links to page one and the 1881 and 1901 census pages.

Wimpole Parish Registers (Rebuilt Page)
Index page to the Parish Registers from 1560 to 1863, baptisms, banns, marriages and burials plus churchyard register, censuses 1881-1901, a huge index of Wimpole surnames and many other pages of information to aid genealogical research (*incomplete):
      - Baptisms: 1560-1599, 1600-1699, 1700-1799, 1800-1863
      - Marriages: 1560-1599, 1600-1699, 1700-1799*, 1800-1863
      - Banns: 1754-1863
      - Burials: 1560-1599, 1600-1699, 1700-1799, 1800-1863

Index of Wimpole Names (Rebuilt Page)
An alphabetical listing of all the surnames contained in the Wimpole Parish Registers from 1560 to 1863 cross-referenced with the dates of baptisms, marriages, banns and burials. I've also included surnames and dates shown in the Wimpole Churchyard Register from 1710 to 2002, the 1881 and 1891 Census, names from the Wimpole and Arrington War Memorial, known godparents and known witnesses to marriages. The list contains around 950 Wimpole surnames (from Abbot to Young) with over 6000 date-keys to every 'event' in the Registers.

Baptisms 1560-1599 (Rebuilt Page)
The page now complete and the missing years are now included. This page is the full Register of Baptisms at St Andrew's Church, Wimpole, for the years 1560 to 1599. Listings include godparents where known.

Wimpole Burials (Four Rebuilt Pages)
Recorded burials from the Wimpole Church Registers from 1560 to 1863. All four pages complete and reset: 1560-1599, 1600-1699, 1700-1799 and 1800-1863.

Wimpole Parish Churchyard (Rebuilt Page)
Index of names (from 1710 to 2003) and the location of known graves of those buried in the churchyard of St Andrew's Parish Church, Wimpole (also known as the Old Wimpole Cemetery). Includes monumental inscriptions, details of unmarked graves and those buried in the church vaults.

Yorke Family Tree (New Page!)
Bothered by those troublesome Yorkes? Don't know your Yorkes from your Hardwickes? The answer is now at hand! A new reference page giving basic biographical details of the principal members of the Yorke Family, taking the lineage down through the five Earls of Hardwicke who owned Wimpole from 1740 to 1894. Did you know our parish church has an admiral whose flagship was "HMS Victory"? Or a general who was at the Battle of Culloden and of whom it was later said by US President John Adams "I have planted the American standard at the Hague. There let it wave and fly in triumph over Sir Joseph Yorke and British pride."

Hardwicke Family Vault (Rebuilt Page)
The Hardwicke (Yorke) Family Vault lies under the Chicheley Chapel and contains nine coffins. The page includes a description of the vault written in 1956, a 1985 photograph, and the transcriptions from the nine coffin plates.

Yorke Monumental Inscriptions (New Page)
A page listing the inscriptions from the Memorials and Monuments to the Yorke Family in St Andrew's Parish Church and the Chicheley Chapel. This new page has the Monumental Inscriptions for Elizabeth Lygon (wife of John), Philip Yorke (2nd Earl of Hardwicke), Agneta Johnston (second wife of Charles), Charles Philip Yorke and wife Harriet, and Philip Yorke (3rd Earl of Hardwicke). Additional inscriptions will be added in due course.

4th Earl of Hardwicke Obituary (New Page!)
The obituary for the Fourth Earl of Hardwicke (Charles Philip Yorke) as published in the London "Times" on the 18th September 1873. Also included is a report on his interment at Wimpole Church and a reminiscence of 'Uncle Hardwicke' by nephew Alexander Campbell Yorke.

The Yorkes - Deaths (New Page!)
A list of the 30 members of the Yorke Family who are buried or interred at St Andrews Parish Church. Plus a contemporary account of the "melancholy death" by drowning of Admiral Sir Joseph Sydney Yorke, K.C.B., whilst sailing between Spithead and Hamble. Other pieces on the general theme of Yorkes and Death include a recent report on a long forgotten monument in a Hampshire garden that claims the third Earl's heart - literally!

"Wimpole As I Knew It"
A wonderful and nostalgic essay written in 1914 by Alexander Campbell Yorke, Rector of Fowlmere, 5th son of H R Yorke (brother of the 4th Earl of Hardwicke); the author was then a man of 62 and remembering his childhood at Wimpole Rectory from 1852 to 1871. See also the accompanying Biographical Note written by David Ellison.

Wimpole Rectors (Rebuilt Page)
The Rectors of the Parish of Wimpole from 1591 to 1949.

Wimpole and Arrington Parish War Memorial
Includes Roll of Honour from the Memorial and Individual Commemorations (many entries with photographs and military details). Three pages.

Kelly's Directories (New Page!)
Wimpole entries from Kelly's Directories (and others) dated between 1869 and 1933. Wimpole history and Wimpole people.

The Wimpole Chronicles (New pages in preparation)
Major new set of five pages in preparation. Wimpole-related extracts and press cuttings from 1770 to 1900.

The Orwell Chronicles (Orwell Site) (1 of 5 rebuilt)
Over 200 Orwell-related extracts and press cuttings from 1770 to 1900 which include a number of early Wimpole stories and names. Includes reports on various thefts, fights, inquests, deaths, fires, entertainments, transportation (seven years each against theft of pig, shirt and beehives), cautions, suicides, advertisements, agricultural accidents, funerals, notices of sale, notice of enclosure, fatal fight, infant death by opium, weddings, maypole (lack of), argument leads to death, vegetable show prize winners, illegal measures given in Orwell shop, two boys drown in Wimpole pond, farm fires (one caused by traction engine), political meetings, illegitimate baby allowed to die, child burns to death, and a great storm at Wimpole.

Steam Contracting In Orwell (Orwell Site)
Clive Flack writes about the firm S.A.Flack & Son, the agricultural steam contractors that used to operate out of Fishers Lane, Orwell. For many years until the late 1940's, the company contracted Ploughing Engines to South Cambridgeshire farmers. These steam engines were used in pairs, standing at opposite ends of the field and hauling the ploughing implement alternately back and forth using a heavy duty steel cable. By 1965 the company had become Esmond Flack Limited - Hay & Straw Merchants, contractors for threshing, baling, chaff cutting and later combining. This brief history includes some fine photographs of local steam engines in the 1930's and 1940's.

Wimpole History (Rebuilt Page)
Extremely Interesting Bits of Wimpole History! Seven excerpts from a history written in 1958 by the Women's Institute. Includes the entry for Wimpole in the Domesday Book (1086), the will of Sir William de Staudon (founder of the Chicheley Chapel), the origin of the names Wimpole Street and Oxford Street in London, the Great Storm in 1843, the 1853 "Rules for Lord Hardwicke's School in New Wimpole" (with an accompanying "Address to Parents") and a recollection of a Wimpole childhood by W G Newell (1876-1967) that includes memories of the annual two-day Wimpole Feast, Plough Monday and Gooding Day.

The "Oatlands" Sale 1921 (Rebuilt Page)
The "Oatlands" estate on the south side of Cambridge Road was sold at Auction on Tuesday 27 September 1921. The sale included the "Oatlands" residence (now "Orwell Grange"), the empty Brewery/Cundall's Factory building, a Forge/Smithy, a 33 acre field and ten domestic properties fronting Cambridge Road. The page includes plans and detailed records taken from the Particulars of Sale document.

Wimpole Estate Sale 1933
A "snapshot" of New Wimpole in 1933 - a unique house by house record. Lord Clifden sold part of the Wimpole Hall Estate to W H Abbey Esq., who then sold outlying portions of the Estate by auction. The sale included almost every domestic property in New Wimpole. The detailed records of individual properties and tenants are taken from the Draft Prospectus, published in 1933.

List of Registers and Records
This page details the Wimpole Parochial Records deposited with the County Records Office at Shire Hall, Cambridge. There are many extracts and comments that provide a fascinating insight into the history of Wimpole. Includes contemporary notes from the registers on: grants, local events, rectors, church property, church vault, parish charities and the village school.

The Cundall (Orwell) Folding Machine Co Ltd.
For some fifty years, there was a factory located behind houses 31 to 39 Cambridge Road, Wimpole. Originally built as a brewery, the building later housed several companies making products such as paper folding machinery and parachute harnesses. This page covers the period between 1908 and 1913 when it was known as the Orwell Ironworks and home to The Cundall (Orwell) Folding Machine Co Ltd.

Wimpole Hall (Rebuilt Page)
Links to history and information pages and external sites relating to Wimpole Hall.

Queen Victoria's Visit to Wimpole 1843
Extracts from Queen Victoria's Journal in the Royal Archives at Windsor Castle, detailing a visit to Wimpole Hall in 1843. See also When Queen Victoria Visited, a short adaptation by David Ellison of reports about the Royal Visit in 1843 to Wimpole Hall carried in the Cambridge Chronicle (issues for 28 October and 4 November 1843).

Wimpole Hall Bibliography (Rebuilt Page)
A detailed reading list of books relating to Wimpole Hall.

Wimpole Hall Print (Rebuilt Page)
A c1875 engraving showing Wimpole Hall around 1855.

Wimpole Park (Arrington Site)
There is a large flat area of arable pasture situated just inside the Arrington Gates to Wimpole Hall. Between 1944 and 1960 the pasture, or Wimpole Park as it became named, was host in turn to an American Hospital treating army casualties of war, a squatters camp, an experimental teacher training college, a community school, emergency local authority housing, and lastly a US Air Force Hospital best remembered for being the 'place-of-birth' for hundreds of Americans.

St Andrew's Parish Church (Rebuilt Page)
Although St Andrew's Parish Church stands close to Wimpole Hall, the Church is wholly independent from the National Trust. It is a living Parish Church within the Orwell Group of Parishes, and holds services on the first and third Sundays of each month. This page covers the history of the building and records the religious memorials on the walls of the nave. See also the pages on the Chicheley Chapel, Parish Churchyard and Hardwicke Family Vault.

Chicheley Chapel (New Page!)
A history of the Chapel and descriptions of the main religious monuments. Famous people buried at Wimpole include at least two Lord Mayors of London, two Lord Chancellors, various Earls, Knights, an Admiral, an Archdeacon, the daughter of Rudyard Kipling and Lady Savile who was the heroine of the siege of Sheffield Castle during the English Civil War.

Wimpole Parish Churchyard (Rebuilt Page)
Index of names (from 1710 to 2003) and the location of known graves of those buried in the churchyard of St Andrew's Parish Church, Wimpole (also known as the Old Wimpole Cemetery). Includes monumental inscriptions, details of unmarked graves and those buried in the church vaults.

Wimpole and Arrington Parish War Memorial
Includes Roll of Honour from the Memorial and Individual Commemorations (many entries with photographs and military details). Three pages.

323rd Bomb Squadron Memorial (Rebuilt Page)
Between 1942 and 1945, American B-17 'Flying Fortress' bombers from the Bassingbourn airbase were parked and concealed within the South Avenue, a wide double row of mature elm trees that stretched for two miles across the Wimpole estate. The memorial is dedicated to the airmen and aircraft of the 323rd Bomb Squadron. The page includes a description of the Memorial and photographs of some of the aircraft and a wartime view of the Avenue.

West Avenue, Wimpole Park
The British Organ Donor Society has planted many trees dedicated to the memory of internal organ and tissue donors. Over 150 trees have now been adopted by donor families in memory of a loved one, and by recipients and their families as a gesture of thanks to a donor. The trees will be a living memorial for generations to come.

Wimpole Village Hall
To hire Wimpole Village Hall, please call Shirley Phillips on 01223 207685 for booking forms and further information. This page gives general information and the terms and conditions of hire.

1st Orwell Scouts (External Site)
Their new website which covers Beaver Scouts, Cub Scouts and Scouts.

Orwell Local History Society (External Site)
Programme of monthly meetings and contact details. The Orwell Local History Society meets at 8.00 pm on the last Wednesday of each month in the Schoolroom of the Methodist Church in Town Green Road.  Meetings are open to everyone..

Heron Self Help Scheme (Orwell Site) (Rebuilt Page)
Founded in 1986, HSHS is a local village self-help group which offers help for residents of Orwell and Wimpole who may need some neighbourly assistance. The scheme is subsidised by Cambridgeshire County Council.

Orwell Football Club
A mini-site covering the current season (including up-to-date league table, leading Orwell goal scorers and fixture list), statistics for previous seasons, occasional match reports, an early photograph page and club contact details.

Orwell Players (External Site)
Programme of meetings, plays and contact details.

Orwell Singers (External Site)
Programme of meetings, concerts and contact details.

Orwell and District Horticultural Society (External Site)
Programme of meetings, shows and contact details.

Read the Guest Book (Rebuilt Page)
Read the comments and observations left on the Wimpole, Orwell and Arrington Guest Book. You are also invited to 'sign' the community Guest Book and leave relevant observations, comments and memories to share with other visitors.

Photograph Archive (Steve Odell)
A new archive of early photographs (c1895 - c1950) from the parishes of Arrington, Croydon, Orwell and Orwell (being rebuilt from January 2005).

Wimpole Parish Church (External Site)
Benefice site covering the five parishes of Orwell, Arrington, Croydon, Wimpole and Barrington.

Wimpole (GENUKI)
The Wimpole page on the GENUKI (UK and Ireland Genealogy) site.

Wimpole Hall (National Trust)
The National Trust web site for Wimpole Hall.

Wimpole Hall Events (National Trust)
A link direct to the events programme on the Wimpole Hall NT site.

Orwell (Steve Odell)
The community and local history web site for the village and parish of Orwell.

Orwell (External Site)
An alternative take on Orwell. Bit strong on the ads. Supported by Orwell Parish Council.

Arrington (Steve Odell)
The community and local history web site for the village and parish of Arrington.

Arrington (Denham Pearce)
The Arrington Parish Council site.

Speculum Gregis (Steve Odell)
Or "An account of all the inhabitants of the Parish of Croydon in the County of Cambridgeshire commencing from 1 January 1843" by the Rev Francis Fulford (Rector at Croydon 1841-1845). An absolute gem. The Rev Fulford went on to become the Bishop of Montreal in Canada.

The Eversdens (Heather Huddleston and Tony Blane)
Good community web site for the villages of Little and Great Eversden.

Driftway Cottages (Advertisement) (Rebuilt Page)
Self-catering holiday cottage accommodation near Arrington.

Wilshers Garages (Advertisement) (Rebuilt Site)
This week's selection of quality used cars from the Wimpole garage. Use your browser's 'back' button to return to this page.

Home Page (this site) (Rebuilt Page)
The Wimpole Site Title Page.

Site Statistics (1) (this site)
Visitor statistics for the Wimpole site since start-up in December 1999.

Site Statistics (2) (External Site)
Detailed web site statistics for the Wimpole site for every month commencing 17 January 2003.

Location Map (this site) (Rebuilt Page)
Where to find Wimpole.... The village of Wimpole lies about 12 km south-west of  Cambridge on the main A603 road.

BBC Weather for Cambridge (External Site)
The BBC Cambridge weather forecast for today and for the next four days. Includes five day forecasts for air temperature, air pollution index, sun index, wind speed, and times for sunrise and sunset. Use your browser's 'back' button to return to this page.

BBC Cambridgeshire (External Site)
The BBC regional news pages for Cambridgeshire. Use your browser's 'back' button to return to this page.

BBC Cambridgeshire News (External Site)
The BBC regional news pages for Cambridgeshire. Use your browser's 'back' button to return to this page.

Bus Timetables (this site)
Routes 118/119 and 175/177 Wimpole to/from Cambridge.

Wimpole Postal Addresses (this site)
Correct form of postal addresses in Wimpole following the April 1999 change to the Parish Boundary.