A1-The Great North Road
The Eaton Socon by-pass opened in 1971, leaving the village with its old road to the east. It had been part of Bedfordshire but a change in the county boundaries in 1965 put Eaton Socon into Huntingdonshire, which was in turn absorbed into Cambridgeshire in 1974. Land to the west of the by-pass remained in Bedfordshire. The village grew up on either side of the Great North Road with several coaching inns. Here's the White Horse, though Armstrong recommended the Swan in 1776.
|
The White Horse, "...a comfortable 13th century Coaching Inn" says the advert. Maybe its 18th century but its certainly time to trim the ivy. |
There's was a castle by the riverbank but now the spot marks the start of the Ouse Valley Way, a long(ish) distance footpath that follows the river, crossing the Old North Road at Godmanchester and meandering on down to Earith, from whence much of the Ouse water is diverted straight down the New Bedford River. Upstream from Eaton Socon walking is not so simple. Read this from Jack Pike: "The connection between Roxton and Eaton Socon cannot be made along the banks of the River Ouse. Although public footpaths exist for part of the way along the Eastern Bank, both downstream from Roxton and upstream from Eaton Socon, they do not connect and require extensive road walking. The Ouse Valley Way is to be extended from Eaton Socon into Bedford, but the section between Eaton Socon and Roxton Lock requires walking along part of the A1 and on a minor road through Wyboston village. There are public rights of way which would significantly reduce the road walking and eliminate the part of the route along the A1 trunk road. Unfortunately these paths are blocked and Bedfordshire County Council has deemed them "not needed for public use" on the grounds that you can walk along the road. If you would prefer to walk along a footpath, please write or e-mail Bedfordshire County Council and tell them you would like to use the public rights of way across Rookery Road Wyboston, between points 7 and 8 on the Ouse Valley way extension brochure or details from A10E & A9 Roxton Footpaths. Your letter could be important in improving the route. If you want more details of the woeful attempt to extinguish these footpaths please e-mail me, jackpike@bigfoot.com."
A few words about roundabouts on the Great North Road.
Between Eaton Socon and Little Paxton the road crosses the River Kym, anciently known as the Hail, from which Hail Weston, the village a little upstream, derives its name. There was an ancient bridge over the river, mentioned in 1377 and still standing in 1798 when it was described as being built of stone with four arches, but with the parapets ruinous. The present bridge was built in the late 19th century. At Hail Weston there are two springs which are reputed to have had medicinal qualities though they may derive more fame from the poem by Michael Drayton "The Holy Wells of Hailweston" but it was Holinshed who had reported in 1597 "...two springs are known to be, of which the one is verrie sweet and fresh, the other brackish and salt; this is good for scabs and and leaperie (as it is said) the other for dimness of sight. Verrie manie laso doo make their repports unto them for sundrie diseases, some returning whole and some nothing at all amended because their cure is without the reach and working of these waters. Never went people so fast from the chuurh, either unto a faire or market, as they go to these wels." . These springs were used for medicinal purposes in the 16th and 17th centuries, but later fell into disuse. In 1844, the springs were sold and were then used by the Hail Weston Springs Co., aerated water manufacturers.
Between the A1 and the River Great Ouse, to the east, the flat land is pitted with 70 years worth of gravel workings forming extensive lakes. Two of these are named after the road, the A1 North and the A1 South lakes. These, and several other lakes, form the Paxton Pits nature reserve. The web-site is particularly informative, describing 500 million years of history, a great many birds and a mammoth. Leave the A1 at the Little Paxton roundabout and follow the signs. It's not far.
Little Paxton is greater than Great Paxton. Great Paxton is older, possibly founded by Saxons coming up the river Ouse rather early on in the 6th century, but on the wrong side of the river to take advantage of the Great North Road in later times. Its offshoot, Little Paxton, gained from its position as the road grew in influence.
Diddington is a pretty little village between Little Paxton and Buckden. It is one of those villages that the Great North Road never actually went through, lying down a lane that led away to the east of the main road. The resulting unspoiltness has led to the whole village being designated a conservation area. Southoe, a mile to the south of Diddington, and west of the A1, is another just-off-the -road village. Boughton lay between the two but was abandoned long ago, though the name lives on in the Boughton Lodge Water Ski Club.
©Biff Vernon 2002