Spaldwick, Huntingdonshire, England. Geographical and Historical information from 1932.

SPALDWICK:
Geographical and Historical information from the year 1932.

"SPALDWICK is situated on clay land, most of which is pasture. The Ellington Brook flows through it from west to east on the north of the village, and the land rises from the brook, where it is about 180 ft. above sea-level in the north, and undulates upwards to about 218 ft. in the south.

In the 12th century there are references to the 'Forest of Spaldwick', and in 1185, the Bishop of Lincoln owned assarts here and at Buckden. In 1215 the Bishop had permission to inclose and impark his Wood at Spaldwick, and in 1227 he was granted deer-leaps there. The bishop, dean and chapter of Lincoln continued to obtain confirmations of their assarts into the 15th century. Nothing now remains of this park.

The village lies along the road from Huntingdon to Thrapston (although it has now been by-passed); it is about 7 miles west of Huntingdon. This road forms the village High Street and, at the extreme end, passes over the brook by a 15th century stone bridge of three arches. The bridge has been widened by brickwork on the north side on at least two occasions. On the south side, the bridge retains its ancient features. There used to be a hamlet called Upthorpe to the south of the village but only a lodge remains.

In 1682, a fair on the Wednesday before Whit Sunday was granted, but this fair has been discontinued. The church stood in a large area enclosed with a ditch and bank at the west end of the village. This enclosure, known as Bury Close, was probably the site of the Bishops of Lincoln manor house here, but there has been no house here for many years. There was formerly a Windmill here which may have been that granted to Edward Ferrers and Frank Phillips in 1609.

There was an inclosure award made for Spaldwick-cum-Upthorpe in 1777."