LOCAL AREA INFORMATION

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Sutton Bridge is situated on the west bank of the River Nene in South Lincolnshire but on the borders of Norfolk and Cambridgeshire. Popular for walkers & dog walkers along the river banks. Known for it’s two lighthouses at the mouth of the wash, port area and A17 swing bridge. Population of approx. 4000 people. Amenities include: 2 play parks, 4 pubs/restaurants, 2 fish & chips shops, convenience stores, Co-op supermarket, hotel, Indian restaurant, kebab shop, hardware store, doctors, pharmacy, estate agents, furniture store, antiques shops, ladies clothes shop, hairdressers, beauty salon, post office, butchers, bakery shop/cafe, florists, electrician, damp proofer, plumbers/central heating firms, bowls club, golf club, 2 social clubs, computer shop, printers, haulage firms, car sales/repair shop & petrol station, vehicle recover/repair shop, music shop, electrical shop, plastering firm, church, residential care home, primary school, nursery & village community centre. There are talks of a proposed Marina. Transport links: Norfolk Green bus services no. 505 & 50. Bypassed by the A17. How far is it (Approx.)? Kings Lynn: 10 miles, Spalding: 15 miles, Holbeach: 8 miles, Wisbech: 8 miles, Peterborough: 35 miles, Cambridge: 50 miles. The local parish Church is dedicated to St Matthews and is the only flint stone Church in Lincolnshire. The village has a population of around 3900 people. The new village Hall/Community centre is in the process of being rebuilt & there are beginnings of a proposed Marina. The docks first opened in May 1881 but due to complications on the 9th June where the South West corner of the lock sank amongst other things, efforts to save the dock were abandoned, Sutton Bridges growth was halted for over 100 years until the current docks opened in 1987. The swing bridge which spans the River Nene is a notable feature of the village and the current version, known as Cross Keys Bridge, was built in 1897 at a cost of £80,000 and is the third bridge to cross the river. The bridge was originally dual purpose, serving both road and rail traffic until 1965 when the railway closed. It now serves the A17 which bypasses Sutton Bridge. The East Lighthouse at Sutton Bridge was built, along with its twin on the west bank of the River Nene in 1831 to commemorate the opening of the Nene outfall cut. These were never functioning lighthouses and were merely markers to guide ships into the cut. Before the Second World War, the East Lighthouse was inhabited by the naturalist and artist Sir Peter Scott who bought a large area of the Ouse Washes and established a nature reserve of what is now the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust. The lighthouse has since been used by the Fenland Wildfowlers Association. Within the community we also have the ‘Big Bloomers’ which is a group run by local volunteers who litter pick, carry out planting throughout the village and have even painted scenes on boarded up premises to keep the village looking at its best. They are always on the look out for more volunteers to join in with them and help out! There is a local playschool and primary school and bus services taking the secondary school children to either the Peele community College in Long Sutton or the Grammar schools in Spalding. The Norfolk Green bus services serving Sutton Bridge are the 505 bus service which runs three times an hour from Kings Lynn to Spalding and the 50 bus service runs from Wisbech through the Tydd villages to Sutton

Bridge & Long Sutton.

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Long Sutton is a small market town approx 3 miles west of Sutton Bridge, popular for its church and Friday market and Auction. The town has a population of approx 5037 people. Amenities include: 3 parks (2 with play areas), a range of restaurants & fast food shops e.g. fish and chip shops, McDonalds, chinese etc, three banks, two solicitors, funeral directors, convenience stores, hardware store, electrical store, pet shop, dentist, doctors, vets, estate agents, letting agents, financial advisors, social clubs, news agents, antiques shop, second hand furniture shop, library with tourist info, co-op supermarket with post office, jewellery store, opticians, ladies clothes/shoes shops, florists, charity shop, primary, secondary school & a nursery schools, residential care home, registry office, football club, cricket club, plumbers/central heating firms, car wash, petrol station, fire station, leisure centre, butterfly & falconry park, car repair/sales outlets, indoor bowls club. Etc… Transport Links: The Norfolk Green bus services serving Long Sutton are the 505 bus service which runs three times an hour from Kings Lynn to Spalding and the 50 bus service runs from Wisbech through the Tydd villages to Sutton Bridge and Long Sutton. Bypassed by the A17.

How far is it (Approx.)? Kings Lynn: 12 miles, Spalding: 15 miles, Holbeach: 6 miles, Wisbech: 8 miles, Peterborough: 35 miles, Cambridge: 50 miles. Like many Fenland towns, Long Sutton has an illustrious history, thanks to its setting in the fertile silt lands of the Lincolnshire Fens. The Friday market dates back to the early 13th century when the town was a prosperous trading centre. By the mid-14th century, Long Sutton was considered to be one of the richest communities in Lincolnshire. Today, both the thriving Friday market and auction remain. Long Sutton is now known for floral displays that decorate the town and its churches throughout spring and summer. It has been named amongst the best kept villages in Lincolnshire on a number of occasions.

Long Sutton Church, St Mary`s, is famous for its 13th century lead-covered timber spire. The spire still stands straight and true. It is now the highest, oldest and best-preserved lead spire in England and possibly Europe.

The town also has links with John of Gaunt and the legendary Dick Turpin, who stayed in the town for nine months before escaping after resisting his arrest. In 1216, King Johns treasures were said to have been lost to the Wash. The King ordered his baggage train to take the shortest route via The Welle Stream (near the present Sutton Bridge) but the long and slow-moving train of carts and wagons was beaten by the tide.

The local butterfly and falconry park voted Lincolnshire's Family Attraction of the Year by the Good Britain Guide, is home to hundreds of butterflies, birds of prey and reptiles, and lies just outside the town. The town also has an annual Horse and Pony show that takes place in Cinder Ash park, which is sponsored by local businesses.

The town's football club, Long Sutton Athletic, play in the Peterborough & District League, and have previously played in the Eastern Counties League. The town also has a leisure centre situated near the Peele community college.

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Holbeach is the 3rd largest market town in the Lincolnshire Fens with a population of approx 9448 people. Holbeach has a town centre shopping area and regular outdoor markets (Tuesday & Saturday). The magnificent All Saints' Church was built in the 14th century. Amenities include: Tesco supermarket, QD store, knitting/sewing shop, carpet shops, factory outlet shop, estate agents, letting agents, solicitors, charity shops, vets, various convenience stores, sandwich shops, hairdressers, a range of restaurants and take aways, 2 doctors, 2 primary schools, secondary school, church, large play park, football club, antiques shop, furniture shops, library with tourist info, banks, car sales/repair shops, petrol station, gym, Industrial estate. Etc… Transport Links: The Norfolk Green bus services serving Holbeach are the 505 bus service which runs three times an hour from Kings Lynn to Spalding. Bypassed by the A17 & A151. How far is it (Approx.)? Kings Lynn: 20 miles, Spalding: 8 miles, Wisbech: 15 miles, Peterborough: 25 miles, Cambridge: 60 miles. Until the beginning of the 19th century, the sea came to within two miles (3 km) of the town and there were severe floods recorded in the 13th and 16th centuries. The land drainage programmes of the 18th and 19th centuries moved the coastline of The Wash to nine miles (14 km) away, leaving Holbeach surrounded by more than 23,000 acres (93 km²) of reclaimed fertile agricultural land.

There are two primary schools in Holbeach, Holbeach Primary School and William Stukeley Church of England Primary School. The local secondary school is the George Farmer Technology & language College on Park Road. Holbeach is home to a campus of the University of Lincoln, redeveloped in 2004 on the Park Road site of the former Holbeach Agricultural Centre and now known as Holbeach Technology Park. The campus is dedicated to the study of food manufacturing technology.

The Royal Air Force maintains a bombing range, known officially as RAF Holbeach, on salt marshland at the coast of Holbeach parish, near the village of Gedney Drove End. The RAF station is situated approximately 11 miles north west of Holbeach town centre.

The local football club is Holbeach United Football Club, founded in 1929. They play in the United Counties League of the English football league system and are known as "The Tigers".

Much of the economy has been based on food processing and bulb growing. The United Kingdom's largest bulb supplier (Taylors Bulbs) is situated to the north of the town and flour milling continues to this day at Barrington Mill (owned by Smith's Flour Mills).

The local Holbeach Hospital is more of a care home, there is no A&E at this hospital, they have blood clinics and the Registrar visits regularly for birth and death registrations etc.

The town is served by the local South Holland radio station Tulip Radio from nearby Spalding, has been voted amongst the ‘Best Kept Villages in Lincolnshire’ and has been commended several times in the Britain in Bloom Awards.

This year (2011) sees the 17th Annual Holbeach Vintage Rally. A display of vintage steam rollers, lorries, tractors and classic cars.

Holbeach has a town band that meets once a week in the band room down Back Lane, practices are held each Wednesday evening.

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GEDNEY: Gedney is a village and civil parish in the South Holland district. It lies just to the south off the A17 Boston to King's Lynn road, 2 miles east from Holbeach and 2 miles north-east from Long Sutton. The parish has the only stretch of dual carriageway in South Holland (The village is split into two parts by the A17). Gedney has a population of around 2305 people. Amenities: Primary school, Church, village hall, pub with B&B and a car wash. Transport Links: The Norfolk green bus service 505 runs three times an hour from Kings Lynn to Spalding, and runs through the village. Bypassed by the A17. How far is it (Approx.)? Kings Lynn: 17 miles, Spalding: 12 miles, Holbeach: 5 miles, Wisbech: 11 miles, Peterborough: 30 miles, Cambridge: 50 miles. Gedney Grade I listed Anglican parish church is dedicated to St Mary Magdalene. Originating in the 13th century, additions and alterations carried-on into the 17th. It was considerably restored in 1890 however the spire to the tower was unfinished and left as a stump. The tower, 86 feet to its parapet, has Early English lower stages and Perpendicular upper. The nave arcades and the chancel are of Decorated style. During the rebuilding of the south aisle in 1890 a brass of a female (ca. 1390), with a puppy at her feet, was discovered. Also in the south aisle is a damaged 13th century effigy of a cross-legged knight, conjectured to represent Falco D'Oyry, and Jacobean alabaster monuments of Adlard Welby, his wife Cassandra and their five children, erected in 1605. The south porch has a rare upper chamber. At the east end of the north aisle are the remains of a 14th century Jesse window.

FLEET & FLEET HARGATE: Fleet Hargate is a village in the South Holland district of Lincolnshire, England. It lies 2 miles east of Holbeach, just south of the A17. It falls within the wider civil parish of Fleet which stretches from Gedney to Holbeach with a total estimated population of 2,286. The village has been designated a conservation area by South Holland District Council, one of 13 within the district. Amenities: tea room, post office, garden centre with tea room, chinese restaurant, residential care home, holiday caravan park, pubs serving food/B&B. Transport Links: There is the Norfolk green bus service the 505 which runs through the village 3 times an hour running from Spalding through to Kings Lynn. Bypassed by the A17. How far is it (approx.)? Kings Lynn: 17 miles, Spalding: 10 miles, Holbeach: 5 miles Wisbech: 12 miles, Peterborough 30 miles, Cambridge: 50 miles. The area is marshy, drained by many small canals and the South Holland Main Drain. In land area, it is approximately 6,800 acres. Fleet Grade I listed Anglican church, dating from the late 12th century, is dedicated to St Mary Magdalene. The 120 foot high church tower with spire is detached from the nave by 15 feet. The fabric is mainly of Decorated style, with Early English arcades and a Perpendicular west window. The church was restored in 1860, when the chancel was rebuilt, although retaining the canopied sedilia. A Free School was endowed in 1727, although the date of first classes is unknown. It was free to all poor children. That building was rebuilt in 1813. A new school was built in 1842, but ceased to exist by 1900. This was known as Hargate School. Wood Lane School was built in 1878 and enlarged in 1895 for up to 151 children. Fen School was built in 1878 to accommodate 100 children.

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Lutton Lutton is a small village and civil parish located about 4 miles south east of the town of Holbeach and on the outskirts of Long Sutton. Population of approx. 1151 People. Amenities: Primary school, pub with post office inside. Transport Links: Community transport – dial a bus service. How far is it (Approx.)? Kings Lynn: 15 miles, Spalding: 15 miles, Holbeach: 6 miles, Wisbech: 14 miles, Peterborough: 40 miles, Cambridge: 55 miles. The village of Lutton has also been known by the alternative name of Sutton St Nicholas. The civil parish comprises the village of Lutton, with Lutton Marsh to the north east and Lutton Garnsgate to the south west. The present church of Saint Nicholas is a grade I listed building dating almost entirely from the 16th century, and built of red brick. The former Cock and Magpie public house dates from the late 18th century and is grade II listed and now a private cottage. Sneaths Mill, sometimes called Lutton Gowt Mill, is a red brick four storey octagonal windmill. It has a datestone of 1779, but this is the date that an older wooden smock mill was encased in brick. It is grade II listed although it ceased working after a storm in the 1930s. The Sneath's Mill Trust was set up in 2007 to safe-guard the long term future of Sneath's Mill, an important monument located in the heart of the Fens, South Lincolnshire. The aims of the Sneath’s Mill Trust are simple – basically we wish to save this important structure and also to make it accessible to the public.

Gedney Dyke A rural village in South Lincolnshire, South Holland District. The village offers amenities of Village Store and a village hall. The village boasts the majestic Gedney Dyke Mill, 68ft high, built in 1836 with adjoining buildings formerly employed as a prominent milling and baking establishment. The six sails were taken down in 1947. Several hundred years ago Gedney Dyke started life as a few small herders homes, whose inhabitants would have tended sheep and cattle just a mile north of Gedney. Salterns from a previous undetermined era would have provided further employment. The remaining mounds from this industry can still be seen to the north of the Village, but no-one can date or describe this activity with any assurance. Nineteenth and a few eighteenth century buildings intermingle with late twentieth century homes to give a blend of charming old world and tasteful modern. In many villages this often appears awkward, but not so in Gedney Dyke. The soils immediately surrounding Gedney Dyke are some of the finest silt-loams in England, and over several hundred years have consistently grown a multitude of magnificent agricultural and horticultural crops that have been in demand throughout the Country.

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GEDNEY DROVE END Gedney Drove End is a rural village bordering the wash area, having a population of approx. 1128 people. Popular with the wildfowl bird watchers, dog walkers & those wanting to watch the RAF airplane bombing practices out over the wash from the nearby base. Amenities: 2 public houses: The Rising Sun and the Wildfowler on the Wash – both serving food, primary school, play park, popular vegetable stall & wildfowl nature reserve area. Transport Links: Community transport – dial a bus service. How far is it (Approx.)? Kings Lynn: 20 miles, Spalding: 17 miles, Holbeach: 9 miles, Wisbech: 15 miles, Peterborough: 35 miles, Cambridge: 55 miles. The Walker Memorial Park in Gedney Drove End is owned by the Parish Council, in the park stands the Gedney Drove End and Dawsmere Village Hall. Gedney Drove End Park is the start of a circular Lincolnshire Walk.

GEDNEY DAWSMERE One of the smallest villages within the parish, comprising only 54 residents. Christchurch Dawsmere is a quaint small church situated in the village, the Cemetery opposite is owned and maintained by the Parish Council. The Old Vicarage, next door to the Church is now a rest home for the elderly. A very sketchy story of Gedney Dawsmere starts with the bank, supposedly built by the Romans, that separated the Fens of Lincolnshire from the tide-washed marshes. The alluvial soil on the landward side of the Roman Bank was generally about one metre below the high tide mark though there were islands of higher ground made of boulder clay. The Saxon word for these was 'ey' or 'ea' and so the island close to the bank on which the Geden tribe settled was known as Gedney. On the seaward side was tide swept salt marsh used for grazing cattle and sheep, which were driven along numerous 'droves', and also for fishing and wildfowling. In 1660 a group of 'adventurers' (as they were then called) including a Sir Dawes, an 'Undertaker of Reclamation', began the reclamation of the marshes by building a long bank that stretched from Boatmere Creek to the River Welland. When the work was finally completed in 1795 the Sixteen Mile Bank enclosed an area of 17,000 acres divided between the parishes of Gedney, Holbeach and Moulton. The Gedney Marsh was bounded by Boatmere Creek and Fleet Haven and flowing through it was a small creek which became known as Dawsmere Creek. Apart from isolated farmhouses the only centre of population on the Marsh was at Drove End. According to White's Directory this was a huddle of small dwellings housing tradesmen, innkeepers, coastguards, small farmers and "sundry dubious characters of no fixed occupation". In 1850 Edward Cardwell, a politician in Gladstone's government, and his brother Charles purchased 3000 acres of farmland, mostly on the Gedney Marsh, and they decided to build a new settlement to house their farm workers. This was to be built about one mile from Drove End and alongside the straightened and channelled creek. Thus Dawsmere was born - a new village with 'plain, neat and well-built cottages in pairs', a smithy, wheelwright and joiner's shop, a general shop, a school and a site earmarked for a church and vicarage. According to Healey's ecclesiastical history the Church of England School for Drove End and Dawsmere opened its doors in 1857 to pupils who were to receive instruction in the three 'Rs' and the Scriptures. For the first recorded schoolmaster, a Mr. Charles Riggott, it was clearly a difficult task to begin with as the school was described as 'unsatisfactory' at the inspector's first visit in 1861. After a great deal of argument over costs and whether the church should be in Drove End or Dawsmere - it was finally built on Cardwell's site in 1869, costing £1100, and consecrated as Christ Church in 1870. The new vicarage came a year later and, interestingly, at a greater cost of £1600.

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Tydd St. Giles is a village in Cambridgeshire, England. It was founded in the late 1000s with the building of the church of St. Giles in 1084 on a natural rise in the land of the Fens. The church itself is built of Barnack stone, known to be the gift of the Bishop of Peterborough. The village has a population of around 603. The village is roughly square shaped (formed by the four main roads of Church Lane, Hockland Road, High Broadgate and Newgate Road). Although the village is officially recorded at an altitude of 0 metres, the age of the settlement, and the vowels "i" and "y" in the village name suggest that it stands on a low mound that would have been above the surface of the fen. It is certain that the village was inhabitable before the 16th and 17th Century draining of the fen, because of the age of the church. The Norman church dedicated to St. Giles, dominates the eastern side of the village. The church, although extensively redesigned in the 1800s, still retains its Norman architecture and feel. The West Window was designed by Alan of Walsingham, the designer of the famous "octagon" lantern on Ely Cathedral, this rare clear glass medieval window (which survived the depredations of Oliver Cromwell) fills the whole of the western end of the building. All of the woodwork and pews in the church are later Victorian additions. In the Lady Chapel there are still some remnants of the church's original medieval stained glass, the rest of the church's stained glass is Victorian. The East Window shows the life and passion of Christ, while the North-Western Window depicts the church's (and village's) patron saint, Saint Giles and St. Paul (one of the patrons of the Church of Ss. Peter & Paul in Wisbech). The outer southern wall of the church still has the remains of a medieval sundial, which was in use when the church was a cell of the priory in Wisbech. The church is one of the few in the area to have a separate tower. The tower fell away form the eastern end of the church in the 18th century (due to poor foundations and strong wind), and was rebuilt by Sir George Gilbert Scott when the building was extensively renovated in the 1880s. Local legend has it that the tower was pushed over by the devil, as he could not abide the sound of the church bells. The tower has a ring of six bells with a tenor weight of 8-2-8cwt tuned to A. The bells were recast for the golden jubilee of Queen Victoria, from the original ring of 5, six bells were cast. The bells hang in a wooden frame, and are rung in the traditional English full circle ringing system. In the 1880s the church was renovated by the famous architect and designer of the "K" Class red telephone boxes, Sir George Gilbert Scott. The church was shortened, where the collapse of the tower had destroyed the original sanctuary (The east wall of the building still has the original blank arch). The nave roof was built up to its present level, and a new clerestory was installed (the original can still be seen on the inside where the builders filled the Norman windows. The side aisles were also extended and the roof was re-leaded. The original plans, drawn by Scott can be seen on display at the back of the church, where they are now displayed after being found in a drawer in the church vestry. The church's roof was repaired in 2001–2002, as the original Victorian tiling and structure had decayed, letting in rain water along the whole of the nave and the side aisles. At the request of English Nature (now Natural England) the woodwork in the new roofs had holes bored into them to allow the resident colony of pipistrelle bats in and out of the building. The nave roof was blessed by the Right Rev'd Anthony Russell (retired) Bishop of Ely and Lord Spiritual, and the then incumbent of the parish, Rev'd Nigel Whitehouse, the roof was baptised using a bottle of specially brewed ale by Elgood & Sons Ltd., called Tydd St. Tiles. The village has seven listed buildings in its "historic centre" (around Church Lane and Kirkgate). Two of these are the Church and Tower. Also included are the "Old School", a Victorian primary school building and school master's house on Church Lane, which unfortunately has fallen into a state of considerable disrepair. The Old Tithe house (also on Church Lane) is a Grade I listed building, that formerly was part of the parish properties (and used as a parish hall). For centuries it was not used, but was bought by a local member of SPAB, and restored it to its former glory. The other notable building is the Grade 1 listed Elizabethan manor house (Tydd Manor). On Hockland Road is Paget Hall, a Grade II listed building. It was designed by Sir Gilbert Scott for his brother Rev'd Canon John Scott, then Rector of the parish. It was built around the same time as the church was renovated. Paget Hall is most famous for 'The Barn' or 'Party Barn'. Large gatherings were once held, and the tradition is still kept going. People such as Charlie Wood, Bertie Wearing, Zekeriya Keskin and Lawrence Davis have been known to show their faces around there from time to time. The village also has a popular golf and Leisure estate, which includes an 18 hole golf course, two 9 hole practise putting areas, 3-4 mile nature trail, a purpose built fishing lake for keen anglers & holiday lodge homes to buy or rent for short breaks. Plus a restaurant. The estate which is still expanding has a leisure complex being built which will include an indoor swimming pool and beauty therapy spa. Current village amenities also include: Coffee shop/village store, Pub/Restaurant, Community centre, Golf club with 3-4 mile nature trail & restaurant, Church, Primary school, Barbers & Norfolk Green bus service route no.50 running various times between Wisbech and Long Sutton Monday to Saturday.

*Information taken from Wikipedia website January 2012.

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Tydd Gote Tydd Gote is a semi rural Cambridgeshire village on the outskirts of Wisbech & Sutton Bridge with a population of approx. 800 people. An old amusement to visitors was the Tydd Gote Inn where one half was in Cambridgeshire & the other in Lincolnshire. Popular for fishing & dog walkers along the river bank. Amenities: Tydd Gote has a pub with a restaurant, post office, Chapel & play park. Transport Links: Norfolk Green bus services no. 50. A1101 to Wisbech/A47 or Kings Lynn A17/A47. How far is it (Approx.)? Kings Lynn: 17 miles, Spalding: 17 miles, Holbeach: 9 miles, Wisbech: 6 miles, Peterborough: 30 miles, Cambridge: 45 miles.

Tydd St Mary Tydd St Mary is a village and civil parish in the South Holland district of Lincolnshire. The Civil Parish includes the hamlet of Tydd Gote which lies partly in Tydd St Mary and partly in Tydd St Giles, Cambridgeshire. Tydd st Mary has a public house, shop, a local primary school. The Norfolk Green number 50 bus route runs from Wisbech to Long Sutton Monday to Friday passing through 4 times a day. The village has good access to the A1101 road which gives access to both the A17 and via Wisbech the A47. The village has two medieval boundary crosses, one at Manor Hill Corner, which is grade II listed and a scheduled monument, and White Cross which stands north of Poultry Farm at Hunts Gate at the western edge of the village and is a scheduled monument. The parish church is a Grade I listed building dedicated to Saint Mary dating from the 12th century and restored 1869. It has a 15th century west tower and a 15th century font. At the entrance to the churchyard is a grade II listed Lychgate dating from 1919. In the churchyard is a grade II listed fragment of a medieval cross dating from the 14th century. Tysdale House is an early 16th century grade II listed Hall with later alterations. The building was originally H Shape with an open Hall, which was floored in the 17th century and the plan changed in the 18th. The present Dunton Hall is early 19th century, grade II listed and was built on the site of an earlier house, built by Sigismund Trafford who died in 1741. Tydd Station was a railway station on the Peterborough and Sutton Bridge Branch of the Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway, which opened in 1866 and closed in 1959. During the First World War an airfield was established here, during late 1916 or early 1917 as a Home Defence airfield for night patrols. It was used by 51 squadron whose headquarters were at Marham B Flight, established at Tydd St Mary in the summer of 1917.

Sutton St James Sutton St James is a small semi rural Lincolnshire village between Wisbech & Holbeach with a population of approx. 1100 people. Popular for dog walkers. Amenities: 2 butchers, hairdresser, fish & chip shop, pub serving food, gun shop, spar convenience store, primary school with nursery, playing field, farm shop, indoor bowls club. Transport Links: Community transport – dial a bus service. How far is it (Approx.)? Kings Lynn: 18 miles, Spalding: 12 miles, Holbeach: 7 miles, Wisbech: 9 miles, Peterborough: 25 miles, Cambridge: 60 miles. A school was built in the village in 1859. It was enlarged in 1893 to hold up to 166 children. Lying in the Lincolnshire Fens, Sutton St James did not exist at the time of Domesday Book of 1086. Sutton St James was a chapelry to the parish of Long Sutton until it was created a civil parish in 1866. The parish church is dedicated to Saint James and is unusual in that the chancel and tower are disconnected, the nave having been destroyed during the Interregnum, when Oliver Cromwell was Lord Protector of England. St James Tower is grade II* listed dating from the 15th century, and being restored in 1879 and 1894. St James Chancel is grade II listed, and dates from the 15th century although heavily restored in 1879 and 1894, with a 20th-century extension. The font bowl is 15th-century. St Ives Cross is a 14th century butter cross. All that now remains are four steps, the base and twelve inches of the shaft. It stands at the junction of four roads west of the village. It is a scheduled monument and grade II listed. Unusually for a small village, there is another cross located near Old Fen Dyke, which is believed to be a market cross, nearly 0.75 miles (1.21 km) south west of St Ives Cross. Similarly, the base, and part of the shaft are all that survive. It is scheduled and grade II listed. It is believed to be one of a rare group of medieval boundary markers of which only two other crosses survive.

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Outwell Up until 1990 Outwell parish was split with half in Norfolk and half in Cambridgeshire with the boundary falling along the old course of the River Nene. The boundary also cut straight through the middle of the village. In 1935 the part of Outwell which was in Cambridgeshire was reduced in size to enlarge the nearby village of Emneth. Outwell parish today is part of the King's Lynn and West Norfolk local government district. The parish of Upwell in the 2001 census, has a population of 1,880. The village and parish is traversed with many drainage channels which characterize this part of Fenland Norfolk. The eastern corner of the parish is cut north to south by the Middle Level main Drain. Crossing the parish from east to west is the drain called Well Creek. The north and eastern parts of the parish consist of arable and pasture fields, the eastern area referred to as Walsingham Fens and the north area as Well Moors. On the edges of the village there is a small amount of woodland near Birdbeck Field and to the south and at Church Field to the east of the village. It is thought that the name Outwell is derived from old English and derives from the fact that it is a later settlement or extension of nearby village of Upwell, and suggests that the village of Outwell was established during the Saxon period. Well Creek is the back bone for both the villages of Outwell and Upwell, bringing visitors all summer long from up and down the country, particularly popular for narrow boats. Outwell has a range of amenities including convenience stores, insurance & mortgage services, petrol station, butchers, fish & chip shop, car garage, take away, post office, Crown Lodge Hotel & restaurant, primary school, public houses, fruit & veg shop, Golding feeds - pet food, garden centre and florist, electrical contractor and a tyre place. Upwell Upwell is a civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. It covers an area of 27.65 km2 (10.68 sq mi) and had a population of 2,456 in 1,033 households as of the 2001 census. For the purposes of local government, it falls within the district of King's Lynn and West Norfolk. Until 1974 it formed part of the now-defunct Wisbech Rural District. Upwell lies on the A1101 road, the nearest towns being Wisbech to its north-west and Downham Market to its east. It was a place of note in British railway history as the rural tramway, the Wisbech and Upwell Tramway lasted as a freight line until 1966; although it had succumbed to bus competition for passenger traffic as early as 1927. The church is dedicated to St. Peter. It contains two brasses of priests, bearing date from 1435, several monuments, an east window, and carved pulpit. The church stands in the county of Norfolk. Upwell has a local Primary School , The Five Bells public house & restaurant, other public houses, Lils Lily Pad bakery, convenience store, bridal shop, butchers, fish & chip shop, post office, playing field, BMX park, health Centre and a village Hall . The Norfolk Green 60 bus passes through the village to Wisbech each weekday hour with connecting buses available to Kings Lynn and Downham Market. There are a number of bus services that run through Outwell/Upwell as follows: Num. Service (From/To) General Details Operator 60 Outwell to Three Holes Only this direction, Sat (1 trip) Norfolk Green 60 Upwell to Wisbech Only this direction, Mon-Fri (1 trip) Norfolk Green 60 Wisbech to Three Holes Mon to Sat (8 trips) Norfolk Green 65 Wisbech to Downham Market Fri (1 trip) Emblings

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Walpole St Andrew & Walpole St Peter Walpole is a civil parish in the county of Norfolk covering an area of 19.27 km2 (7.44 sq mi), including the villages of Walpole St. Peter and Walpole St. Andrew. Having a population of 1,707 in 654 households as of the 2001 census and falling within the district of King's Lynn and West Norfolk Borough Council. Walpole St Peter & Walpole St Andrew are rural villages and situated between Wisbech, Kings Lynn & Sutton Bridge and are popular with commuters wanting the rural village life but good access to the A17 & A47 roads.

The Norfolk Green bus service number 63 goes from Kings Lynn to Wisbech via the Walpoles approx every 2 hours Monday to Saturdays. Walpole St Peter has a Primary School and in 2011 had approx 156 pupils. There is a small convenience store called Lion Services.

A particular feature is St Peter's Church, the Grade 1 listed parish church located in Walpole St Peter. Known as "the Cathedral of the Fens", the largely Perpendicular building is often regarded as one of England's finest parish churches. Due to its proximity to St Peter's, St Andrew's Church was declared redundant and is under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust. St Peter's was used as the parish church of the fictional village of Fenchurch St Paul in the celebrated 1970s production of Dorothy L Sayer's novel The Nine Tailors, starring Ian Carmichael as Lord Peter Wimsey.

West Walton The village and parish of West Walton is located in the western part of the county of Norfolk. The western flank of the parish is also the county border between Norfolk and Cambridgeshire and is also the course of the River Nene. On the southern flank is the parish of Walsoken. To the north is Walpole and to the east is Marshland St James.

The name West Walton is thought to derive from the Old English meaning of the settlement by the wall which refers to the village's proximity to a Roman sea wall or defence. The parish of West Walton, in the 2001 census, has a population of 1659.

Saint Mary's dates from the 13th century built about 1240 and is unusual in that the church's Campanile, or Bell tower is detached some 60 feet from the main building of the church. The tower is supported at its base by four open arches. At each corner stands a buttress which climb to the pinnacles with gabled niches in the first, second and third storey. The tower is topped with delicately carved parapet walls. The west doorway to the church is flanked on either side by massive buttresses, a result of remedial works carried out here after the foundations failed not long after the church was built. The south porch is arched with arcaded buttress on each side. The nave is arcaded with six bays on each side. The arches are supported on pillars which are encircled by detached shafts crowned with capitals of stone carved foliage. The hammer beamed roof dates from the 15th century and is supported by 24 carved angels holding shields. The bell tower, and the church itself, have been separately designated by English Heritage as Grade I listed buildings. The bell tower is under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust.

The Norfolk Green bus number 46 passes through from Kings Lynn to Wisbech.

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Walsoken is a village attached to the Kings Lynn Side of Wisbech with parts being classed as either Cambridgeshire or Norfolk. The village offers good access to the A47 which bypasses Walsoken on it’s border. The village is bordered by apple orchards - popular with dog walkers.

The village has a mini High Street offering a range of amenities to include a public house with restaurant, village hall, post office & general stores, nursery schools, butchers, Boots pharmacy, fish and chip shops, chinese take way, kebab shop, hairdressers, bookmakers, and on the outskirts also has 2 Aquatic centres, Worzel`s farm shop and café, Bambers garden centre, tea rooms, mini aviation museum, craft shop etc. There is an hourly town circular bus service into Wisbech town centre which gives access to a wider range of shops and facilities plus further transport links to nearby towns & villages.

All Saints' Church in Walsoken is a Grade 1 Listed Building which is a particular feature at eth hearth of the village, especially so by how the spire is lit at night & can be seen for some distance around the village area.

The Church consists of a nave with south and north aisles, chancel with south and north chapels, south porch The nave and chancel are both late Norman and date from c.1146. Above the chancel arch is a 15th century carving of King David with harp. This church is crowned by a prominent west tower with four turrets and a spire which dates from the medieval period. To the base of the tower is the rounded Norman west doorway. The interior of the church has massive Norman arcades which are rich with zigzag moulding decoration. An arch in the chancel is supported on carved banded shafts. On one side is the 15th-century doorway to the old rood loft. The nave roof has painted angels and other figures in delicately canopied niches. There are 15th-century screens in both aisles, one with most intricate tracery, stalls with carved heads, battered figures on old benches, and over the tower arch two paintings of the judgement of Solomon with a statue of a king enthroned between them. The Seven Sacrament font is 400 years plus old. This pre-Reformation font is decorated with sculptures of the crucifixion and seven sacraments (these are; Baptism, Confession, Confirmation, Last Rites, Mass, Matrimony and Ordination), eight saints under rich canopies (these are; Catherine, Paul, John, Magdala, Steven, Margaret, Peter and Dorothea), and round the base this inscription to those friends of the church who gave it: "Remember the souls of S. Honyter and Margaret his wife, and John Benforth, Chaplain 1544". One child baptised at this font grew up to be arch bishop of Canterbury. He was the Rector's boy, Thomas Herring, who became Archbishop in 1747, and a little while before he died put a tablet in the chancel here "in grateful memory of his excellent parents". He was a man of immense enthusiasm and full of generosity. There are several later window insertions throughout. The churches' bell tower has six bells made by Thomas Osborn in Downham Market in 1795. Originally the bells were hung in a frame adjacent to the louvres in the tower. The bells were restored and re-hung in 1901 by the children of Richard Young M.P. for North Cambridgeshire and further work was undertaken in 1956 when the bells were re-hung in a lower position in the tower in an eight bell metal frame. This was to allow for the future provision of two additional bells which has not to date been achieved.

Walsoken was established by the time of the Norman Conquest. The villages population, land ownership and productive resources were detailed in its entry in the Domesday Book of 1085. In the great book Walsoken is recorded by the name Walsocam. The parish was held by the Benedictine Order based at Ramsey Abbey before and after 1066. The survey also records the presence of a fishery.

The name Walsoken is thought to originate from the Old English meaning the district under particular jurisdiction by the wall, which refers to the villages proximity to a Roman sea wall or defence.

Archaeological evidence has found that much of the land of Walsoken of pre-Roman occupation was completely submerged beneath the Iron Age silts. As such, very little early prehistoric archaeology has been recorded. It is thought that some dry land existed within the parish in the Bronze Age as several artefacts from that time period were uncovered in the 19th century. There has been a lot more archaeological evidence found to attest to Roman occupation in the parish, including A dispersed hoard of 300 to 400 Roman coins, mostly of Postumus, but including examples minted by Gallienus and Hostilian which were found via metal detecting in the 1980s.