Great Paxton 1,000 Year Time Line
A 1,000 year time line erected along the church path from the entrance gate to the church door during the latter part of 2020 and then again in 2022 for the delayed 1,000 year celebration. Some significant dates in the 1,000 year history of the village. The dates and events chosen are those that happened in the village or elsewhere that will have had effects felt here directly.
The posts were double sided, each hung with two tiles that came from the chancel roof during a restoration in 2019. The red tiles will have been made elsewhere and are up to 170 years old, the yellow tiles will have been made in the village at a brick works active in the area to the sides of River Lane from the 1600's to 1896.
As .pdf files: 1020 1020-2 1066 1086 1258 1274 1348-51 1350-1400 1540 1588 1605 1642-51 1803-15 1808 1837 1850 1914-18 1939-45 2020 2022
1020 - Work Begins on the Church.
The village of Great Paxton began in Saxon times over 1,000 years ago. The original village was to your left near the edge of what was a water meadow leading down to the river, about where the railway now runs.
Name – Pachstone, Parchestune
Monarch: King Cnut the Great (Canute)
England population: 1.7 million 1000 years ago
1020
Great Paxton church is a rare and special building. It is the only Saxon church in the country with two aisles.
Work on this "Minster" church that served the wider area began in 1020. It was a massive building for the time. Stone buildings were very rare, everything else in the village and surrounding area was timber with wattle and daub walls. There was no tower, it was cross shaped and had a thatched roof.
1066 - The Norman Conquest.
The Norse are driven from England in September.
The Normans invade in October.
People spoke Old English.
Ƿes hāl, Hū ᵹǣþ? Ēadiᵹ, þeċ tō mētenne
Hello,
how are you? Pleased to meet you.
Pronunciation: Wess haal, hoo gath? May lee-koh-deh thetch toe gray-ten-neh.
Monarchs: King Harold Godwinson
William I - The
Conqueror
954 years ago
1086 - The Domesday Book.
Pachstone is recorded as a large and important settlement of 69 households (probably 240-350 people). Houses are spaced along Church Lane, Adams Lane, the High Street and London Lane. It belongs to the Countess Judith, William the Conqueror’s niece.
Monarch: William I - The Conqueror
England population: 1.7 million
934 years ago
1258 - House of Commons is Established.
Parliament meets regularly with representatives from each county for the first time. The Monarch is ruler and there is no voting by ordinary people.
The House considers taxes proposed by the Crown and develops the power to make laws.
Name: Pastona, Pacstonia
Monarch: Henry III of Winchester
England population: 4.2 million
762 years ago
1274 - Chancel Rebuilt.
The first major change to the church came about 250 years after it was built when the chancel collapsed. The original was probably apsidal (rounded). It was rebuilt rectangular as you see today.
Name - Magna Pastona or Magna Paxton
Little Paxton is now established across the river, so our name changes to distinguish the two.
Monarch: Edward I – Edward Longshanks
England population: 4.4 million
746 years ago
1348-1351 - Black Death.
Known at the time as the "Great Pestilence" or "Great Mortality".
40-45% of the population of England (and Europe) is killed in just a few years, this has major effects on society.
Economically, life generally improves for ordinary people as the value of workers increases.
Monarch: Edward III
England population: 4.8 falling to 2.6 million
673-669 years ago
1350-1400 - Church Remodelled.
1350 – Porch added with stone benches for “jurors” to witness marriages.
1380 – Tower built nave shortened.
1400 – Bells installed, they arrived by river. Bell Ford was constructed to unload them, thus giving its name to the adjacent Bell Ford Meadow. There are now six bells regularly rung after refurbishment in 2018.
Monarch: Edward III
670-620 years ago
1540 - Bridge Built.
John Pische (who lived near to where Brookside is now) leaves 6 shillings and 8 pence in his will to build a wooden bridge over Sallow Brook at the bottom of Paxton Hill to replace the ford. People and animals can now cross for the first time with dry feet.
Name: Much Paxton / Magna Paxton
Monarch: Henry VIII
England population: 2.8 million
480 years ago
1588 - Spanish Armada.
The churchwarden’s accounts record a list as preparation against possible Spanish invaders.
"A note of what Furniture of Armor belongeth to Much Paxton taken the vijth Julie 1588"
Fortunately the arms recorded were not needed.
Name: Much Paxton / Magna Paxton
Monarch: Elizabeth I
England population: 3.6 million
432 years ago
1605 - Guy Fawkes and Gunpowder Plot.
A failed attempt to blow up King James I and Parliament on November 5th, 1605.
Bonfire Night with fireworks and the burning of a “Guy” has remembered this event ever since.
Monarch: James I
England population: 4.2 million
415 years ago
1642 -1651 - English Civil War.
Roundheads and Cavaliers fought 3 wars over 9 years. Great Paxton church was under the protection of Oliver Cromwell (leader of the Roundheads) who was living at Huntingdon for part of this time.
Monarch: Charles I – beheaded 1649
England population: 5 million
371 years ago
1803-15 - Napoleonic Wars – Battle of Waterloo.
Taxation to pay for the war and changes in the law such as enclosure in 1811-12 and the removal of commons rights such as wood gathering, clay collection for bricks, and gleaning grain for food, made this a hard time for many in Great Paxton.
Name: Great Paxton
Monarch: George III
England population: 7.8 - 8.8 million
217-205 years ago
1808 - Annie Izzard the Great Paxton Witch.
Annie Izzard, who lived with her family in a house along the spinney, is accused of witchcraft by villagers and attacked. Annie is given support from the Rev. Nicholson (his grave is in the church). Her tormentors are tried first at Huntingdon and then in London at the highest court in England before being imprisoned.
Great Paxton population: 217 in 36 households, half the village were in receipt of charity.
212 years ago
1837 - Victoria Becomes Queen at just 18 years old.
The Victorian period was one of enormous social, economic and technological change. Britain became a world leading industrial power, the British Empire expanded, slavery ended, the railway boom begins, vaccination for the poor is introduced, public parks are opened and the first peacetime income tax introduced, all in the first ten years.
England population: 14.9 million
183 years ago
1850 - Railway Arrives.
The railway passes by Great Paxton but doesn’t stop here; St. Neots and Offord get stations. Long distances can be travelled quickly and fairly cheaply by ordinary people for the first time, after walking to the station.
Monarch: Victoria
England population: 15.3 million
170 years ago
1914-1918 - First World War.
The “Great War”, the war to end all wars
Great Paxton's 1914 population: 268
33 went to
war, 11 didn’t return. Their names are inscribed on
the stone memorial nearby.
Monarch: George V
England population: 34 million
106-102 years ago
1939-1945 - Second World War.
3 young men from Great Paxton lost their lives in the Second World War, their names are inscribed on the stone memorial nearby.
On Christmas Eve 1944, 7 young men lost their lives when their Lancaster bomber PB366 crashed behind where Brookside is now just after take-off from Graveley airfield.
Monarch: George VI
England population: 38 million
81-75 years ago
2020 - 1000th Anniversary of the Church.
Covid-19 Pandemic, the most significant nationwide
event since WW2.
Lockdown, travel restrictions, huge
changes to how people work, schools shut for months,
little traffic, the quiet of 100 years ago.
Monarch: Elizabeth II
England population: 57 million
2022 - Post Pandemic (hopefully)
Making up for time lost during the lockdowns. People are able to meet and gather without restriction, families and friends re-unite and travel resumes.
War in Europe, inflation and rising costs mean the future is uncertain once again.
Queen Elizabeth II celebrates 70 years as monarch.
