Copyright cambridge-news
A stunning Cambridgeshire village with a rich history has a name people struggle to pronounce. Cambridgeshire is full of many villages, some with easy names to pronounce, and other names that are harder. One is Great Staughton, around eight miles from Huntingdon. With the ‘augh’ in the middle of Staughton, people think it is pronounced ‘Great Store-ton’, when its correct pronunciation is ‘Great Stow-ton’. This village has a "surprisingly rich and varied history” behind it, according to Great Staughton Parish Council. The Romans were the first to settle in the village, but it wasn’t until 600 years after the Romans left when the village first appeared in historical documents. This was when it appeared in a charter in AD989 when Aelfhelm Polga, a loyal knight of King Edgar, donated a church and Parish of Stoctune to nearby Ramsey Abbey. Despite its rich history, the village is most famous for a sundial which dates back to 1637, as well as its 17th century coaching inn, The White Hart. The sundial has the initials E.I carved on it, and this is believed to be for Edmund Ibbutt, who was a major landowner in Great Staughton between 1630 and the 1660s. The White Hart has a narrow entrance that mirrors the days of horse drawn coaches. Since then, it has been extended and altered. Oliver Cromwell, regarded as one of the most important figures in British history due to his military roles, came to the pub with his troops during the English Civil War. Today, the establishment serves traditional pub food to its customers, with meat provided by a local butcher. It also has five star ratings from its customers. Large traditional houses fill the streets of this village, with only around 850 living there, as stated on the 2021 census. Over the last year, house prices have averaged at around £310,000. It has one primary school called Great Staughton Primary Academy. Nearby towns to Great Staughton include St Neots and Huntingdon, providing it with good transport links.
