Little Thetford/ˈlit(ə)l'θetfɔːd/ is a small picturesquevillage 3 miles (4.8 km) south of Ely in Cambridgeshire, England. Geographically, the village is on an island surrounded by flat fenland countryside, typical for the East of England region. In the Mesolithic era, the fenland basin was dry and forested, although subjected to salt, and fresh water incursions. Thus the marshes and meres of this fenland may have been difficult to occupy, other than seasonally. There is evidence of human settlement on the island since the late Neolithic age, whilst a Bronze agecauseway linked the village with the nearby Barway, to the south-east. A small Pre-Roman Iron Agepottery was discovered, underneath a more substantial Romano-British pottery, on village land. The Roman roadAkeman Street passed through the north-west corner of the parish, whilst the lost Anglo-Saxon village of Cratendune, c. 7th-century, may be nearby.
The 10th century Old English name, lȳtel Thiutforda, suggests a ford across the nearby River Great Ouse, which today forms most of the village's eastern boundary. Ælfwaru, an 11th century Anglo-Saxon noblewoman, was the first documented landowner of the village, granting her lands to the Abbots of Ely Abbey in 1007. The village was listed as the fishery, Liteltetford, in the Domesday Book. Pasture farming, and harvesting of reeds, peat, and rushes were the other dominant activities of the time. Notable buildings in the village date from the 14th century. The draining of the land, which commenced in the 17th century, led to an arable farming culture, which continues to this day. Little Thetford resisted the Parliamentary Inclosure Acts of William IV for seven years, which may have led to the strong Baptist following amongst the poor of the village. About half of Little Thetford was eventually enclosed under the Parliamentary Inclosure Thetford Act of Victoria. Coprolite was mined on village land during the late 19th century.
The river flooding, which affected thirty counties in England in March 1947, caused the River Great Ouse to break its banks at Little Thetford. Heavy rain following a very severe winter overwhelmed the rivers throughout England. It was the worst flooding in over two hundred years. The dismantled Ely and St Ives Railway, crossed the A10 road at Thetford corner. Little Thetford to London by road is about 76 miles (122 kilometres). The Cambridge station to Ely station section of the Fen Line passes through the east of the village. The rail journey from Little Thetford to London, via Ely, takes about 75 minutes. Occupying an area of 2 square miles (5 km2), and with a population of 693, Little Thetford is the smallest civil parish in the ward of Stretham.
There is evidence of human settlement at Little Thetford from the Neolithic age. A 1996 search along the Anglian Water pipeline at Little Thetford—Cawdle Fen, uncovered an important and unusually dense concentration of late Neolithic (3000–2201 BC) remains.[2] This is unusual because, although the fenland basin was dry and forested during the Mesolithic era, the area was sometimes subject to marine incursions, and at other times, fresh water flooding. This led to marshes and open water areas which may have been difficult to settle on—except perhaps for seasonal activity.[3] A Neolithic polished flintaxe (4000–2201 BC) was found in the village in 1984 at Bedwell Hay farm.[4] Fourteen flints (4000 BC–42 AD) of various finishes were also discovered in 1998 at the same site.[5]
A more substantial Bronze age settlement is known to have existed. A causeway was deduced in 1934, from wooden piles unearthed by the farmer, between Little Thetford and Barway. A Bronze age ring (2500–701 BC) and a late Bronze age sherd (1000–401 BC) were excavated nearby.[6] There have been a number of Bronze age finds in the area, including a Bronze age (2500–701 BC) palstave at nearby Fordey farm, Barway,[7] and at Little Thetford, a middle Bronze age (1600–1001 BC) rapier in 1953,[8] and a late Bronze age (1000–701 BC) flesh-hook in 1929.[9]
A Romano-British farm (c. 200 AD), largely following a previous Iron age settlement (200–100 BC), was discovered during the Watson's Lane development in 1994. Pre-Roman Iron Age and Romano-British pottery was found on the site, as well as human skeletal remains. A single-flue-chamber pottery kiln was also uncovered.[10] Roofing tile fragments were near the kiln, including tegulae, imbrices, lydions, pedales[11] and sequipedales.[12] The Roman road Akeman Street is three-quarters of a mile (1.2 km) due west of the village.[13]
A middle Saxon pendant (601–700 AD) was discovered in a field in Little Thetford in 1952. This 1.2 inches (3 cm) diameter by 0.39 inches (1 cm) thick crystal, gold, garnet, and amethyst pendant has been worked in a lathe. The workmanship is not of a high standard.[14] It was said that King Æthelberht had built a church at Cratendune (c. 600 AD), about a mile from the what is now Ely Cathedral. In 673 AD, Æthelthryth considered restoring this church, thought to have been destroyed by Penda, King of Mercia, but instead made what is now Ely Cathedral the site of her monastery.[15] An early Anglo Saxon cemetery (410–1065 AD), uncovered in 1947 near Little Thetford, was thought to be this lost village of Cratendune.[16] A deserted Saxon settlement (410–1065 AD), examined in 1999 in Ely, may also be a candidate for this lost site of worship.[17][18]
Toponymists have classified the place name, Little Thetford—Old English lȳtel Thiutforda (c. 972) and Liteltetford (1086), distinct from Thetford, Norfolk—Old English Thēodford (late 9th century).[19] A Domesday Book record exists for the settlement under the name Liteltetford.[20] The first written evidence that Ely Abbey, founded in 673 AD by Æthelthryth, had inherited the Little Thetford lands, was in the 12th century chronicle, Liber Eliensis. From this work, we know that Ælfwaru (d. 1007), an Anglo Saxon noblewoman, granted her estates in Cambridgeshire, and Norfolk, to the Abbey.[21] In 1110, Hervey le Breton, Bishop of Ely, granted the manor to William Brito, his Archdeacon and also his nephew.[22] Chapel Hill in the village, near the river, commemorates the site of Harrimere chapel, used since 1381.[13] Some of the stone from this chapel, dismantled in 1571, was used in the building of St George's Church. By 1539, the Little Thetford manor and its estates contained arable land, pasture, gardens, and orchards.[23] In the mid-sixteenth century, the antiquary William Bowyer owned the farm.[24]
There had been a windmill (1066–1900 AD) in Thetford Field, west of the main built up area of the village.[25] This may have been the site of the look-out tower, village legend says had been used during the Norman Conquest by Hereward the Wake's defence of the Isle of Ely.[nb 1] The stump of a Tower_mill|windmill (1540–1900 AD), in the centre of the village, was converted into a house. The site of this mill is where the Roundhouse still stands to this day.[26] The Harrimere windmill, on the east bank of the River Great Ouse, at Barway, was run by one family for many years.[27] The chain ferry linked Barway with Little Thetford.[28]
An Enclosure Act is a parliamentary authority to fence-off common land, thus making that land private property, whilst awarding commoners a piece of land in compensation. Inclosue is the name given to the parliamentary statute thus created.[29] The process started in the 13th century and was supported by Acts of Parliament from 1640.[30] In November 1833, Ely intended to apply for Acts of Parliament to enclose the lands of Little Thetford.[31] Officials arrived in the village armed with nothing more than a notice to be pinned on the Church of England's St. George's church door. They were prevented from doing so by a dozen villagers. The officials returned later with ten constables, authorised by Ely magistrates. This time, the officials were confronted by 150 stick-wielding protesters, who continued to prevent due process. When the clergyman, Henry Harvey Barber, arrived the following afternoon, he was prevented from carrying out his normal Sunday service.[32] Villagers may have rebelled against the church at this time, perhaps believing it was acting on behalf of the establishment in the enclosure acts.[nb 1] This event may have been the trigger that, five years later, encouraged a strong Baptist following amongst the poorer villagers. About half the total area of Little Thetford[33] was eventually enclosed in 1844, seven years after those of Stretham.[34][35]
Little Thetford Main Street, 1906. Three Horse Shoes public house on left. Thatched building, c. 13 century, on right which burned down on 6 November 1930
One of the thatched houses in Little Thetford was destroyed by fire.[39] Reported in the Cambridge Chronicle 6 November, 1930, the cause of the fire at the c. 13th century six-room building was not known. Fireworks were being discharged at the other end of the village. All that remained were burnt beams and smouldering walls, which were apparently made of old fen-mud. The villagers saved the nearby Three Horseshoes public house, by forming a bucket chain, and pouring water on its thatched roof.[40]
A Luftwaffe plane overflew the village in mid-January 1941, firing at haystacks and houses. No one was hurt in the attack, though one tracer bullet narrowly missed a guest at Home Farm.[41] In 2010, the local historian, Mike Petty, commented:
It is a good job the attack did not happen on the 18 January 1941: otherwise it could have changed the course of British history. The King and Queen of England travelled [past the village] up the A10 by car to open the R.A.F. hospital [in Ely] that day.[42]
The river floods from mid-March of 1947 affected over 1,000 square miles (2,600 km2) of England. Thirty counties were underwater for nearly two weeks, during the worst flooding for over two-hundred years.[44] Prior to the flooding, snow had been falling continuously since 23 January with drifts, in some places, up to 23 feet (7.0 m) deep. The winter of 1946–1947 had been very severe. It was also very cold, with mean average temperatures 4 °C (39 °F) below normal, for that time of year.[45] As the thaw began in mid-March, the warmer weather brought heavy rains. The rain running off the frozen ground, combined with the thaw, overwhelmed multiple rivers in England and eastern Wales, which flooded. The River Great Ouse collapsed at Little Thetford on 19th March[44], flooding over 3 square miles (7.8 km2) of nearby land. The army was drafted in to help repair the river banks, helped by villagers, including women, and German prisoners.[46]
The village hall, built in 1958, hosts the village social club, which started in a small extension to the hall in 1973. The club was extended in 1981, as the membership had grown to over 400. Ely Member of Parliament, Mr. Clement Freud, opened the new room, built mainly by members themselves, on 7 May 1981.[47]
Governance
Horseshoes, 17th century thatched cottage, formerly Three Horse Shoes public house
In 1929, Stretham and Little Thetford were together, one of the twelve parishes, in the South Witchford Hundred.[48] At that time, the total hundreds area was 58 square miles (150 km2) and contained twelve parishes.[49][50] The village of Little Thetford is coterminous with the civil parish of Thetford. The civil parish today is in the ward of Stretham, which comprises three civil parishes, Stretham, Thetford, and Wilburton, each of which has an elected council. Thetford seems to be the preferred administrative name used for the village. This is easily confused with Thetford in Norfolk. The local newspapers have used Thetford-in-the-Isle (1822) to avoid this confusion.[51]Parish council services include bus shelters, cemeteries, shared equity housing, local planning consultation, play areas, village halls, and war memorials. Parish council meetings are held in the village hall situated in each civil parish.[52] Little Thetford is also an ecclesiastical parish, although the church no longer has the same administrative responsibilities as it had until the early 19th century. A civil parish need not cover the same area as an ecclesiastical parish, but in the case of Little Thetford, they do.[53]
The civil parish councils were governed by Ely Rural District council from 1894 until 1974.[54]East Cambridgeshire District Council (ECDC) was formed in 1974 with administration buildings in Ely. The district council collects taxes, provides services such as building regulations and local planning, leisure and tourism, handles issues strategic to the district, and many other services. ECDC is in turn governed by Cambridgeshire County Council which has administration buildings in Cambridge. The county council provides county-wide services such as major road infrastructure, fire and rescue, libraries and heritage, and strategic planning.[52] A mobile library visits the village every fortnight.[55]
Tornado over the flat fenland countryside around Little Thetford
The village is on a boulderclay island sitting on a belt of mainly Jurassic, e.g., Kimmeridge, clays running south-west from The Wash. Surrounding the island are flat tracts of land consisting of geologically more recent river gravel, alluvium, and fen deposits. To the east of the area is a south-west running belt of Cretaceouschalk. To the west, again running south-west, is a scarp belt of middle-Jurassic limestone, sandstone, etc.[56][57]
The flat fenland countryside around the village, typical for the region, lies about 16 feet (5 metres) above sea-level. The highest point in the area is 85 feet (26 m) above sea-level at Ely, three-mile (5 km) north.[58] In contrast, the highest point in Cambridgeshire, 479 feet (146 metres) above sea-level, is at Great Chishill, 24 miles (39 kilometres) almost due south. Holme at nine feet (2.75 m) below sea-level is East Cambridgeshire's (and the United Kingdom's) lowest point, and is 22 miles (35 kilometres) north-west.[59]
Boundaries
The A10 road forms most of the western boundary. The fourth longest river in the United Kingdom, the River Great Ouse, forms most of the eastern boundary. The northern boundary of the village extends from the north of Bedwell Hey farm then eastwards across the A10 road to the River Great Ouse. Braham farm falls just outside the village boundary to the north. The southern boundary encloses the Stretham coprolite pits, between Hundred Acre and Holt Fen, thus putting the pits firmly within the Little Thetford boundary.[58] The size of the parish has changed. It was two-and-a-half-square mile (6.5 km2) in 1861; one-point-seven-square mile (4.4 km2) between 1891 and 1931; then changed to the present value of two-square mile (5.2 km2) from 1951 onwards.[60]
Village green with part of the Thetford catchwater drain on the left
There are many man-made waterways, or Lodes nearby, including Wicken Lode and Soham Lode. Researchers suggest the Fenland Lodes are Roman in origin—almost certainly Soham Lode.[61] Other researchers disagree, presenting a case for such lodes being Anglo-Saxon or later.[62] The nearby Denny Abbey (c. 12th century) is built near a Roman causeway between Cambridge and Stretham.[63] The Thetford catchwater (drain) runs north-east to south-west around the eastern edge of the built-up part of the village.[58]
The Earl of Bedford carried out extensive venture-capital led Fen draining schemes in the 17th century. The Fens continue to be drained to this day. Wicken Fen, one of Britain's oldest nature reserves, is two-mile (3 km) south-east of the village. Little Thetford is in the Littleport and DownhamInternal Drainage board, which itself is part of the Ely Group of Internal Drainage Boards.[64] Stretham and Prickwillow local museums preserve examples of steam-driven and diesel-drivenpumping stations, respectively.[65][66] The Little Thetford pumping station is just inside the eastern boundary of the village.[67]
Climate
With an average annual rainfall of 24 inches (600 mm), Cambridgeshire is one of the driest counties in the British Isles. Protected from the cool onshore coastal breezes east of the region, Cambridgeshire is warm in summer and cold and frosty in winter.[68] Regional weather forecasting and historical summaries are available from the UK Met Office.[69][70] The nearest Met Office weather station is Cambridge NIAB. Additional local weather stations report periodic figures to the internet such as Weather Underground, Inc.[71]
Between 1881 and 1961, the village population density remained static at around 81/sq mi (31/km2).[72] In contrast, the England and Wales figures for the same period almost doubled, rising from around 480/sq mi (190/km2) to around 768/sq mi (297/km2). Little Thetford is in output area classification zones (CGM) six and seven. The area is classified as type three-C, accessible countryside.[73] In this classification, most residents work from home employed in agriculture of fishing. The areas in this classification are less densely populated than other areas of the country. The usually detached households generally have 2+ cars. Varied ethnic backgrounds are less likely in such areas.[74]
The marshes[21] and meres surrounding the village supported fishing since Saxon times, at least until significant draining during the 17th century. Eels were the predominant species and were often used as a currency. In 1086 for example, Little Thetford was worth 3,250 eels to the nearby Abbots of the Isle of Ely (Eel–ey).[20] The islands in this landscape supported pastures; whilst reeds, peat, and Juncaceae|rushes were harvested from the wetlands.[76] As the land was drained, arable farming became the dominant activity, as it is today.[73] There is a vineyard on Elysian Fields at Bedwell Hey farm.[77]
Litte Thetford had its own part to play in the coprolite mining rush, c. 1858–1900.[78] Coprolites are phosphate-rich fossils found 2 and 10 feet (0.61 and 3.05 m) below the surface in 33 feet (10 m) deep by rarely more than 5 miles (8.0 km) wide Gault clay beds. When mixed with sulphuric acid, the coprolite forms a fertiliser.[79] One author attributes the Stretham coprolite pit, in Little Thetford, as being owned by John Bailey Denton (1814–1893), the surveyor and civil engineer. The site, behind and to the left of the photographer in the Fish and Duck image, was worked from 1866. Mainly local labour was used in shovelling the coprolite from the pit, for washing and sorting. In 1871, six-percent of the population of Little Thetford worked at the pit. The coprolite was transported to the James Fison (now Fisons Ltd) factory in Ipswich, Suffolk, by river and then by the railway.[80][81]
The Three Horseshoes, now a residential property,[82] was one of seven public houses, known to be within the village boundaries since the mid-19th century. The British Beer and Pub Association estimated in 2001 that "six rural pubs close each week".[83] The last public house in Little Thetford was the Fish and Duck. It was situated along the river nearer Stretham. It closed in 2005 and has since been demolished. There is a combined newsagent, post office, and grocery store in Stretham, 2 miles (3.2 km) south of the village.[84] The one remaining local store is the recumbent bicycle shop, D.Tek, along the main street.[85]
The average distance the village population travels to work, by any means, is 13.6 miles (21.9 km).[86] Most residents commute to Cambridge, although some villagers use the 75-minute Fen Line commuter service to London from Ely railway station, 2 miles (3.2 km) away. There is a train every 30 minutes during peak time.[87]
Community facilities
April Thatch cottage, 18th century
Sports and social activities including regular quiz-nights, netball, and cricket, are held in and around the village hall.[nb 4] The hall is a brick building erected in 1958.[nb 5] The larger of the two village greens is used as a play area. A picnic bench shaded by large trees is available for passing walkers. The green has a full-sized basketball hoop at one end. Dog control orders are in force.[88] The web site Walking World indicates that two walks pass through the village. The Little Thetford–River Great Ouse–Little Thetford walk is across farmland and woodland, including the River Great Ouse Path. The circular Little Thetford–Stretham–Little Thetford walk passes through Cambridgeshire countryside, with tree-lined grassy avenues and open fields.[89]
Saffron WaldenAngling Club, formed in 1960, has a number of venues, including Little Thetford on the River Great Ouse. Fish species caught, along the weed and reed-lined river at Little Thetford, include Roach, Bream, Rudd, Perch and Bleak. In addition, some Tench to 6 pounds (3 kg) and rarely Carp have been landed.[90] A family run all-year-round grass camp site is in the village. It has 36 pitches for caravans or tents, with toilet facilities, showers, a laundry room, a vegetable preparation area, and washing-up facilities.[91]
Notable buildings
Round House, 15th century
St. George's church is a 14th century stone building with slate roof. The roof was thatched until 1863 when the church was heavily restored. Today, the Church consists of a chancel, nave, north porch, and south vestry. The octagonal bowl font still has an original lead lining. St. George's Church, a Grade II* listed building, is part of the Ely Team Ministry. A flower festival is held at the church every two years.[92][93][94][95][96] The Baptist chapel was erected in 1867 on the site of its 1839 predecessor.[97][98]
The Round House is thought to be a late 15th century dovecote. A Sun Firemark insurance policy still exists, number 616606, dated July 1793. It is the earliest known written record of the house.[99] Other sources suggest the Round House is a 18th century thatched cottage, similar to the South African rondavel.[100] A further source classifies this building as a post Medieval (1540–1900 AD) windmill.[101] A family of thirteen children lived in the building during the 19th century.[nb 6] The now private dwelling was re-thatched in 2009.[99]
The Horseshoes is a Grade II listed residential thatched cottage which was originally the Three Horseshoes public house, closed in 1970.[28] This 17th century pink painted cottage is built to follow the curve of the road.[102] April Thatch is a former public house, now a Grade II listed residential property. This white painted early 18th century cottage, used to be the Rose & Crown.[nb 6][103]
Transport
Stretham disused railway station near Little Thetford
A half-mile (1 km) section of the Roman road Akeman Street is shown, three-quarters of a mile (1.2 km) due west of the village, on the 1903 Ordnance Survey map. This straight north-north-east portion originates from Stretham and heads towards Ely.[13] Road vehicle entry to the village is now from the A10 road at Thetford Corner. Approach the village driving north when arriving from Cambridge or driving south when arriving from Ely. Stagecoach operate the X9 bus service, Cambridge to March via Ely. This service stops near The Wyches, Thetford Corner.[104][105] The village is a cul-de-sac to road vehicles, with no possible passage except in and out. It is a five-minute walk to the River Great Ouse from the eastern end of Holt Fen.[106]
The former Ely and St Ives Railway crossed the A10 road at Thetford Corner. Passenger service ceased in February 1931. The line was never popular due to the high cost of travel. In 1866, a year after the Ely—Sutton section opened, for example, the 7.5 miles (12.1 km) return journey from Ely to Sutton cost 2s 0d.[107] That would equate to a cost of almost GBP12 at present worth, [108] as of 2024.[109] The line completely closed in 1964. The nearest station was Stretham railway station, situated on nearby Grunty Fen.[110] The Fen Line, Cambridge to Ely railway is close to the River Great Ouse as they both pass the village. Little Thetford "...presents a picturesque appearance from the railway. The main line running close to its eastern end".[111] The nearest station is at Ely, 2 miles (3.2 km) north-east of the village. London is then only about one hour 15 minutes away by rail.
There is access to the village by boat. The River Great Ouse passes by the eastern part of the village, forming much of the village's eastern boundary.[106] There are mooringbollards inside the village boundary. The privately owned 1945 de Havilland Dragon Rapide, based at the Shuttleworth Trust'sOld Warden airfield, passes over the village during sightseeing tours to Ely.[112] A privately maintained microlight airfield is located at Bedwell Hey in the village.[113]
Little Thetford School is a Church of EnglandPrimary school. In 1870, there was a school in the village using run-down premises lent by Townsend's Feoffee, now the John Townsend charity.[114] Following local subscriptions and charitable donations, a 75 place school, designed by J.P. St. Aubyn, was erected in 1872.[115] This late Victorian building now provides education to around 100 pupils.[116] The school was ranked joint-top in all of Cambridgeshire by aggregate-scores in all three key-stage 2 test subjects in 2009.[117] The secondary education school, City of Ely Community College, is 5 miles (8 km) from the village.[118] The independent King's school, established c. 970, is also in Ely. King's provides education to pupils of nursery age through to international study.[119]
Public services
St. George's Church, 14th century
Anglian Water supplies the village water and sewage services from their Ely Public Water Supply zone FE33. The water quality was reported as excellent in 2009. In the same report, the hardness was reported as 304 mg/l. This is in the hard range of the scale which is more than moderately hard and less than very hard. The nearest reservoir, Grafham Water, is 24 miles (39 km) due-west from the village.[120]
The Distribution Network Operator for electricity is EDF Energy. The largest straw burning power station in the world is at nearby Sutton. This renewable energy resource power station rated at 36.85 MW from burning Biomass, nearly 25 percent of the total renewable energy reported for Cambridgeshire in 2009.[121] The worlds largest poultry litter power plant, 38.5 MW, at Thetford, refers to the other Thetford in Norfolk.[122]
East Cambridgeshire District Council are part of the Recycling in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough (RECAP) Partnership, which was granted Beacon status for waste and recycling in 2006–2007.[123]
National health services (NHS) for the village are administered by NHS East of England. Acute cases are handled by 4 hospitals, including Addenbrooke's Hospital, 16 miles (26 km) south and Papworth Hospital 24 miles (39 km) south-west of the village. The nearest doctors surgery is Haddenham Surgery, Stretham, 2 miles (3.2 km) south of the village. This is a satellite surgery for the main surgery in Haddenham, Cambridgeshire, 5 miles (8 km) west of the village.[124]
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^"Intention to apply for an Act of Parliament to enclose lands in Little Thetford". Cambridge Chronicle and University Journal. Cambridgeshire Collection. 15 November 1833. p. 1. ((cite news)): Check date values in: |date= (help)
^"Revolt at Little Thetford". Cambridge Chronicle and University Journal. Cambridgeshire Collection. 29 November 1833. p. 3. ((cite news)): Check date values in: |date= (help)
^Young, Robert (April 2009). "The Great War: Those who took part". Little Thetford dot org: Local History. Little Thetford .org. Retrieved 8 July 2010. ((cite web)): Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
^"Blaze in Thetford". The Cambridge Chronicle. 6 November 1930. ((cite news)): |access-date= requires |url= (help); Check date values in: |accessdate= and |date= (help)
^"Raider machine guns village". The Cambridgeshire Times. Archant, Herts and Cambs. 24 January 1941. p. 5. ((cite news)): |access-date= requires |url= (help); Check date values in: |accessdate= and |date= (help)
^"Their Majesties Visit R.A.F. Hospital". The Cambridgeshire Times. Archant, Herts and Cambs. 24 January 1941. p. 5. ((cite news)): |access-date= requires |url= (help); Check date values in: |accessdate= and |date= (help)
^Young, Robert (April 2009). "The Second World War : 1939 – 1945". Little Thetford dot org: Local History. Little Thetford .org. Retrieved 8 July 2010. ((cite web)): Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
^Petty, Mike (April 2009). "Looking back stories". Cambridgeshire & the fens. Mike Petty. Retrieved 8 July 2010. ((cite web)): Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
^Petty, Mike (2001). Memory Lane Ely and the Fens. Breedon Books Publishing. p. 136. ISBN1859832156.
^Wallace, Murial (1 March 1822), "Transcript of stories from the Ely Chronicle", Ely Chronicle, vol. I ((citation)): |access-date= requires |url= (help); Check date values in: |year= and |year= / |date= mismatch (help)
^"The museum of fenland drainage". Prickwillow engine trust, registered charity in England (charity number 285139). 2008. Retrieved 15 June 2010. ((cite web)): Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
^"Train Times"(pdf). First capital connect. 23 May to 11 December 2010. Retrieved 16 June 2010. ((cite web)): Check date values in: |accessdate= and |date= (help)
^Walking World Ltd (1999, 2010). "Find a Walk". Walking World Ltd. Retrieved May 2010. ((cite web)): Check date values in: |accessdate= and |date= (help)
^Saffron Walden Angling Club. "Club waters". Club Website. Saffron Walden Angling Club. Retrieved 30 May 2010.
^"X9 Timetable"(pdf). Cambridgeshire County Council. 7 June 2010 until 7 July 2010. Retrieved 14 June 2010. ((cite web)): Check date values in: |accessdate= and |date= (help)
^X9 route map(pdf) (Map). Cambridgeshire County Council. 7 June 2010 until 7 July 2010. Retrieved 14 June 2010. ((cite map)): Check date values in: |accessdate= and |date= (help)
^ abMap of Little Thetford (Map) (2010 Tele Atlas ed.). Google maps. Retrieved 15 June 2010. ((cite map)): Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
^Oppitz (1989) East Anglia railways remembered pp. 58–59
Edwards, David N (May 1996). "An Archaeological Investigation along the route of the Anglian Water Pipeline between Little Thetford and Cawdle Fen". Cambridge Archaeological Unit report (173). University of Cambridge. ((cite journal)): |access-date= requires |url= (help)
Kirby, Tony (2000). An Atlas of Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire History. Centre for Regional Studies, Anglia Polytechnic University, Cambridge. ISBN9780907262190. ((cite book)): Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
Lethbridge, T.C (1934). "Investigations of the Ancient Causeway in the Fen between Fordy and Little Thetford". Proceedings of the Cambridge Antiquarian Society. XXXV: 86–89. ((cite journal)): |access-date= requires |url= (help)
Mills, A.D. (1991, 1998). A dictionary of British place-names. Oxford University press. ISBN0198527586. ((cite book)): Check date values in: |date= (help)
Fairweather, Janet (2005). [Google Books[[Liber Eliensis]]: a history of the Isle of Ely from the seventh century to the twelfth]. The Boydell Press. ISBN1843830159. ((cite book)): Check |url= value (help); URL–wikilink conflict (help)
Grove, Richard (1976). "Coprolite Mining in Cambridgeshire"(PDF). The British Agricultural History Society. XXIV (1): 36–43. Retrieved 5 July 2010. ((cite journal)): Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Text "University of Sussex" ignored (help)
