England's biggest village?

Cottingham has for years taken pride in its claim to being "England's biggest village."
Situated on the outskirts of Hull it is an ancient parish which successfully mixes old with new.
Despite continuing urban sprawl Cottingham retains its village tradition. Here we take a look at Cottingham down the centuries...
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Hull’s need for good water supplies led to open conflict with people in surrounding areas. In 1376 the mayor and burgesses of Hull complained to the King that their town had no fresh water - only that brought in by boats from Lincolnshire. The King decided action was needed and ordered that a canal should be cut to take water which was pure from the springs at Hessle, Anlaby and Cottingham. But people in the villages were far from impressed and about one thousand of them banded together to protect their interests. The result - they armed themselves with clubs and any other weapon they could find and invaded Hull, ransacking houses and attacking residents. All water supplies were cut off. But Hull fought back and the rebels retreated to Cottingham where they encamped until the sheriff of the county arrived and dispersed them. And that was that. The ringleaders were rounded and some of them executed at York. About 30 were pardoned after expressing penitence and promiing good behaviour. But the affair did not end there. Disturbances contnued for over 20 years.
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The capers of the Plough Lads were a tradition which brought mayhem to Cottingham and the surrounding area. The last time the lads were in action was on Plough Monday (the first Monday in January) in 1880. Several men from the village blackened their faces and put straw in their hair, and carrying collection boxes, toured the village to demand money from local people.That was just the beginning. The day ended at Springhead House - now the Springhead Golf Club headquarters - with a drunken orgy.
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It is today an area of Cottingham known as "New Village" but years ago its title was much more down to earth - Paupers' Gardens.
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Some historians believe Cottingham was an Anglian clan station - the ham or settlement of the Cottings, a tribal name found in Cottingwith (East Riding), Cottingley (West Yorkshire), Cottingham (Northamptonshire), and Cottenham (Cambridgeshire).
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The earliest owner of Cottingham was Gamel, the son of Osbert, who held it in the reign of Edward the Confessor.
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Cottingham's parish church, dedicated to St Mary, is a stone built cruciform structure dating back to 1272 on the site of an earlier church. One writer in the 19th Century recorded: "The edifice exhibits in every detail, refinement of taste and harmony of proportion, and stands out in bold contrast to the barn like structures erected in the 17th, 18th and the first half of the present century..."
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Baynard Castle was once the centre of local power in the Cottingham area. It stood west of the then village and was surrounded by a moat and dyke. According to one romantic story published in the late 19th Century: "In 1541 Henry V111 was in Hull and hearing of the exquisite beauty of Lady Wake determined to see the lovely Venus himself. he according despatched messengers to Lord Wake (the castle's owner) informing him that the next day he would honour Baynard Castle by a visit. Lord Wake, knowing the amorous tendencies of his monarch, was afraid to risk the honour and virtue of his wife by receiving a royal Bluebeard into his house. To decline the royal visit would be an offence which would probably cost hiom his life; he, therefore, determined to prerve ther honour of his house and the virtue of his wife by scrificing his property. Under the cover of night Lord and Lady Wake departed from the castle, and the steward, acting upon instructions previously received, set fire to the building. In the morning nothing remained of the noble mansion but a black pile of smouldering ruins. News was conveyed to the king next morning of the destruction of the castle by an accidental fire and Henry, to show his sympathy, offered the unfortunate nobleman £2,000 towards rebuilding it, which munificent offer was politely refused. The story is, however, untrue The castle had disappeared long before the date given.
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The inter-war period of the last century saw Cottingham become home to the Hull University halls of residence.
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In 1322 Thomas, Lord Wake, of Lydel, founded an Augustinian priory in Cottingham which stood immediately south-west of the point where the railway line now crosses Northgate. But there were doubts as to whether his ownership of the site was absolute so two years later the priory was rebuilt about one mile south of Cottingham.
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In 1327 Thomas Wake was allowed to replace his manor house at Cottingham with Baynard Castle which was to be regularly garrisoned.
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Cottingham church was described as "beautiful...of cathedralesque proportions, the architectural sister of Beverley Minster," by Vera Brittain after she visited her friend, novelist Winifred Holtby,who spent some of her later life in Cottingham.
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A directory printed in 1846 recorded that Cottingham was "a large and pleasant village with several handsome houses." The parish had about 10,000 acres of fertile land and in 1841 was home to 2,718 people.
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In 1846 letters were despatched from Cottingham to Hull once a day leaving the village at 2pm and arriving in Hull at 8.30pm. Coaches to Hull from the King William 1V pub left at nine in the morning and seven in the evening.
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Some Cottingham pubs have long histories. In 1846 among those listed which still exist today were The Duke of Cumberland, the Tiger and the Blue Bell.

Hall is for all the community

For 36 years Cottingham Civic Hall has been a centre for much of the village's social life.
The hall was opened on December 6, 1965 by the Chairman of the old Haltemprice Urban District Council, Coun G.P.Newton.MP.
It was said at the time: "The hall is intended to fulfil two purposes. It will provide a venue for private functions such as dances, parties and dinners organised by local people. It will also provide accommodation in which local amateur entertainments can be performed. In short, it is confidently expected that the hall will play a very large part in local community life."

Written by The Editor - 27/02/2002 17:05:59

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