Welcome to Hemingford Abbots

The High Street of Hemingford Abbots from the Axe and Compass Public House

 

Hemingford Abbots has a lovely square, old thatched barns, white houses and a green river bank. It was the Hemingford of the abbots of Ramsey as distinguished from the Hemingford of the Greys. It has spacious meadows by the Ouse, a fine park, two lakes and a heronry. Some of its cottages were here in Cromwell's day and two descendants of his sister Jane, Mrs Ivatt and her daughter used to reside in the village.

The medieval clerestoried windows of the 13th century church are a joy to see, and its carved and painted roof a splendid piece of Tudor England, with ten angels holding musical instruments and 12 figures with shields. Some of the small robed figures have long hair and look very quaint. The inscription on one of the tie beams can still be seen, and it reads; "Pray for Wyllm basele and for hys wyvs". There is a painting of St Christopher fading on one of the walls after 500 years. The fine 14th century tower (the base of which juts into the nave) is later than the nave and takes the place of the old central tower. It has a lofty spire seen far off. By the south door are two sundials. A stone coffin has been brought indoors from a field nearby; with it was a vase found when the coffin was opened. The first rector of the church gloried in the name Aristotle.

Hemingford Abbots is one of the parishes of the District of Huntingdonshire, whose administrative centre is Huntingdon, the other principle towns being St Ives home of the Chapel on the Bridge, St Neots the largest town in the County of Cambridgeshire, the Roman town of Godmanchester and Ramsey site of the former Abbey.

 

Are you organising an event in Hemingford Abbots?

If you are, then you may use the link just below and add the details directly into the Huntingdonshire Event Diary.