Welcome to Bluntisham

 

Bluntisham also formerly known as Bluntesham (10th to 13th cent.); Blondesham (14th cent.); Bluntysham, Bluntsome, Blunsham (16th cent.).

The village of Bluntisham is situated on the edge of the Cambridgeshire Fens. Its Church, beside the main road from St. Ives to Ely, stands high enough to give a good view, with the Earith bridge a mile away to the north-east. In winter the flat meadows surrounding the village are often covered with flood-water and become a haunt of wild swans, and the venue, when they are frozen, of the Bury Fen ice-skating championships.

Unusual features of the 14th-15th century Church of St Mary are the semi-hexagonal apse, the early sacristy, the provision of a north as well as a south porch, and the embracing of the base of the tower within the church, with arches from it to the nave and aisles. Other pre-reformation features include the nave roof, holy water stoup, font, painted panels (palimpsest) in the screen under the tower, and a few encaustic tiles. The south aisle communion table is of 17th century origin.

A doorway at the Old Rectory, now Bluntisham House, is from Oliver Cromwell's home, the Old Slepe Hall in St Ives which has long been demolished. The former Tudor Rose and Crown Inn has an interesting interior with moulded ceiling beam, etc. The Nonconformist chapel in Bluntisham dates from 1786.

A small bronze statuette, inlaid with silver, of the Roman period as well as numerous Roman coins. have been unearthed in the parish.

Bluntisham 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.

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