30-707: Littleport is a town in East Cambridgeshire , in the Isle of Ely , Cambridgeshire , England . It lies about 6 miles (10 km) north-east of Ely and 6 miles (10 km) south-east of Welney , on the Bedford Level South section of the River Great Ouse , close to Burnt Fen and Mare Fen . There are two primary schools, Millfield Primary and Littleport Community, and a secondary, Vista Academy. The Littleport riots of 1816 influenced
60-535: A change in allegiance in August 2024, which left the Conservatives with exactly half the council's seats. They continue to form the council's administration by virtue of holding the chair's casting vote. The first election to the council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until the new arrangements came into effect on 1 April 1974. Political control of
90-517: A nearby mere, who is rescued from a lustful friar by a huge black dog, both of which are killed in the struggle. The local men throw the body of the friar into the mere, but bury with honour the dog, which is then said to haunt the area. Cambridgeshire folklorist Enid Porter tells stories from the 19th century of a black dog haunting the A10 road between Littleport and the neighbouring hamlet of Brandon Creek. Local residents are kept awake on dark nights by
120-474: A shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until the new arrangements came into effect on 1 April 1974. Political control of the council since 1974 has been as follows: The leaders of the council since 2011 have been: Following the 2023 election and a by-election in April 2024 and change of allegiance in August 2024, the composition of the council was: The next election is due in 2027. Since
150-423: Is also covered by civil parishes , which form a third tier of local government. The council has been under no overall control since a change in allegiance in August 2024, which left the Conservatives with exactly half the council's seats. They continue to form the council's administration by virtue of holding the chair's casting vote. The first election to the council was held in 1973, initially operating as
180-511: Is based at The Grange on Nutholt Lane in Ely. The building was originally a large Victorian house. It served as a maternity hospital from the 1940s until the 1970s. The building was acquired around the time East Cambridgeshire was created in 1974 and converted to offices. Several large extensions have since been added. The Fenland Survey of archaeological finds carried out in the 1980s mentions an enumeration of findings made between 1884 and 1994 in
210-612: Is based in the city of Ely . The district also contains the towns of Littleport and Soham and surrounding rural areas, including parts of the Fens . Since 2017 the district has been a constituent member of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority , led by the directly elected Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough . The neighbouring districts are South Cambridgeshire , Huntingdonshire , Fenland , King's Lynn and West Norfolk and West Suffolk . The district
240-415: Is divided into civil parishes . The parish of Ely holds city status , and the parish councils for Soham and Littleport take the style "town council". 52°23′13″N 0°17′38″E / 52.387°N 0.294°E / 52.387; 0.294 East Cambridgeshire East Cambridgeshire (locally known as East Cambs ) is a local government district in Cambridgeshire , England. Its council
270-571: The Battle of Waterloo returned home, only to find they could get no work and grain prices had gone up. They took to the streets and smashed shops and buildings until troops were brought in. St George's church registers were destroyed in the riots. The remaining registers start from 1754 (marriages), 1756 (burials), and 1783 (baptisms). Some original documents to do with the riots are held in Cambridgeshire Archives and Local Studies at
300-1156: The 1980s mentions an enumeration of findings made between 1884 and 1994 in the region to the north of Devil's Dyke and Cambridge , from the Stone Age , the Bronze Age and the Iron Age (the region south of Devil's Dyke is not yet included in the survey). By far the greatest quantities of bronze objects found in England were discovered in East Cambridgeshire. The most important Bronze Age finds were discovered in Isleham (more than 6500 pieces), Stuntney , Soham , Wicken , Chippenham , Coveney , Mepal and Wilburton . These findings include swords , spear -heads, arrows , axes , palstaves , knives , daggers , rapiers , armour , decorative equipment (in particular for horses) and many fragments of sheet bronze . The greater part of these objects have been entrusted to
330-901: The Barn. The second tier of local government in Littleport was Ely Rural District from 1894 to 1974, when East Cambridgeshire District Council was formed based in Ely . The third tier is Cambridgeshire County Council . The parish belongs to the parliamentary constituency of Ely and East Cambridgeshire . Thomas Peacock, who founded the gentlemen's tailoring chain Hope Brothers, was born in Littleport in 1829. Peacock had several shops in London starting from one in Ludgate Hill . The first three-storey Hope Brothers shirt and collar-making factory
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#1732771869544360-616: The County Record Office, Cambridge. In 2003, a Harley-Davidson statue was unveiled in Littleport to mark the centenary of the motorcycle company. William Harley, father of the company's co-founder William Sylvester Harley , was born in Victoria Street, Littleport, in 1835 and emigrated to the United States in 1859. Littleport is a civil parish with an elected council . Town council meetings are held in
390-515: The Fens . Since 2017 the district has been a constituent member of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority , led by the directly elected Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough . The neighbouring districts are South Cambridgeshire , Huntingdonshire , Fenland , King's Lynn and West Norfolk and West Suffolk . The district was formed on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972 . The new district covered
420-676: The Moyse's Hall Museum in Bury St Edmunds while other items are in the University of Cambridge Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology in Cambridge . Other finds include traces of cremations and barrows , golden torques , an extensive ditch system and a wooden track-way between Fordey Farm (Barway) and Little Thetford . Bronze razors have also been found and it is well known that Celts shaved their cheeks. The whole district
450-446: The Moyse's Hall Museum in Bury St Edmunds while other items are in the University of Cambridge Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology in Cambridge . Other finds include traces of cremations and barrows , golden torques , an extensive ditch system and a wooden track-way between Fordey Farm (Barway) and Little Thetford . Bronze razors have also been found and it is well known that Celts shaved their cheeks. The whole district
480-802: The Steer, popularized by Billy Bragg . Littleport Parish includes the hamlet of Little Ouse which comes under the Littleport East ward. Little Ouse is now wholly residential: the pub (Waterman's Arms) and the Church of St John the Evangelist have become private dwellings. The lowest trig point in Britain is near Little Ouse; it sits at 3 ft (0.91 m) below sea level. Cambridgeshire's average annual rainfall of 24 inches (600 mm) makes it one of Britain's driest counties. Protected from
510-485: The area of three former districts, which were all abolished at the same time: The new district was named East Cambridgeshire, reflecting its position within the wider county. East Cambridgeshire District Council provides district-level services. County-level services are provided by Cambridgeshire County Council . The whole district is also covered by civil parishes , which form a third tier of local government. The council has been under no overall control since
540-450: The cool onshore coastal breezes east of the region, the county is warm in summer and cold and frosty in winter. The nearest Met Office weather station is Cambridge NIAB. Several other local weather stations report periodic figures to the internet. For example, via Weather Underground , Inc. Littleport is 28.46 square miles (73.7 km) in size, making it the largest village in East Cambridgeshire by area. The city of Ely itself has
570-450: The council since 1974 has been as follows: The leaders of the council since 2011 have been: Following the 2023 election and a by-election in April 2024 and change of allegiance in August 2024, the composition of the council was: The next election is due in 2027. Since the last full review of boundaries in 2019 the council has comprised 28 councillors , representing 14 wards . Elections are held every four years. The council
600-601: The highest East Cambridgeshire population with Soham second and Littleport third. Census: 1801–2001 2011 On 16 December 1944, British double agent Eddie Chapman was flown on a mission to Britain by the Germans in a fast and manoeuvrable small fighter plane, that took off from a forward Luftwaffe fighter station on the Dutch coast. The purpose of the mission was to monitor the accuracy of V-1 flying bombs and V-2 rockets falling on London and then to report back their effect on
630-586: The inspiration for Great Deeping, the imaginary location of the Paradise Barn children's novels by Victor Watson , set in the Second World War. East Cambridgeshire East Cambridgeshire (locally known as East Cambs ) is a local government district in Cambridgeshire , England. Its council is based in the city of Ely . The district also contains the towns of Littleport and Soham and surrounding rural areas, including parts of
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#1732771869544660-550: The last full review of boundaries in 2019 the council has comprised 28 councillors , representing 14 wards . Elections are held every four years. The council is based at The Grange on Nutholt Lane in Ely. The building was originally a large Victorian house. It served as a maternity hospital from the 1940s until the 1970s. The building was acquired around the time East Cambridgeshire was created in 1974 and converted to offices. Several large extensions have since been added. The Fenland Survey of archaeological finds carried out in
690-449: The morale of the population in order to improve the performance and devastation of the attacks. After following the bombs to London, Chapman's fighter rerouted to East Anglia to enable him to bail out over flat ground. The fighter had been converted for parachuting by cutting a small trap door in the floor. The low-flying fighter was picked up by a British night-fighter and attacked over the dropping zone. Chapman scrambled head first through
720-569: The passage of the Vagrancy Act 1824 . With an Old English name of Litelport , the village was worth 17,000 eels a year to the Abbots of Ely in 1086. The legendary founder of Littleport was King Canute . A fisherman gave the king shelter one night, after drunken monks had denied him hospitality. After punishing the monks, he made his host the mayor of a newly founded village. The Littleport Riots of 1816 broke out after war veterans from
750-731: The region to the north of Devil's Dyke and Cambridge , from the Stone Age , the Bronze Age and the Iron Age (the region south of Devil's Dyke is not yet included in the survey). By far the greatest quantities of bronze objects found in England were discovered in East Cambridgeshire. The most important Bronze Age finds were discovered in Isleham (more than 6500 pieces), Stuntney , Soham , Wicken , Chippenham , Coveney , Mepal and Wilburton . These findings include swords , spear -heads, arrows , axes , palstaves , knives , daggers , rapiers , armour , decorative equipment (in particular for horses) and many fragments of sheet bronze . The greater part of these objects have been entrusted to
780-449: The sounds of howling and travellers hear trotting feet behind them and feel hot breath on the back of their legs. Local legend says that the dog is awaiting the return of its owner, who drowned in the nearby River Great Ouse in the early 1800s. This haunting reportedly ended in 1906, when a local resident drove his car into something solid, which was never found, next to the spot where the dog's owner supposedly drowned. Littleport provided
810-548: The trap door, with his parachute initially getting stuck. Whilst floating down to the ground he witnessed the British night-fighter re-engage the German fighter, which burst into flames and exploded in a fireball as it hit the ground killing the remaining crew. Chapman landed near Apes Hall, Littleport, in the middle of the night. He woke the farm foreman George Convine by banging on the hall door. To avoid difficult questions, Corvine
840-437: Was formed on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972 . The new district covered the area of three former districts, which were all abolished at the same time: The new district was named East Cambridgeshire, reflecting its position within the wider county. East Cambridgeshire District Council provides district-level services. County-level services are provided by Cambridgeshire County Council . The whole district
870-585: Was opened in the village in 1881 in White Hart Lane. By 1891 it was employing 300–400 women and children. It had a social club and library. For a period in the 1940s and 1950s, Hope Brothers also manufactured the England football kit. The factory was later taken over by Burberry . From 1979 to 1983, the firm of Jim Burns guitars was based in Padnal Road in Littleport. It produced guitars such as
900-592: Was told by Chapman that he was a crashed British airman and that he needed him to call the police. Littleport is home to two different legends of spectral black dogs , which have been linked to the Black Shuck folklore of the East of England but differ in significant aspects. The local folklorist W. H. Barrett tells a story set before the English Reformation , of a local girl gathering wild mint from
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