Swaffham Bulbeck | |
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The Old Abbey |
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Swaffham Bulbeck shown within Cambridgeshire | |
Population | 826 (2011Census") |
OS grid reference | TL559619 |
District | |
Shire county | |
Region | |
Country | England |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Post town | CAMBRIDGE |
Postcode district | CB5 |
Dialling code | 01223 |
EU Parliament | East of England |
Swaffham Bulbeck is a village in East Cambridgeshire, England.
Swaffham Bulbeck is located about 8 miles (13 km) from the city of Cambridge, and 6 miles (10 km) from the famous racing town of Newmarket. The parish of Swaffham Bulbeck is part of the Diocese of Ely and the Deanery of Fordham and Quy. The benefice consists of five parishes, Swaffham Bulbeck, Swaffham Prior, Bottisham, Lode and Quy.
Children initially attend primary school in the village and usually then go on to Bottisham Village College.
Every year the village summer theatre company produces and performs one of Gilbert and Sullivan's operas. Established in 1982 the company has run every year since, first at the Long Barn to the south of the village until its redevelopment in 1988 and then to a much more capacious setting in a barn central to the village by kind permission of the owner. This venue too has now come up for redevelopment and the production is now based at Downing Farm by kind permission of the Turner family.
Swaffham Bulbeck’s experience of World War II was investigated and later commemorated in 2015 in a community project led by Swaffham Bulbeck-based disability charity Red2Green. The project was funded by The Heritage Lottery Fund. During the activities, eight films were made showing oral histories of seven local residents talking about their personal experiences of World War II. These can be viewed on YouTube (see below for link to page). A time capsule containing objects representing different elements of the project is buried in front of the village war memorial.
The church is dedicated to St Mary the Virgin. The west tower was built in the early 13th century and is the most ancient part of a very ancient building. The tower is 12.5 feet (4 m) square with three storeys and is supported by eight buttresses. It is built of locally quarried clunch (from Burwell).
The nave was constructed in the first half of the 13th century. It consists of four uniform bays with six octagonal piers supporting the clerestory which was added in the 15th century. The north aisle was built in about 1300 and the south aisle a few years later.