Monthly Archives: December 2012

Potto Brown, Houghton Mill and A Friendly Cat, Houghton Cambridgeshire

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Potto Brown was Born in Houghton Cambridgeshire in 1797 he took over the running of Houghton Mill on his father’s retirement in 1822.

He was responsible for building the mill and contributing to the cost of building the Free Church in nearby St Ives. He build the small chapel in Houghton where his grave can been seen to this day, he died in 1871 and was laid to rest beside his mother and his two previous wives.

Potto Brown

While taking the air‚ as they say in Jane Austen novels, around Houghton Mill on The River Great Ouse, Huntingdonshire,

Chasing Shadows

Chasing Shadows

This splendid sleek gentleman made friends with the camera and I on a crisp bright January morning making chasing shadows irresistible.

Village Sign Houghton and Wyton

Bourn Cambridgeshire

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Bourn village is situated in the county of Cambridgeshire just to the east of Ermine Street, the Roman Road between London and Lincoln also called the Old North Road.

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Village Sign Bourn

It is home to the world-famous Bourn Hall clinic setup by Patrick Steptoe and Robert Edwards in 1980. Bourn Hall was built-in the early 1600 on the site of a Bourn castle.

The castle was a wooden structure erected in Norman times towards the end of the reign of Norman the Conquer, it was destroyed by fire during the reign of Henry III in the war of the Barons.

The Church of St Mary’s and Helena’s that we see today dates back to the twelfth century but there was a church built just after the Norman Conquest which was made of wood.

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The Church of St Mary’s and Helena’s

The belfry has a peel of eight bells which have been added to over the years, in the 19th century Bourn was renowned for its good hunting land, the bells of the church would be rung to advise to meet at one of the inns for the hunt. In 1842 the parish could boost a total of five inns.