March is a
Fenland market town
A market town is a settlement most common in Europe that obtained by custom or royal charter, in the Middle Ages, a market right, which allowed it to host a regular market; this distinguished it from a village or city. In Britain, small rural ...
and
civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties, or their combined form, the unitary authority ...
in the
Isle of Ely
The Isle of Ely () is a historic region around the city of Ely in Cambridgeshire, England. Between 1889 and 1965, it formed an administrative county.
Etymology
Its name has been said to mean "island of eels", a reference to the creatures that ...
area of
Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire (abbreviated Cambs.) is a Counties of England, county in the East of England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the north-east, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and North ...
, England. It was the
county town
In the United Kingdom and Ireland, a county town is the most important town or city in a county. It is usually the location of administrative or judicial functions within a county and the place where the county's members of Parliament are elect ...
of the Isle of Ely which was a separate administrative county from 1889 to 1965. The administrative centre of
Fenland District Council Fenland may mean:
* Fenland, or the Fens, an area of low-lying land in eastern England
** Fenland District, a local authority district in Isle of Ely, Cambridgeshire, England, forming part of the Fens
** Fenland Airfield, an airfield near Spalding, ...
is located in the town.
The town grew by becoming an important railway centre. Like many Fenland towns, March was once an island surrounded by
marsh
A marsh is a wetland that is dominated by herbaceous rather than woody plant species.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p Marshes can often be found at ...
es. It occupied the second largest "island" in the
Great Level
Great may refer to: Descriptions or measurements
* Great, a relative measurement in physical space, see Size
* Greatness, being divine, majestic, superior, majestic, or transcendent
People
* List of people known as "the Great"
*Artel Great (born ...
. As the land was drained, the town grew and prospered as a trading and religious centre. It was also a minor
port
A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Ham ...
before, in more recent times, a market town and an administrative and railway centre. March is situated on the banks of the navigable old course of the
River Nene
The River Nene ( or : see below) is a river in the east of England that rises from three sources in Northamptonshire.OS Explorer Map sheet 223, Northampton & Market Harborough, Brixworth & Pitsford Water. The river is about long, about of w ...
, today mainly used by pleasure boats.
History
March was recorded as ''Merche'' in the
Domesday Book
Domesday Book () – the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book" – is a manuscript record of the "Great Survey" of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 by order of King William I, known as William the Conqueror. The manusc ...
of 1086, perhaps from the
Old English
Old English (, ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the early Middle Ages. It was brought to Great Britain by Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain, Anglo ...
''mearc'' meaning 'boundary'. Modern March lies on the course of the
Fen Causeway
Fen Causeway or the Fen Road is the modern name for a Roman road of England that runs between Denver, Norfolk in the east and Peterborough in the west.Phillips, C.W. ''The Fenland in Roman Times''. Royal Geographical Society (1970). Its path ...
, a
Roman road
Roman roads ( la, viae Romanae ; singular: ; meaning "Roman way") were physical infrastructure vital to the maintenance and development of the Roman state, and were built from about 300 BC through the expansion and consolidation of the Roman Re ...
, and there is evidence of Roman settlements in the area.
Before the
draining of the fens, March was effectively an island in the marshy fens. The town probably owes its origin to the
ford
Ford commonly refers to:
* Ford Motor Company, an automobile manufacturer founded by Henry Ford
* Ford (crossing), a shallow crossing on a river
Ford may also refer to:
Ford Motor Company
* Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company
* Ford F ...
on the old course of the
River Nene
The River Nene ( or : see below) is a river in the east of England that rises from three sources in Northamptonshire.OS Explorer Map sheet 223, Northampton & Market Harborough, Brixworth & Pitsford Water. The river is about long, about of w ...
, where the road between
Ely Ely or ELY may refer to:
Places Ireland
* Éile, a medieval kingdom commonly anglicised Ely
* Ely Place, Dublin, a street
United Kingdom
* Ely, Cambridgeshire, a cathedral city in Cambridgeshire, England
** Ely Cathedral
Ely Cathedral, formal ...
and
Wisbech
Wisbech ( ) is a market town, inland Port of Wisbech, port and civil parish in the Fenland District, Fenland district in Cambridgeshire, England. In 2011 it had a population of 31,573. The town lies in the far north-east of Cambridgeshire, bord ...
, the two chief towns of the Isle of Ely, crossed the river. At one time shipping on the River Nene provided the basis of the town's trade, but this declined with the coming of the railways in the 19th century.
A single arch bridge was built over the River Nene towards the north end of the town in 1850. High Street, which is the chief thoroughfare, is continued over the bridge to Broad Street on the north side of the Nene, and The Causeway is lined with a fine avenue of elm and other trees.
A theatre was built for Joseph Smedley in 1826.
A
Local Board of Health
Local boards or local boards of health were local authorities in urban areas of England and Wales from 1848 to 1894. They were formed in response to cholera epidemics and were given powers to control sewers, clean the streets, regulate environmenta ...
was formed in 1851, under Act 14 and 15 Vict. c. 10, but by the provisions of the
Local Government Act 1894
The Local Government Act 1894 (56 & 57 Vict. c. 73) was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales outside the County of London. The Act followed the reforms carried out at county level un ...
the town became governed by an
Urban District Council
In England and Wales, Northern Ireland, and the Republic of Ireland, an urban district was a type of local government district that covered an urbanised area. Urban districts had an elected urban district council (UDC), which shared local gove ...
of 12 members.
Gas lighting
Gas lighting is the production of artificial light from combustion of a gaseous fuel, such as hydrogen, methane, carbon monoxide, propane, butane, acetylene, ethylene, coal gas (town gas) or natural gas. The light is produced either directl ...
was provided by the ''March Gas and Coke Co. Limited''. The ''Wisbech Water Works Company'', under a provisional order obtained in 1884, supplied the town with water, which was brought through mains pipes from Wisbech, away.
March was divided into four ecclesiastical parishes which, with three others, were formed out of the previous parish of
Doddington after 1863, under the Doddington Rectory Division Acts of 1847 and 1856
0 and 11 Vict. c. 3 (1847) and 19 and 20 Vict. c. 1 (1856)
HM Prison Whitemoor
HM Prison Whitemoor is a Category A men's prison near March, Cambridgeshire, England, operated by His Majesty's Prison Service.
History
Whitemoor Prison was built on the site of an old railway marshalling yard and was opened in 1991 by Norma M ...
, opened in 1991, lies slightly to the northwest of the town. Whitemoor is a maximum security prison for nearly 500 men in Category A and B.
Governance
Until 1974 the area was administered by March Urban District Council, based at
March Town Hall
March Town Hall is a municipal building in the Market Square in March, Cambridgeshire, England. The building, which was the headquarters of March Urban District Council, is a Grade II listed building.
History
The first municipal building on the ...
. Since then it has been administered by
Fenland District Council Fenland may mean:
* Fenland, or the Fens, an area of low-lying land in eastern England
** Fenland District, a local authority district in Isle of Ely, Cambridgeshire, England, forming part of the Fens
** Fenland Airfield, an airfield near Spalding, ...
. March also has a town council. There are three wards, East, North and West; each ward returns four town councillors. A town mayor is elected by councillors at the annual meeting in May each year. The council administers allotments, sponsors band concerts and owns the March Museum.
The town also returns councillors to
Cambridgeshire County Council
Cambridgeshire County Council is the county council of Cambridgeshire, England. The council consists of 61 councillors, representing 59 electoral divisions. The council is based at New Shire Hall at Alconbury Weald, near Huntingdon. It is a mem ...
. The town is in within the
Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority
The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority is a combined authority covering the ceremonial county of Cambridgeshire in the East of England. The authority was established on 3 March 2017. The authority is led by the directly elected May ...
.
March is in the parliamentary constituency of
North East Cambridgeshire
North East Cambridgeshire is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2010 by Steve Barclay, a Conservative.
Constituency profile
This large and rural seat is in The Fens and has a significant farming and ...
.
The headquarters of Fenland District Council are at
Fenland Hall, County Road, March. The former
County Hall of
Isle of Ely County Council
Isle of Ely County Council was the county council of Isle of Ely in the east of England. It came into its powers on 1 April 1889 and was abolished on 1 April 1965. The county council was based at County Hall, March. It was amalgamated with Cambrid ...
, also on County Road, is now Hereward Hall, used by Cambridgeshire County Council.
Markets
![March town hall market](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/March_town_hall_market.jpg)
With a long history of trading, in the reign of
Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. Elizabeth was the last of the five House of Tudor monarchs and is sometimes referred to as the "Virgin Queen".
El ...
, March was a minor port. In 1566 eight boats, capable of carrying one, one and a half, or two cartloads, were used in the coal and grain trades. A certain amount of traffic in coal and other commodities, carried in barges, was observed by
Dugdale in 1657. Local tradesmen's
tokens of 1669, and a silver shilling token of 1811, have been noted.
Originally a market appears to have been held near the original town (then village) centre, on land beside The Causeway. A Market Cross (now called The Stone Cross) points towards the existence of an early market and this cross was erected in the early 16th century. This site was very near St
Wendreda
Wendreda, also known as Wendreth, was an Anglo-Saxon nun, healer, and saint, perhaps of the 7th century. She was uncertainly reported as a daughter of King Anna of East Anglia, a Christian king, which would make her a sister of Etheldreda, ab ...
's Church. In 1669, the town successfully petitioned King
Charles II and in 1670 he granted the Lord of the Manor of
Doddington a Royal Charter with the right to hold a market with two annual fairs, in spite of the opposition of Wisbech Corporation. This market was held on Fridays. The Lord of the Manor of Doddington, who owned a large part of March, gave special permission to the townspeople to sell their goods on some of his land in the town centre. This site, now called the Market Place, was then known as Bridge Green Common and later named Market Hill.
In 1785, the tolls were assessed at £6 per year. Soon after this the market appears to have lapsed, though the fairs continued to prosper. The development of the market was impeded by the lack of a covered hall and because market day in several neighbouring towns fell on the same day (Friday). In 1807, the
Vestry
A vestry was a committee for the local secular and ecclesiastical government for a parish in England, Wales and some English colonies which originally met in the vestry or sacristy of the parish church, and consequently became known colloquiall ...
decided that it was not hygienic for goods to be loaded or unloaded in the vicinity of the market and ordered all saw pits, timber and other encroachments around the Market Place to be removed. The market was struggling during this time and an attempt to revive it in 1821 was not very successful. A
Buttercross
A buttercross, also known as butter cross or butter market, is a type of market cross associated with English market towns and dating from medieval times. Its name originates from the fact that they were located at the market place, where peopl ...
, also known as a market house, was erected in 1831. This building also housed the town fire engine and had an upstairs room that for a time housed the Clock House School and later the Town Surveyor's Office. This office was covered by a turret which housed the Town Clock (purchased by public subscription about 1750) and the Fire Bell. In later refurbishments this clock was re-housed in St Peter's Church Tower. The Town Stocks were also placed in the Market Place and local offenders (and those who refused to go to church) were placed in them. The want of a market house was remedied, in a makeshift fashion, by
Sir Henry Peyton (who was the Lord of the Manor of
Doddington). His building, however, was only by , and provided only 14 stalls under cover.
After the opening of the railway in 1847 another attempt was made to increase the market. In 1851 the market had been said to be "making progress"; and £150 was subscribed to give a treat to the poor at its reopening. The clash with other market days was solved in December 1856 by changing market day from Friday to Wednesday "by private arrangement and without any formalities". The tolls were, however, collected in an arbitrary and haphazard way; they were assessed for poor rate purposes at £10.
Statute fairs for the hiring of servants took place each autumn, this was also an opportunity to socialise, and shows and ginger bread stalls were set up, the large numbers could also attract pickpockets.
In 1872, the
Board of Health
Local boards or local boards of health were local authorities in urban areas of England and Wales from 1848 to 1894. They were formed in response to cholera epidemics and were given powers to control sewers, clean the streets, regulate environment ...
bought a
Shand and Mason fire engine
A fire engine (also known in some places as a fire truck or fire lorry) is a road vehicle (usually a truck) that functions as a firefighting apparatus. The primary purposes of a fire engine include transporting firefighters and water to an i ...
that was the town's first steam appliance and was housed in the Market House. In the same year the vestry agreed to erect a
urinal
A urinal (, ) is a sanitary plumbing fixture for urination only. Urinals are often provided in public toilets for male users in Western countries (less so in Muslim countries). They are usually used in a standing position. Urinals can be with ...
at the back of the Buttercross for use by boys attending the Clock House School, but would not erect a water closet (toilet).
The market toll-keeper in 1888, though he had no fixed scale of charges and kept no record of receipts, was said to be taking about £50 a year. The success and prosperity of the market fluctuated over the years and an attempt by the Local Board to purchase the market rights to mark
Queen Victoria
Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 21 ...
's
Golden Jubilee
A golden jubilee marks a 50th anniversary. It variously is applied to people, events, and nations.
Bangladesh
In Bangladesh, golden jubilee refers the 50th anniversary year of the separation from Pakistan and is called in Bengali ''"সু ...
of 1887 was a failure. However, in 1897, Sir Algernon Peyton agreed to sell the market rights, the Market Place and Market House to March Urban District Council for £800. At that time the market was leased to F. B. Phillips, who agreed to surrender his lease in 1898 subject to receiving the market tolls for one year without charge.
The market rights passed to
Fenland District Council Fenland may mean:
* Fenland, or the Fens, an area of low-lying land in eastern England
** Fenland District, a local authority district in Isle of Ely, Cambridgeshire, England, forming part of the Fens
** Fenland Airfield, an airfield near Spalding, ...
following the local government reorganisation in 1974. The current (2020) market days are Wednesday and Saturday.
Religion
The inhabitants of the town are served by eleven churches.
St Wendreda's Church
St Wendreda, to whom the oldest church in the town is dedicated, is the town's own saint and March is the only known church dedication to her. She was a 7th-century
Anglo-Saxon
The Anglo-Saxons were a Cultural identity, cultural group who inhabited England in the Early Middle Ages. They traced their origins to settlers who came to Britain from mainland Europe in the 5th century. However, the ethnogenesis of the Anglo- ...
who may have been a daughter of King
Anna of East Anglia
Anna (or Onna; killed 653 or 654) was king of East Anglia from the early 640s until his death. He was a member of the Wuffingas family, the ruling dynasty of the East Angles, and one of the three sons of Eni who ruled the kingdom of East Angli ...
(killed 654) one of the first Christian Kings of the kingdom of East Anglia. Two of her possible sisters,
Etheldreda and
Sexburgha, who were the abbesses of
Ely Ely or ELY may refer to:
Places Ireland
* Éile, a medieval kingdom commonly anglicised Ely
* Ely Place, Dublin, a street
United Kingdom
* Ely, Cambridgeshire, a cathedral city in Cambridgeshire, England
** Ely Cathedral
Ely Cathedral, formal ...
and
Minster-in-Sheppey
Minster is a town on the north coast of the Isle of Sheppey in the Minster-on-Sea civil parish and the Swale district of Kent, south-east England. In 2019 it had an estimated population of 21,319.
Toponymy
The name of the town derives from th ...
respectively, are better known saints. She is also associated with
Exning
Exning is a village and civil parish in the West Suffolk district of Suffolk in eastern England.
It lies just off the A14 trunk road, roughly east-northeast of Cambridge, and south-southeast of Ely. The nearest large town is Newmarket.
The ...
, Suffolk.
The saint's relics were enshrined in gold in
Ely Cathedral
Ely Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of the Holy and Undivided Trinity, is an Anglican cathedral in the city of Ely, Cambridgeshire, England.
The cathedral has its origins in AD 672 when St Etheldreda built an abbey church. The presen ...
, until in 1016 they were carried off to battle in the hope they would bring victory to
Edmund Ironside
Edmund Ironside (30 November 1016; , ; sometimes also known as Edmund II) was King of the English from 23 April to 30 November 1016. He was the son of King Æthelred the Unready and his first wife, Ælfgifu of York. Edmund's reign was marred by ...
, the son of King Ethelred. But at the
Battle of Ashingdon
The Battle of Assandun (or Essendune) was fought between Danish and English armies on 18 October 1016. There is disagreement whether Assandun may be Ashdon near Saffron Walden in north Essex, England, or, as long supposed and better evidence ...
the army of King
Canute
Cnut (; ang, Cnut cyning; non, Knútr inn ríki ; or , no, Knut den mektige, sv, Knut den Store. died 12 November 1035), also known as Cnut the Great and Canute, was King of England from 1016, King of Denmark from 1018, and King of Norway ...
captured the relics and he presented them to
Canterbury Cathedral
Canterbury Cathedral in Canterbury, Kent, is one of the oldest and most famous Christian structures in England. It forms part of a World Heritage Site. It is the cathedral of the Archbishop of Canterbury, currently Justin Welby, leader of the ...
. In 1343 the relics were returned to March, but their final resting place is unknown.
The church is known for its magnificent
double-hammer beam roof with 120 carved angels; it is regarded as one of the best of its kind.
John Betjeman
Sir John Betjeman (; 28 August 190619 May 1984) was an English poet, writer, and broadcaster. He was Poet Laureate from 1972 until his death. He was a founding member of The Victorian Society and a passionate defender of Victorian architecture, ...
described the church as "worth cycling 40 miles in a head wind to see". The church describes itself as an evangelical church "with an emphasis on biblical teaching".
Other churches
In Victorian times, other Church of England churches were built in March, nearer to where most of the inhabitants now lived.
Thomas Henry Wyatt
Thomas Henry Wyatt (9 May 1807 – 5 August 1880) was an Anglo-Irish architect. He had a prolific and distinguished career, being elected President of the Royal Institute of British Architects 1870–73 and being awarded its Royal Gold Medal for A ...
was responsible for the design of St John's (consecrated 1872), St Peter's (built 1881) and St Mary's (
Westry, built 1874). The four March Anglican churches now share a 'Team Ministry'.
Trinity Church is now a joint Methodist and United Reformed Church. It was built as a Methodist church in the late 19th century to replace the small St Paul's Methodist Chapel in Gas Road. Development work was carried out during the late 1980s to convert St Paul's Methodist Church into Trinity Church by joining together St Paul's, the United Reformed Church, and the Primitive Methodist church.
Centenary Baptist Church, founded in 1700, is a member of the Baptist Union. Additionally, there is a
Grace Baptist Grace Baptist is a name used by various churches and associations, in different parts of the world, who would align with Reformed Baptists, who hold to Calvinistic doctrine, but would consider themselves distinct in their own right. This distinguis ...
church, Providence Baptist, which was rebuilt in 1873.
An
Elim Pentecostal Church
The Elim Pentecostal Church is a UK-based Pentecostal Christian denomination.
History
George Jeffreys (1889–1962), a Welshman, founded the ''Elim Pentecostal Church'' in Monaghan, Ireland in 1915. Jeffreys was an evangelist with a Welsh Co ...
meets in March Community Centre. March Evangelical Fellowship meets on Upwell Road
Fenland Community Churchis unique in the local area in focussing on the needs of people with learning difficulties.
Roman Catholics are served by weekly masses in the Anglican church in
Chatteris
Chatteris is a market town and civil parish in the Fenland district of Cambridgeshire, England, situated in The Fens between Huntingdon, March and Ely. The town is in the North East Cambridgeshire parliamentary constituency.
The parish of C ...
, the combined parish of March and Chatteris being dedicated to Our Lady of Good Counsel and St Peter.
Folklore
Folklore is shared by a particular group of people; it encompasses the traditions common to that culture, subculture or group. This includes oral traditions such as tales, legends, proverbs and jokes. They include material culture, ranging ...
An "old legend told how the people of March in the 13th century endeavoured to build a church on the site where the present cross stands, but the devils were utterly opposed to the proposal. They considered
the fenland was especially theirs ... As fast as the people of March dug their foundations and built their church the devils came and pulled the work down... This conflict lasted some years, when the March people, not to be beaten, set up the stone crucifix as an object of terror to the devils. It succeeded in its object. The devils left the town, and that is how the cross came to occupy its present position, which no doubt would have been the better site for the church."
March Museum
March has its own museum, located on the High Street. It is in the building that was originally the South District Girls School, constructed in the 1850s, it went from school to school, until 1976 when the building was purchased by the Town Council. The Museum was opened in 1977.
It is open every Saturday and Wednesday from 10:30 – 15:30 and contains a vast amount of local memorabilia, both from March, and its surrounding villages. Such artefacts include the clock face from the Church of St Mary,
Benwick
Benwick is a village and civil parish in the Fenland district of Cambridgeshire, England. It is approximately from Peterborough and from Cambridge. The population of Benwick was recorded as 1137 in the United Kingdom Census 2011 with 452 hou ...
and a large collection of cameras.
Transport
Rivers
The town is on either side of the River Nene (Old Course). A narrow boat marina provides berths and boats for hire.
Roads
The town now has a western bypass to take the
A141 and some of the traffic away from the town centre. The B1099 and B1101 pass through the town.
Railways
The town was an important railway centre, with a major junction between the
Great Eastern Railway
The Great Eastern Railway (GER) was a pre-grouping British railway company, whose main line linked London Liverpool Street to Norwich and which had other lines through East Anglia. The company was grouped into the London and North Eastern R ...
and
Great Northern Railway at
March railway station __NOTOC__
March railway station is on the Ely–Peterborough line in the east of England and serves the town of March, Cambridgeshire. It is measured from London Liverpool Street via and is situated between and stations.
The station, whic ...
. The station is from London by rail, north of
Cambridge
Cambridge ( ) is a university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cambridge bec ...
, north west of
Ely Ely or ELY may refer to:
Places Ireland
* Éile, a medieval kingdom commonly anglicised Ely
* Ely Place, Dublin, a street
United Kingdom
* Ely, Cambridgeshire, a cathedral city in Cambridgeshire, England
** Ely Cathedral
Ely Cathedral, formal ...
and south of
Wisbech
Wisbech ( ) is a market town, inland Port of Wisbech, port and civil parish in the Fenland District, Fenland district in Cambridgeshire, England. In 2011 it had a population of 31,573. The town lies in the far north-east of Cambridgeshire, bord ...
.
Whitemoor
marshalling yard
A classification yard (American and Canadian English (Canadian National Railway use)), marshalling yard (British, Hong Kong, Indian, Australian, and Canadian English (Canadian Pacific Railway use)) or shunting yard (Central Europe) is a railway ya ...
s, built in the 1920s and 30s, were once the second largest in Europe, and the largest in Britain. They were gradually phased out during the 1960s and shut down in 1990.
HM Prison Whitemoor
HM Prison Whitemoor is a Category A men's prison near March, Cambridgeshire, England, operated by His Majesty's Prison Service.
History
Whitemoor Prison was built on the site of an old railway marshalling yard and was opened in 1991 by Norma M ...
was built on part of the site. The natural regeneration of the remaining 44 hectares resulted in its classification as a potential country park. In addition, a new housing development was constructed adjacent to the site. However, in 2002,
Network Rail
Network Rail Limited is the owner (via its subsidiary Network Rail Infrastructure Limited, which was known as Railtrack plc before 2002) and infrastructure manager of most of the railway network in Great Britain. Network Rail is an "arm's leng ...
identified a need for a supply depot and redeveloped part of the site.
The tracks of the March to Wisbech line remain and currently (2019) a review is taking place to assess reopening the
Bramley Line
The Wisbech and March line is a railway line between March and Wisbech in Cambridgeshire, England. A number of proposals are currently being investigated relating to the possible restoration of passenger services along the route.
History
Th ...
. The line has been identified as a priority for reopening by the
Campaign for Better Transport.
March March march
The "March March march" is a 30-mile walk from March to Cambridge, which has been walked in the month of March by students and academics from the
University of Cambridge
, mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts.
Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge.
, established =
, other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...
since 1979. The marchers sing the "March March March March". The point of the walk is that it is pointless; it has spawned a shorter version called the May
Manea Manea may refer to:
* Manea, Cambridgeshire, a village in the District of Fenland, Cambridgeshire, England
* Manea (name), both a surname and a given name
* MANEA, an enzyme
* Manea River, a tributary of the Crasna River in Romania
* a singular f ...
Mania.
March delivery office
![March Post Office King Ted VIII](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/95/March_Post_Office_King_Ted_VIII.jpg)
March
Royal Mail
, kw, Postya Riel, ga, An Post Ríoga
, logo = Royal Mail.svg
, logo_size = 250px
, type = Public limited company
, traded_as =
, foundation =
, founder = Henry VIII
, location = London, England, UK
, key_people = * Keith Williams ...
sorting office
A sorting office or processing and distribution center (P&DC; name used by the United States Postal Service (USPS)) is any location where postal operators bring mail after collection for sorting into batches for delivery to the addressee, which ...
(previously a full post office) dates from 1936. It is unusual in that it is one of a handful
[The website http://britishpostofficearchitects.weebly.com/ lists Bradford-on-Avon, Builth Wells, Chester-le-Street, Havant and Wallingford] of post offices that display the
royal cypher from the brief reign of
Edward VIII
Edward VIII (Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David; 23 June 1894 – 28 May 1972), later known as the Duke of Windsor, was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Empire and Emperor of India from 20 January 19 ...
.
Economy
![March Broad Street](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f8/March_Broad_Street.jpg)
In the town centre there are independent shops and retailers such as
W. H. Smith
WHSmith (also written WH Smith, and known colloquially as Smith's and formerly as W. H. Smith & Son) is a British retailer, headquartered in Swindon, England, which operates a chain of high street, railway station, airport, port, hospital and ...
,
Boyes,
Boots
A boot is a type of footwear.
Boot or Boots may also refer to:
Businesses
* Boot Inn, Chester, Cheshire, England
* Boots (company), a high-street pharmacy chain and manufacturer of pharmaceuticals in the United Kingdom
* The Boot, Cromer Stre ...
,
Sainsbury's
J Sainsbury plc, trading as Sainsbury's, is the second largest chain of supermarkets in the United Kingdom, with a 14.6% share of UK supermarket sales.
Founded in 1869 by John James Sainsbury with a shop in Drury Lane, London, the company wa ...
,
M&Co
M&Co Trading Limited, previously Mackays Stores Limited until its 2020 administration, (previously trading as Mackays, now trading as M&Co.) is a Scottish chain store selling women's, men's, and children's clothes, as well as small homeware ...
and
Superdrug
Superdrug Stores plc (trading as Superdrug) is a health and beauty retailer in the United Kingdom, and the second largest behind Boots UK. The company is owned by A.S. Watson (Health & Beauty UK) Ltd which is part of the A.S. Watson Group. It ...
. Out-of-town development has taken place. In 2008 Meadowland retail park opened with an
Argos
Argos most often refers to:
* Argos, Peloponnese, a city in Argolis, Greece
** Ancient Argos, the ancient city
* Argos (retailer), a catalogue retailer operating in the United Kingdom and Ireland
Argos or ARGOS may also refer to:
Businesses
...
Superstore, Mattressman,
Carpetright
Carpetright Limited is one of the largest British retailers of floor coverings and beds. The company is owned by Meditor.
History
The company was established by Lord Harris of Peckham in 1988 when he opened its first shop in Canning Town. ,
Halfords
Halfords Group PLC is the UK's largest retailer of motoring and cycling products and services. Through Halfords Autocentre, they provide vehicle servicing, MOT, maintenance and repairs in the United Kingdom.
Halfords Group is listed on the Lond ...
and
The Original Factory Shop
The Original Factory Shop is a discount department store chain that was established in 1969. It currently operates over two hundred stores across the United Kingdom.
History
The Original Factory Shop was established in 1969 as part of Peter Bla ...
.
Tesco
Tesco plc () is a British multinational groceries and general merchandise retailer headquartered in Welwyn Garden City, England. In 2011 it was the third-largest retailer in the world measured by gross revenues and the ninth-largest in th ...
also extended their store to a significantly larger store next to
B & M
B&M European Value Retail S.A., trading as B&M, is a British-Luxembourg variety store chain founded in 1978 and incorporated in Luxembourg. It employs over 32,000 people. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange, and is a constituent of the FT ...
.
The town centre has several bars and restaurants. In 2008, the
Barracuda Group
Varsity was a student-focused pub chain operating in the United Kingdom. The name originates from annual university sports competitions. It entered administration in 2013. Coventry is the only remaining pub bearing the name Varsity which is now ...
changed the landmark Ye Olde Griffin Hotel into a "Smith & Jones" branded pub it is now back to being branded as The Ye Olde Griffin Hotel. It is now (2019) part of the Stonegate pubs chain. In March 2011
J D Wetherspoon
J D Wetherspoon plc (branded variously as Wetherspoon or Wetherspoons, and colloquially known as Spoons) is a pub company operating in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The company was founded in 1979 by Tim Martin and is based in Watford. It op ...
opened a pub in the former Hippodrome
cinema
Cinema may refer to:
Film
* Cinematography, the art of motion-picture photography
* Film or movie, a series of still images that create the illusion of a moving image
** Film industry, the technological and commercial institutions of filmmaking
* ...
and
bingo hall
Bingo is a game of probability in which players mark off numbers on cards as the numbers are drawn randomly by a caller, the winner being the first person to mark off all their numbers. Bingo, also previously known in the UK as Housey-Housey, ...
.
The town's major employers are
Whitemoor Prison
HM Prison Whitemoor is a Category A men's prison near March, Cambridgeshire, England, operated by His Majesty's Prison Service.
History
Whitemoor Prison was built on the site of an old railway marshalling yard and was opened in 1991 by Norma ...
, Tesco and Sainsbury's, and the many food processing factories in the area.
Sport and leisure
March has a
Non-League football
Non-League football describes football leagues played outside the top leagues of a country. Usually, it describes leagues which are not fully professional. The term is primarily used for football in England, where it is specifically used to de ...
club
March Town United F.C. who play at the GER Sports Ground. Their honours are winning the Eastern Counties League in the 1987-88 Season & the United Counties League division 1 winners in the 1953-54 Season.
Outdoor Leisure
Norwood Nature Reserve is a six and a half acre site north of the railway station.
Notable people
![March-Cambridgeshire-9](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/10/March-Cambridgeshire-9.jpg)
*
William Barker William Barker may refer to:
Politicians
*William Barker (translator) ( 1570), English translator and MP for Great Yarmouth and Bramber
* William Barker (MP for Berkshire) (died 1685), English Member of Parliament for Berkshire
* Sir William Bark ...
(1817-1894), gold prospector
*
Benjamin Gimbert
Benjamin Gimbert (6 February 1903 – 6 May 1976), an engine driver with the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER), was awarded the George Cross and the Order of Industrial Heroism, as was his fireman James Nightall, whose award was posthu ...
GC (1903-1976), George Cross winner
*
Louise Hazel
Louise Victoria Hazel (born 6 October 1985) is an English track and field athlete from March, Cambridgeshire, who specialises in the multi-event heptathlon. She has competed in four major international championships. The first was in 2006 when ...
(born 1985), heptathlete
*
Wentworth M. Johnson (born 1939), writer
*
Kevin Painter
Kevin Painter (born 12 July 1967) is an English retired darts player, known as "The Artist". He is arguably most famous for finishing as the runner-up to Phil Taylor in the 2004 PDC World Championship final, now widely credited as one of the ...
(born 1967), darts player
*
Martin Peerson
Martin Peerson (or Pearson, Pierson, Peereson) (between 1571 and 1573 – December 1650 or January 1651 and buried 16 January 1651) was an English composer, organist and virginalist. Despite Roman Catholic leanings at a time when it was illegal n ...
(ca. 1570 - ca. 1650), composer
*
Rex Tucker
Rex Tucker (20 February 1913 – 10 August 1996) was a British television director in the 1950s and 1960s.
He was born in March in the Isle of Ely, Cambridgeshire. Tucker joined the BBC in 1937 to work in radio where he remained for several ...
(1930-1996), TV director
*
Eric Sherbrooke Walker
Major Eric George Sherbrooke Walker, MC (1887–1976) was a hotelier and founder of the Outspan Hotel and Treetops Hotel in Kenya, as well as a decorated military officer. He is remembered as the host of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip w ...
(1887-1976), owner of
Treetops Hotel
Treetops Hotel was a hotel in Aberdare National Park in Kenya near the township of Nyeri, 1,966 m (6,450 ft) above sea level on the Aberdare Range and in sight of Mount Kenya. First opened in 1932 by Eric Sherbrooke Walker, it was bui ...
*
Jason Wing
Jason Wing (born 12 October 1965) is a British bobsledder who competed in the mid-1990s.
Sporting career
Wing's first sporting success was as a junior long jumper and sprinter and he featured in the national rankings from 1980 to 1989. His best ...
(born 1965), Olympic bobsleigher
*
Terry Woodgate (1919-1985), footballer
See also
*
Dunhams Wood
*
List of places in Cambridgeshire
This is a list of cities, towns and villages in the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It includes places in the former county of Huntingdonshire, now a district of Cambridgeshire.
A
*Abbotsley
*Abbots Ripton
*Abington Pigotts
*Alconbury
*Alco ...
*
Neale-Wade Academy
Neale-Wade Academy (formerly Neale-Wade Community College) is a secondary school and sixth form with academy status in the market town of March, Cambridgeshire, England. As with many state schools, the current school was the product of a merger ...
*
Norwood Road nature reserve
Norwood Road is a nature reserve managed by the Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Northamptonshire and Peterborough. It lies in the centre of the town of March in the county of Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire (abbreviated Cambs ...
Further reading
*
*
*
*
*
References
External links
2001 CensusCambs TimesWeb site of local newspaper
Fenland CitizenWeb site of local newspaper
Fenland District CouncilDistrict councils web site
St Wendreda's churchMarch MuseumFenland Community ChurchFenland Community Church
Things to do in and around March
{{authority control
Market towns in Cambridgeshire
Market houses
Civil parishes in Cambridgeshire
Towns in Cambridgeshire
Fenland District