

Wentworth is a small village near
Ely in
Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire (abbreviated Cambs.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East of England and East Anglia. It is bordered by Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the north-east, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfor ...
, England. It is in the
Isle of Ely
The Isle of Ely () is a historic region around the city of Ely, Cambridgeshire, Ely in Cambridgeshire, England. Between 1889 and 1965, it formed an Administrative counties of England, administrative county.
Etymology
Its name has been said to ...
, adjacent to
Grunty Fen
Grunty Fen is a fen and former civil parish, now in the parish of Wilburton, in the East Cambridgeshire district, in Cambridgeshire, England. It is 4 miles south west of Ely, Cambridgeshire, Ely. In 1931 the parish had a population of 95.
Hist ...
, Wentworth lies south of
the A142 between
Witchford
Witchford is a village and civil parish about west of Ely, Cambridgeshire, England. The 2011 Census recorded the parish's population as 2,385.
History Anglo-Saxon cemetery
When the site of RAF Witchford was being cleared a bulldozer drive ...
and
Sutton
Sutton (''south settlement'' or ''south town'' in Old English) may refer to:
Places
United Kingdom
England
In alphabetical order by county:
* Sutton, Bedfordshire
* Sutton, Berkshire, a List of United Kingdom locations: Stu-Sz#Su, location
* S ...
, approximately 5 miles west of Ely.
The village is centred on St Peter's Church and a number of listed buildings at the junction of Main Street and Church Road. Residents travel to nearby settlements, including Ely for many goods and services. There was no public transportation serving the village until 2017, when limited bus service began. The nearest railway station serving the village is
Ely railway station
Ely railway station is on the Fen line in the east of England, serving the cathedral city of Ely, Cambridgeshire. It is from London Liverpool Street and is situated between and stations on the Fen line to King's Lynn. It is an important ...
.
In the 1870s, Wentworth, Cambridgeshire was described as:
" a parish in Ely district, Cambridge; 4½ miles W by S of Ely r. station. Post town, Ely. Acres, 1,437. Real property, £2,653. Pop., 180. Houses, 40. The living is a rectory in the diocese of Ely. Value, £450.* Patrons, the Dean and Chapter of Ely. The church is partly Norman, chiefly early English, and all good."
It is thought the name 'Wentworth' is:
"English: habitational name from places in Cambridgeshire and South Yorkshire called 'Wentworth', probably from the Old English byname Wintra meaning 'winter' + Old English worð 'enclosure'. It is, however, also possible that the name referred to a settlement inhabited only in winter."
The Domesday entry for Wentworth suggests that the village was then a fairly large one. Later, however, it declined in size.
Demographics
The population of the
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. Civil parishes can trace their origin to the ancient system of parishes, w ...
at the 2011 census was 200. According to the 2011 census there were 78 males and 122 females living in the parish. "In the first national Census of 1881, the total population was recorded as 115. The population has remained very small since that time. It had dropped to 81 by the 1931 Census and now stands at 200." The time series graph below shows the change in population, 1801-2011. There was no census conducted in 1941:
The population breakdown by age as at 2011 is shown in the table below:
These statistics have been compiled by Cambridgeshire County Council using data published by the Office for National Statistics to develop an excel data base for ease of access.
Industry
The tables below show:
The population breakdown by occupation in Wentworth by gender, 1881 (left). Total population at the time was 143. However, this data only refers to 49% of the total population. The breakdown of economic activity in 2011 (right). This information has also been collated by Cambridgeshire County Council .
The Church of St Peter
The
Grade II* listed
In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, H ...
parish church is dedicated to St Peter. "There has been a church on the site since the 12th century. This was extended in the 13th and 14th centuries and extensively restored and partially rebuilt in 1868. The church site now also serves as a venue for the Village Hall and is located in the centre of the village."
School
Wentworth had a small
dame school
Dame schools were small, privately run schools for children aged two to five. They emerged in Great Britain and its colonies during the Early modern Britain, early modern period. These schools were taught by a “school dame,” a local woman ...
in 1789. In 1846-7 it was reported that a Sunday-school, attended by 8 boys and 15 girls, was held in the chancel of the church. The parish clerk taught the pupils, and also held classes on weekday evenings in summer. In 1899, the average attendance was only 38 and in 1922 only 16. In the latter year, the county council, in the face of much local protest, closed the school. Children now attend school at Witchford.
Present day
In 2011, the household summary statistics were as follows:
* Resident population - 200
* Number of households - 72
* Number of dwellings (approx) - 74
* Average household size (people) - 2.78
In 2010, the village was fortunate to receive funding for a new playpark from both the East Cambs. District Council Pathfinder Scheme, and the National Lottery.
Local plan
The current local plan for East Cambridgeshire District Council (dated 2015) sets out a general blueprint for future growth (including Wentworth) up to 2031. It says that growth during this period will continue with an estimated 11 new dwellings, which will increase the total number of dwellings to 119. The Plan aims to prevent sprawl into the open countryside unless there are exceptional circumstances, such as essential dwellings for rural workers, or affordable housing. It also says that new employment proposals will be supported in principle, noting that there are no business premises in the village, though a handful of businesses are run from residential properties. It also aims to resist the loss of any community facilities and secure funding for improvements where possible.
References
External links
St Peter's Church on the Corpus of Romanesque Sculpture in Britain & Ireland (CRSBI)
{{authority control
Villages in Cambridgeshire
Civil parishes in Cambridgeshire
East Cambridgeshire District