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Huntingdon turns out to be a historic market town that lies within the region of East Anglia in the county of Cambridgeshire. Among the famous people who hailed from the town is Oliver Cromwell, England's Lord Protector who triumphed in the civil war. The town on the River Great Ouse boasts a population of around twenty thousand people and is an interesting side trip from Cambridge for visitors in the area.
History
Huntingdon has a long and fascinating history going back to the Anglo Saxons and the Danes who founded it. The Danes used it as a staging point for their raids out of East Anglia through 917. It is prominently mentioned in the Anglo Saxon Chronicle as such. King John gave it a charter in 1205 as a town. In the centuries that followed, Huntingdon grew prosperous as the bridge crossing point of the River Great Ouse and as a market town. By the 1700's and 1800's, it had become a centre for coaching and continued to thrive. The town still holds its original historical documents like the charter from King John of 1205 at the County Record Office of Huntingdon in the Cambridgeshire Archives and Local Studies section.
Architecture
There are several things that are architecturally interesting to travelers in the area. Huntingdon Castle has disappeared, but a Scheduled Ancient Monument will be built here. There is a beacon there now that commemorates the four hundred year anniversary of the invasion of the Spanish Armada. There is also the George Hotel that remains from the coach town era, along with other buildings from this time.
Besides this, Huntingdon boasts an almost unique medieval bridge. This is so well preserved that it is still utilized as the main Ermine Street Bridge over the River Great Ouse. Until 1975, it was the only crossing point to get to the town of Godmanchester.
Attractions and Activities
The biggest meadow in all of England lies nearby. Portholme Meadow is found in between Huntingdon, Brampton, and Godmanchester. This two hundred and fifty-seven acre stretch of nature proves to be the only known habitation of the Marsh Dandelion in all of Britain. It contains a number of rare types of flowers, grass, and dragonfly. This becomes an enormous reservoir when the river floods. It is worth any visitors' time to stop by and see.
There is also the area horse race course. This is the Huntingdon Racecourse. Local horse racing events will be of interest to many visitors.
For those who are interested in real haunted houses, there is a convent that is believed to be haunted in Huntingdon. This is the Hinchingbrooke House. There is also the Nun's Bridge over the Alconbury Brook that is supposed to be haunted by a member of the nunnery who dwelt in the old convent. Whether the ghost stories are true or not, it is an interesting visit to the former nunnery.
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