History of Glatton

For such a small village Glatton has a truly extraordinary history and heritage.

Lying roughly two miles west of the A1 and approximately halfway between Peterborough and Huntingdon, Glatton, or “Glatune” (Saxon for “A Farm in the Glade”) as it was called in the Domesday Book, is essentially a crossroads on the edge of the “Huntingdonshire Wolds” with gently rolling countryside to the west and flatter Fenland to the east. Glatton is frequently described as a “quintessentially English village” with ten “chocolate box” thatched cottages, an abundance of tall, mature, high-value trees, lush vegetation and pretty country walks.

Prior to1042, Glatton was held by the Saxon King Ulf. However, after the Norman conquest in 1066, Glatton belonged to William the Conqueror who gifted the manor, amongst others, to one of his noblemen, Count Eustace of Boulogne in 1086 as a reward for his service. Count Eustice was married to Mary, Queen of Scotland. The manor was known for centuries as “Glatton and Home” (also referred to as “Glatton cum Home”). At that time the estate was one large manor, combining what is now the separate Parishes of Glatton and Holme. Until the mid-19th century, Parishes were exclusively ecclesiastical. However, the 1866 Parliament passed an act which defined the concept of civil parishes. Parish boundaries were, and in many cases, are still defined by the estates of established manors. Such is the case with Glatton and adjoining parishes, notwithstanding the fact that those manors with their defined boundaries have long been broken up as successive heirs inherited portions of estates which were broken up and divided amongst heirs. Importantly, Glatton’s history and heritage has been shaped by events that occurred not just within its own Parish boundaries but also by those of its neighbours.

Author: Terry Brignall MBE