St Ives, Cambridgeshire

Common card · No. 335596

St Ives ( ) is a medieval market town and civil parish in the Huntingdonshire district of Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Great Ouse, and there is a historic stone bridge dating from 1425. The bridge has an unusual chapel incorporated into the structure. The nearby Quayside offers pleasing views of the river and the bridge. The settlement was known at first as Slepe: it was at a convenient fording point on the river, which encouraged the establishment of a route for travellers between northern and eastern districts of the country, and London and the South, enhancing its importance. A little before the year 1000 CE, a coffin was dug up during ploughing: it apparently contained the remains of a holy man named Ivo of Ramsey, and as a result the town became a destination for pilgrims, and the name Slepe was changed over time to St Ives. A royal charter authorised the holding of a fair in the town; at the time this was hugely prestigious, further emphasising the town's significance...

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