Huntingdon to St Ives History

Oliver Cromwell and his family were prominent Huntingdon citizens; Hinchingbrooke belonged to Oliver's ancestors and his grandfather once owned the George Inn. Oliver himself attended the grammar school, as did Samuel Pepys, which is now the Cromwell Museum and he was baptised in All Saints’ Church, where his father is buried. The house where he was born near Ermine Street now belongs to the Huntingdon Research Centre.

The area that is now known as St. Ives has been inhabited since the Stone Age but was originally called Slepe (meaning muddy). It was not until 1050, when a priory dedicated to St. Ivo was built and pilgrims followed that St. Ives came into being. The town was chartered in 1110 and became renowned for its fairs. One of the town’s main points of interest is the 15th century bridge and bridge chapel.

During the 17th and 18th centuries St. Ives developed as an important water way as horse drawn barges would bring coal from King’s Lynn and return bearing corn.