Longthorpe facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Longthorpe |
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 Signpost in Longthorpe |
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 Longthorpe
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| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| EU Parliament | East of England |
Longthorpe is a lovely area in the city of Peterborough, England. It's about 2 miles (3 km) west of the city centre. This area is quite big, covering about 1,390 acres (560 hectares). Longthorpe is known for its interesting history and old buildings.
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Longthorpe's Ancient History
Longthorpe has a really old history! Around the 1st century AD (that's about 2,000 years ago!), the Romans built a fort here. It might have been built as early as AD 44-48, but it was definitely here by AD 61-62.
Roman Fort Details
The first Roman fort was quite large, covering 27 acres (11 hectares). Later, they built a smaller fort in its place, about 11 acres (4.5 hectares) big. This shows that Longthorpe was an important place even back in Roman times.
St. Botolph's Church
The church of Saint Botolph is a historic building in Longthorpe. It was built in the 13th century, which makes it very old! The church is made of rough stone and has a simple design.
Inside the Church
Inside, the church has a main area called the nave, a special part near the altar called the chancel, and side sections known as aisles. It also has a bell tower with one bell. You can find old stone basins called piscina and storage cupboards called aumbry inside, which were used for religious ceremonies. The church was fixed up in 1869 and can seat about 200 people.
Thorpe Hall
Thorpe Hall is a grand old house in Longthorpe. It was built by Oliver St John, who was a very important judge. He supported the Parliament during the English Civil War.
Building Thorpe Hall
Oliver St John bought the land for Thorpe Hall and started building it. In 1654, a famous writer named John Evelyn described it as "a stately place." He also noted that it was built using stones from the old Bishop's Palace and cloisters. Today, Thorpe Hall is a Grade I listed building, which means it's very important historically. Its beautiful gardens are also listed and are open to the public all year round.
Longthorpe Tower
Another amazing historical building here is Longthorpe Tower. This tower is from the 14th century and has three floors. It was once a fortified manor house, meaning it was a home that could also be defended.
Famous Paintings
Longthorpe Tower is looked after by English Heritage. It's a Grade I listed building and a protected ancient monument. The tower is famous because it has some of the best and most complete old paintings from that time period in all of northern Europe. Local artists sometimes hold exhibitions there too.
Other Historic Buildings
Longthorpe has several other buildings that are protected because of their history. These include the old Manor House and a special well called the Holy (or St. Cloud's) Well, which is located near the Manor House.
Schools in Longthorpe
For younger students, Longthorpe Primary School is right in the village on Bradwell Road. Older students usually go to Jack Hunt School, which is nearby in Netherton.
Longthorpe's Local Government
Longthorpe used to be a small part of the Peterborough-St. John-the-Baptist parish. Then, on November 1, 1908, it became its own civil parish. However, this didn't last forever. On April 1, 1929, Longthorpe joined with Peterborough and became part of the city. In 1921, the parish had a population of 274 people.
