Did You Know?

The town was chartered by King John in 1205 and is the county town of Huntingdonshire. Having prospered successfully as a bridging point of the River Great Ouse, Huntingdon grew into a market town and, in the 18th and 19th centuries, as a coaching town. The well-preserved medieval bridge was once the main route of Ermine Street over the river and is still in use today.

Huntingdon was founded by the Anglo-Saxons and Danes. Mentioned in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, it seems that it was a staging post for Danish raids outside of east Anglia until 917, when the Danes relocated to Tempsford, before being crushed by Edward the Elder.

Its valuable trading position was secured by the now vanished Huntingdon Castle. The site is now a Scheduled Ancient Monument, and is home to a beacon used to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the Spanish Armada.

The George Hotel In Huntingdon, on the corner of High Street and George Street was once a posting house. It was named after St. George in 1574 and was bought some 25 years later by Henry Cromwell, grandfather of Oliver Cromwell. Charles I made The George his headquarters in 1645.

Huntingdon had a significant role in the First World War. Many troops were stationed in Huntingdon, wounded soldiers were treated here and the Portholme Aerodrome Company contributed to the development of aviation.

Oliver Cromwell was born in Huntingdon in 1599 and the Cromwell Museum tells of his life and legacy through portraits and artefacts associated with this enigmatic figure. The Museum opened in 1962 in the old grammar school where Cromwell was once a pupil.

Other famous residents of Huntingdon, past and present, include John Montagu, the 4th Earl of Sandwich (and the inventor of that staple foodstuff) and John Major who became the youngest Prime Minister of the 20th Century.

Between Godmanchester, Huntingdon and Brampton lies England's largest meadow, Portholme Meadow. Around 257 acres (1 km²) in size and containing many rare species of grass, flowers and dragonfly, it is the only known habitat of the Marsh Dandelion in Britain.