St. Ives
St Ives is an ancient market town the original name of which was Slepe. The change of name occurred after a Persian bishop called St Ivo arrived there whilst spreading a little light in the region, consequently, a priory was constructed in the old town in 1050 dedicated to St Ivo, later to become St Ives. The town is associated with a huge annual fair, and medieval kings bought cloth for their households at these famous St Ives wool fairs and markets; a somewhat smaller market is still held there every Monday. The Bank Holiday Monday markets are particularly lively affairs, and the Michelmas Fair fills the town centre for three days.
The famous six-arched bridge at St Ives, built in the 15th century, has a most unusual two-storey chapel at its centre point. It is one of only four medieval bridge chapels surviving in England. The chapel was converted into a house in the 19th century, when an extra storey was added - this was removed at a later date. Seagoing barges once navigated up the Great Ouse as far as the six-arched bridge. The river used frequently to freeze-over in winter, and a picture of some note depicting ice-skating at St Ives bridge, painted by Charles Whynter in 1891, is displayed at the local museum. The latter also contains a primitive ice skate recalling those frozen winter delights.
Oliver Cromwell lived on a farmstead close to St Ives during the 1630's and the statue of him on Market Hill, depicted booted and wearing an unpuritanically rakish hat, is one of the more familiar landmarks. The statue was cast in bronze, with a Portland stone base, and was erected in the town's marketplace in 1901; originally designed to stand in Huntingdon, Cromwell's birthplace, the latter town inexplicably refused to accept it.
The Norris Museum, set in a delightful locale by the river, traces the local history of old Huntingdonshire for the past 60 million years. From fossils, mammoth tusks, prehistoric reptiles, flint tools, Roman artefacts and Civil War armour to lace-making, ice-skating displays and contemporary artwork - all are grist to the mill for this truly fascinating museum.