A Little Look At Litlington

While I was out riding my bicycle this morning I stopped for a while at the village of Litlington, just five miles from home. It's not a famous place by any means and isn't really on the way to anywhere, which is just as well as the roads are unsuitable for heavy traffic.

But, back in the 1970s, before the nearby town of Royston was by-passed, a lot of traffic used to come through here to avoid going through Royston. The one-way system dates from those days, though it's rather quieter now.

 

This is the Litlington Congregational Church. The style of architecture is typical of these non-conformist churches and chapels that sprang up across rural Cambridgeshire during the nineteenth century. You can still find examples in many villages, although many are now converted to housing.

This curious little building has been seen before on this blog, but it was quite a few years ago. It's known as The Cage and was in fact the village lock-up. Before 1839, when there was an act of parliament organising a rural police force, law and order was maintained in each village by their own village constable, along with the church wardens. Minor offenders were locked up in here overnight till they could be dealt with by the magistrates (or sometimes just until they'd sobered up).

Speaking of which....there's still a pub in the village....and a shop...

It's still operating too, despite the rather faded sign. And around the corner there's what might be called a "window on to the past"....

....an old photo is displayed in a blocked window, which, unless I'm mistaken, is the same shop some time during the last century.

And with that I'll pedal on my way, though of course I had a quick peep at the church. I'll show you next time.

Take care.