CAMUS Parish Archive and Book Project

Castor Church

Residents of the villages of Castor, Ailsworth, Marholm, Upton and Sutton – and the Milton Estates are creating an historical archive. The villages are on the western edge of Greater Peterborough, Cambridgeshire. Records relating to the area go back to the time of the Romans when Castor pottery was exported to the Roman Empire. The aim of this project is threefold:

1) The existing parish archive held in the church of St Kyneburga in Castor is composed of more than 1,000 documents relating to the history of the village from Roman times. These are kept in a secure location and are not normally available for public viewing. The group is developing a searchable catalogue where digital copies of all documents will be available on a computer hard drive and on the Internet. This will ensure that the information is preserved and made available to the local community. A small and changing display of archive material can also be seen at at the Cedar Centre and from time to time in other local community centres.

2) The group has also produced a 384 page book with hundreds of photographs about the villages of Castor, Ailsworth, Marholm, Upton Sutton and the Milton Estate. Members of local groups and residents shared their memories and experiences. The book was distributed free of charge to local libraries, schools, the County Record Office and Northampton Record Office. The remainder were sold to the public at a modest price, and proceeds are being used for long-term maintenance of the project. Because the book sold out the group also made a digital version that is available on CD and on the group’s website.

3) The group is also revamping the village web site which includes active links to the digital archive.

This archive entry was last updated on 05/11/2018. Information incorrect or out-of-date?
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