The Weir – Friends of Warboys Library

The Warboys Weir is a small pond in the centre of the village of Warboys, Cambridgeshire, England. It is located at the fork of the roads High Street and Mill Green, and is surrounded by trees and benches. The weir is a popular spot for fishing, birdwatching, and relaxing, and is also a habitat for various wildlife, such as ducks, moorhens, and dragonflies.

The weir has a long and intriguing history, dating back to the medieval times. The word ‘weir’ comes from the Old English ‘wer’, meaning ‘a dam or fence in a river’. The weir was probably built to control the water level of the nearby stream, and to provide water for the village mill. The mill was first recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086, and was owned by the lord of the manor of Warboys. The mill was later demolished in the 19th century, and the weir became a public amenity. ¹

The weir is also associated with a dark legend, involving the Warboys Witches, a notorious case of witchcraft that took place in the village in the late 16th century. The Warboys Witches were Alice Samuel and her family, who were accused of bewitching the Throckmorton family, the local gentry. The Throckmorton children and servants suffered from fits and hallucinations, and blamed Alice Samuel for their afflictions. Alice Samuel confessed to witchcraft under pressure, and was hanged along with her husband and daughter in 1593. The case was one of the most famous and controversial witch trials in England, and influenced the later trials in Salem, Massachusetts. ²

According to popular legend, the weir was the last place in England to drown witches. The legend says that the villagers tested the guilt of the accused witches by throwing them into the weir. If they floated, they were guilty; if they sank, they were innocent. However, there is no historical evidence to support this legend, and it is likely that it was a later invention, inspired by the witch trials in other parts of the country. ²

The Warboys Weir is a place of beauty and mystery, where the past and the present coexist. It is a place where the villagers can enjoy the nature and the tranquility, and also remember the history and the heritage of their village. The weir is a symbol of the village’s identity and culture, and a source of pride and curiosity for the locals and the visitors alike. ¹

Sources:

(1) Warboys – Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warboys.

(2) The Warboys Witches | Fenlandphil’s Blog. https://fenlandphil.com/2021/02/28/the-warboys-witches/.

This history of the Warboys Village pond was written by Joan Cole

The name evolved from POND→WARE→WEIR

In 1887 the then Parson Rev Hill wanted to tidy up some houses in the High St by plastering them with clay (clay & daub) and the closest place to get clay was the Village POND (as it was then called) and in doing so enlarged it.

After this it became known as the WARE POND/PIT = Ware and Gault being another old Fen name for clay; and as we know Warboys people always shorten things!

On all early Village Postcards in the 1900s it was simply called WARE.

This changed when a new teacher joined the old Baptist school (now the Library), who I am led to believe came from the north of England where they had actual weirs and not knowing the History of Village assumed Fen people had spelt it wrong and it should be spelt WEIR! And people in those days didn’t question a teacher!

The following post is an 1897 document when the 3 lamps were erected referring to the WARE.

Photo from the collection of Sharon Porter

Mill Green and the Weir with Windmill behind shown in the late 1800s before Queen Victoria’s Jubilee triple lamp was installed.

Photo from the collection of Joan Cole

Photo © Evan Tringham 2022

The Lamp was placed by the Weir to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1897. It was made by F.T.Ruston & Sons Limited of St.Ives.

Over the years the lamp deteriorated so in 1999/2000 Warboys Parish Council commissioned Anthony J. Bernasconi of Mill Green to restore it as part of the Warboys Millennium Project.

Below you can see pictures of the original maker at the bottom of the post and refurbisher details and north direction on the mounting plate on which the lamp stands. The lamp is Grade II listed by Historic England as list entry number 1412978.

Photo © Evan Tringham 2022

Photos from the collection of Joan Cole

Over the years the lamp deteriorated so in 1999/2000 Warboys Parish Council commissioned Anthony J Bernasconi of Mill Green to restore it as part of the Warboys Millenium Project.