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IntroductionTo the north-west of the village of Welney is a hamlet of nearly 60 houses and several farms which, as the page title suggests, has a number of alternative spellings creating some confusion.It is halfway between Welney in Norfolk and Christchurch in Cambridgeshire, adding to the problem as described below. From the 1950-56 1inch OS Map |
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So, where is it and what's the correct spelling?The following article written in 2002 by David Lewis, now living in Doddington but then at Forge Barn in March Road, Tipps End, described some of the quirkiness of the area. It was first published in the Welney News in issue number 29, Oct-Nov 2002."Where Is Tipps End?Thanks David, my wife and I chuckle every time we read that. |
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Whats happened since 2002 ?The road signs have improved although rather randomly. In late 2004 or Jan 2005 two appeared, one in Wisbech Road on the way from Lakes End, the other on March Road approaching from Welney. Both were (I believe) erected by Norfolk County Council's highways dept even though the March Road one is on the Cambridgeshire side of the road. To add to the mystery, a report of a Parish Meeting for Welney stated "there is only one sign" [the one on March Road] and it had been "paid for by Welney Parish Council". Even odder, the Parish Council's accounts show no evidence of that.Sometime in 2006 a sign appeared on the approach from Christchurch and Manea, presumably provided by Cambridgeshire County County who previously said they were not prepared to finance it despite the intervention of local MP Mrs Gillian Shephard. The first two signs are positioned so that some properties previously considered part of Tipps End are now left in an apparent no-mans land, neither Welney, Lakes End or Tipps End. To add to this oddity, and the irritation and frustration of some residents, those living on the Norfolk side of the boundary are faced with very restrictive planning laws, whilst their neighbours across the road in Cambridgeshire can build just about anything. A third sign, in Wisbech Road, Tipps End, came a little later to complete the job. All spelled as in the photo on the right. Despite that, and the same spelling on most OS maps our our house deeds (the house dating from the 1860s), Kings Lynn & West Norfolk Borough Council refuse to change our address on their records from "Tipsend" to "Tipps End" because "their computer will only acept the former" ! |
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CommerceFarming is obviously the predominant commercial activity. In 1912 Norfolk County Council aquired about 600 acres of farmland for letting as small holdings. That land, known as the Welney Estate, once had as many as thirty tenants with holdings around 20 acres. Now there are just a couple of tenant with around two hundred acres each.The Goodger family have provided some interesting details of their varied business on a mixture of leased, rented and owned land based at Pates Farm. The area also has a number of small stud farms, a go-kart track, a kennels and various small service businesses. Links to some of these businesses are at bottom left of page. |
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Acknowledgements:
Sources as noted.
Text & design: © 20003-16 Peter Cox If you wish to add, correct or disagree with anything, please e-mail and you comments will be added. |
And finally .....From the Christchurch Village Newsletter, "The Heron" , September 2013"What a wonderful part of the world we live in! A group of villages in the middle of the countryside which is used mostly for the production of food. I say group as there is Christchurch, Tipps End, and Welney that all share access from the B1100. And each village has a sense of community which is clearly seen in publications like The Heron and Welney News. Tipps End is the smallest of the three, but no less important than Christchurch and Welney.My apologies to Andy and the editors of the Heron for not asking permission to publish this. I hope they will forgive me. In time. |
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