Potton Island
Potton Island is a sparsely populated island west of Foulness in Essex, England. It is connected to the mainland by a bridge with a traffic light system, and the road leads to Great Wakering.
Unlike some of the other nearby islands which were formerly marshland, Potton Island has been inhabited at least since the Neolithic era. It was home to several arable farms until it flooded in 1884, leading to its temporary abandonment and longer term use as pasture. The island was reclaimed in the 1940s but some time after being acquired by the Ministry of Defence in 1955 it reverted to pasture. It has recently been disclosed (June 2005) that Potton Island was considered by John Major's Conservative government in the 1980s or 1990s as a potential long term storage site for high level nuclear waste. Local government (Southend-on-Sea Borough Council) subsequently expressed their surprise and concern that they had not been party to any consultation on the matter.
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Potton
Coordinates: 52°07′38″N 0°12′55″W / 52.1271°N 0.2152°W / 52.1271; -0.2152
Potton is a town and civil parish in Bedfordshire, England. It is 10 miles (17 kilometres) from Bedford and the population in 2001 was 4,473 people. In 1783 the 'Great Fire of Potton' destroyed a large part of the town. The parish church dates from the 13th Century and is dedicated to St Mary. Potton's horse fairs were some of the largest in the country.
History
The village's name was spelled Pottun in 960 AD and Potone in the 1086 Domesday book. It is derived from the Old English for 'farmstead where pots are made'.
Great Fire
The 'Great Fire of Potton' started in a stack of clover in a field in the area of what is now Spencer Close in 1783. King Street, half the Market Square and some of the Brook End area were destroyed. It was reported to have burned for a day. Local people raised £6,000 to help those most in need. Providing temporary accommodation in nearby fields for the townsfolk alone cost £25,000. The 13th Century parish church, St Mary's, survived, however. Rebuilding after the fire has left the town with a number of Georgian buildings.
Potton (disambiguation)
Potton is a town and civil parish in Bedfordshire, England.
Potton may also refer to:
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