EAW023566 ENGLAND (1949). Conington Castle and Holy Cross Church, Conington, from the south, 1949

Latrine

Laburnam Cottage

Church Road

Church Lane

RAF Glatton, was built by The 809th Engineer Aviation Batallion. The new 457th airfield completely surrounded and included the village of Conington. Since there were already air fields at Honington and Coningsby, and in order to avoid confusion of names, the field was named after Glatton, a small village four miles west. Glatton opened in January 1944 and was home to the 748th and 749th Squadrons of the 94th Combat Wing, 457th Bomb Group. The base was known as USAAF Station 130. In 1945 the base was handed over to No.3 Group Bomber Command who flew Lancasters and Liberators to the Middle East until July 1945 when 273 MU took over. The airfield was sold in 1948 and today is used as a private airfield, known as Peterborough Business Airfield. Some of the buildings survive

Conington Castle (There are two Conington villages both connected to the Cotton family). The site is not open to the public. The manor of Conington was once owned by the Scottish Royal Family, from whom it passed by marriage to the Cottons. When Mountjoy Earl of Newport dismantled Fotheringhay Castle (birth place of King Richard III and the place of execution of Mary, Queen of Scots) in 1626, Sir Robert Cotton acquired some materials for Conington, including 11 Norman arches and columns, and 2 stone pillars which were placed at the entrance lodge to Conington. 1631- Conington was built on the site of an old stone-built farmhouse. Sir Thomas Cotton, in the mid 17th century was responsible for the systematic drainage of the fens to allow the land to be used for agriculture, and the first pumping station was erected. 1724- the house was in a state of disrepair 1753- The Heathcote family purchased the estate The farms were mostly pasture land until John Heathcote turned a great deal of the land to arable. 1800- John Heathcote rebuilt the house 1840- alterations and additions were made '''1955 - demolished''' Today nothing of Conington Castle remains above ground and the site, near to the church, is a private residence - a former stable block and Butlers accommodation remain and have been turned into a family home called Conington House '''The garden-''' The undulating parkland is crossed by a stream flowing east with several footbridges. The drive from the entrance lodge passes across the stream to the south-west corner of the Castle. To the east are stables which form a court with a central lawn. Further to the east, in a depression in the ground, south of Church Lane, was an extensive walled kitchen garden. The kitchen garden had a long, rectangular fish pond along the south wall, and shrubberies either side of the stream south of the pond. The fishpond and kitchen garden to the east no longer exist. The formal gardens were to the north of the house and bounded by a raised terrace walk. In 1798 stone octagonal summer houses were built at either end south of this terrace, in which Sir Robert Cotton placed antique stones, and a further fish pond was made in the lawns. To the north-east of the park is an ice house on a moated site. Garden features: Feature created: 1500 to 1599: garden wall; gate lodge; kitchen garden (destroyed 20th C); drive; walk; Feature created: 1500 to 1803: ornamental bridge; stable block; icehouse; shrubbery Feature created: 1798: summerhouse; fishpond (destroyed 20th C) Feature created: 1803 to 1815: lawn

Holy Cross Church, Conington. now referenced as All Saints Church. Church Lane, Conington, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, PE7 3QA Now in the care of the Redundant Churches Fund. Built by the Cotton family. Circa 1500. Grade 1 listed building - List entry Number: 1162630. Details of access are posted by the church (volunteer keyholder).