LET'S MOVE TO: COTTINGHAM

Neighbourhood know-how, places and people

- JOHN GELSON

LOCATION, LOCATION

Cottingham lays claim to the title of England’s largest village, in terms of population – and with a population of over 17,000, it has the look and feel of a small town. It’s also perfectly placed for commuting into the city of Hull on its southern doorstep, while the lovely market town of Beverley is only a couple of miles away to the north. But what really strikes you on a first visit is a sense of community, built on a long history – the village was founded by the Anglo Saxons, who called it ‘Cottingham’, meaning ‘the homestead of Cotta’s People’. Viking influences linger in its street names, while the Normans built a fortified manor house, Baynard Castle, abandoned in the 1300s with only remnants of its moat visible today. In the 18th century, Cottingham became Hull’s garden, producing vegetables, flowers and soft fruit for the city’s markets: and wealthy businessmen built fine country houses as the village thrived with the coming of the railway in 1846. Housing estates and university halls of residence at The Lawns replaced the market gardens in the 20th century, as Cottingham became home to thousands of Hull University students and staff. Today’s Cottingham has a warm heart, and no-nonsense people with a genuine pride in where they live – and with new homes springing up around the edges, it’s certainly not stuck in the past.

GETTING HOME… AND AWAY