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[Peakirk]

1975 , Peakirk (Cambridgeshire)

Cat no. 683

BBC East documentary profiling Peakirk.

This film opens with shots of the centre of the village showing the market cross. Jean Goodman, giving the commentary, explains that the grey stone of North Cambridgeshire villages distinguishes them from Essex and Suffolk villages. She also explains that Peakirk is named after the Saxon saint Pega. There are shots of a chapel, built in 760 AD and of the modern parish church, St. Pagus. There are shots of houses in Peakirk and of the local public house, the 'Ruddy Duck'. Goodman visits the Wildfowl Trust waterfowl gardens, established in 1957. Here she speaks to the scientific officer, Tony Cook. He explains that there are about 800 birds and 160 species there. They include Carolinas, ringed teals and Hawaiian geese. This latter species represents one of the major successes of the Trust. In 1948 the geese were reduced to just 28. Sir Peter Scott acquired a pair for Peakirk. From that pair they have bred 1000 birds and have been able to re-introduce them to the wild. There is a shot of a ruddy duck, a North American diving duck. There are also black swans and flamingos. Jean Goodman visits Annie Williams, the oldest inhabitant of Peakirk whose house is the oldest house in Peakirk (built in 1730) and whose garden borders the wildfowl gardens. She shows Goodman a sculpture by Kathleen Scott, mother of Sir Peter Scott and the widow of Captain Robert Falcon Scott. This is called The Young Viking. Goodman also visits the local 'folly', a seven mile long canal built by French prisoners-of-war during the Napoleonic Wars. Here she meets local farmer, John Harris. This canal was designed to carry flood waters from the River Nene to the River Welland. It never worked because the two flooded together! Now, it takes surplus water from the Peterborough new town.

Featured Buildings

The Chapel; St. Pegus Church; The 'Ruddy Duck' public house

Keywords

Village life; Wildfowl

Manifestations

[Peakirk]

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