Guilden Morden

Guilden Morden, England, is a village and parish located in Cambridgeshire about 16 mi south west of Cambridge and 5 mi west of Royston in Hertfordshire. It is served by the main line Ashwell and Morden railway station 3 mi to the south in the neighbouring parish of Steeple Morden.

The parish is combined with the parishes of Abington Pigotts, Guilden Morden and Tadlow to form "The Mordens" ward, which is represented on South Cambridgeshire District Council by one councillor.

Guilden Morden is twinned with the German municipality of Urbach, Thuringia in the district of Nordhausen, in Thuringia, Germany.

History
The parish of Guilden Morden is long and thin in shape covering an area of 1052 ha in the very south-western corner of Cambridgeshire. The parish's long western border largely follows the course of the River Cam from the point where it rises at Ruddery Spring, and which separates it from Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire. At its southern tip the parish meets the ancient Icknield Way (now the A505). Most of its long eastern border follows a stream that divides it from neighbouring Steeple Morden, and reaches its short northern border with Tadlow at Tadlow Bridge.

The area has been occupied for at least 2000 years and probably much longer; an axehead dating from 6000BC has been found in the parish. A significant cemetery dating from Roman times has also been found in the south of the parish, containing at least 180 burials and indicating an important nearby settlement. The Saxon village was probably built after that of its neighbour Steeple Morden from which it has been separate since at least the Norman Conquest.

The hamlet of Odsey on the Baldock to Royston road was formerly home to a Cistercian grange. A hamlet named Redreth was listed until the 14th century, probably south of the village and perhaps deserted as a result of the Black Death.

The name is derived from the Old English Gylden More Dun, meaning "Golden" (rich or productive) "Moor Hill".

Church
The parish church of Guilden Morden has been dedicated to St Mary since at least the 15th century. The present building consists of a chancel, aisled and clerestoried nave with south porch, and a west tower with a short spire. The oldest parts of the nave date back to the 13th century, with the majority of the building added in the 14th century. The present tower dates from the 15th century, and the present spire replaced an older one in 1972. The basin of the font is 12th century.

Village life
In the village there are two pubs named the Three Tuns, which was open by 1851, and the King Edward VII. Next to the King Edward is a small village shop. The Six Bells pub, which opened next to the church before 1801, closed some time in the 1960s or 70s, and The Black Swan opened on Swan Lane in the late 19th century and closed in the 20th century. The village's other former pubs are The Pear Tree (47 New Road), The Chestnuts, The Pig and Whistle (63 High Street), The Fox, and The Black Horse (Potton Road).

There is a primary school, named Guilden Morden Primary School. Originally founded in 1847 and opening on its current site in 1974, the school has around 120 children going from reception to year 6. The children then go on to Bassingbourn Village College in most cases. In addition the village has a pre-school.

A fete is held each September on the recreation ground in aid of the village hall.