Reach, Old World Village with Modern Ideas

THE word Reach to most people, today conjures up the picture of a small village "somewhere near Burwell" where once a year a fair of no little importance was held.

It would, therefore, surprise these people to know that in the time of the Romans, Reach was a very important place and that in the Middle Ages it was a mercantile port. In deed, Reach is a picturesque village steeped in history, but is by no means sleepy. The village has, unlike some other Fenland places, retained its old world atmosphere, and whatever may have been the character of its inhabitants in bygone days, the villagers of the present day rally to any cause and invariably the result of their efforts, whether it be for the church or charity, surpasses anything attempted in the larger " mother village Burwell. There is in Reach no dissention between Church and Chapel, and may be that is the key to the success which attends any village effort.

ANCIENT HISTORY

Much has been written about Reach. Roman ruins have been found there. On all old maps Reach is marked with a figure or a Cathedral, an indication on all such old documents of the existence of a city. There once stood St Etheldreda's Chapel on the Burwell side of the Devil's Dyke and though it is not known exactly when it was built, there are records dating back to 1378. In 1768 the chapel was nothing more than a ruin. The present church at Reach was built in 1860 by the then vicar of Swaffham Prior for the sum of £500!

Through the ages Reach has gained renown by way, of its Fair and though there has been a considerable, falling off over the years, it is a pleasing feature that gradually the Fair seems to be coming back, into it's own.

Reach can even claim a connection with the Wars of the Roses, for in the village there are two fine old houses "White Roses," where the Vicar, the Rev. M. F. Williams, and Mrs. Williams reside, and "Red Roses," obviously the dwellings of partisans. So much for the history of Reach, about which a great deal can be written.

MODERN REQUIREMENTS

What of the Reach of 1950?. It can be said right Away, that the villagers are conscious of the place the village holds in the history of the Fenland, but there are those of the new generation who want to see installed the ordinary amenities one has come to expect in this modern world.

There have been those and there are probably still quite a few who maintain that what was good enough for their fathers is good enough. for them and for those who follow. But many of those who have, followed do not share those sentiments. They want to be able to press a switch rather than light an oil lamp and to have the use of proper sanitary arrangements.

The younger people are finding that there are many handicaps to living in an old world village, and they are beginning. to ask why some improvement is not made in the public services.

Water is laid on to the in the village but there is need for improved sanitary arrangements. The village has no electricity supply despite the fact that cables are laid and in use only a short distance away at Swaffham Prior. Postal services give rise to complaints by those villagers who cherish the old world surroundings, but who do not see. why they have to put up with the inconveniences of a bygone age. The mail is delivered by bicycle, while in the neighbouring villages of Burwell arid Swaffham Prior a very regular delivery is maintained by van. 'Yet again, although there is a Post Office in Reach, telegrams go to Swaffham Prior and when the Swaffham Prior Post Office is closed, to Newmarket. Reach has one of the finest village greens to seen anywhere, but there is no playing field of any kind in the village. Those are some of the things the present day villagers of Reach discuss when one mentions the beauty and historical connections of the village.

Reach Church