Who was Queen Edith, and why is the south-eastern tip of Cambridge named after a queen who was born before the 11th-century architects had designed the castle?

When 21st-century architect Jeremy Lander moved to Nightingale Avenue in Queen Edith’s, he was intrigued as to how the area got its name. At the time he had no idea of the connection between his children’s school, the Queen Edith Primary School and King Harold, let alone an obscure Saxon noblewoman called Edith Swan Neck …

When Jeremy asked people why the area was named Queen Edith’s, he was told it was named after Queen Edith the wife of Edward the Confessor. He was left ‘unsatisfied’ by this explanation, and, in his own words, ‘dug a little deeper’.

He will be sharing his discoveries at Rock Road Library on Wednesday 2nd October with a talk entitled The story of a Saxon king, his lover, and a Cambridge suburb.

The event is being arranged by the Friends of Rock Road Library, and is free of charge, though donations are welcome. Refreshments are provided. No need to book; just turn up on the night. Doors open at 7.45pm.

Wednesday 2nd October, 8-9.30pm, Rock Road Library, 8-9.30pm.

Postscript: For those who were unable to get to Jeremy’s talk, here is a link to his post on Queen Edith’s identity and the history of our area: http://queen-ediths.co.uk/why-is-this-area-of-cambridge-called-queen-ediths/.

   Leave a comment