Caxton Gibbet is the site of a former gallows that stood just SE of the crossroads of Ermine Street (now the A1198) and the Cambridge to Oxford Road (the A428). The gallows now situated there is a replica believed to have been constructed in about 1900; the original gallows had disappeared by the early 1800s. Interestingly, the gallows present now is clearly not the same structure visible in this photo from about 1900:
A gibbet is an iron cage used to display the remains of an executed criminal. This may have been body parts of treasoners who had been hanged, drawn and quartered, or the whole cadaver of a villain slain for some less grievous crime. While it is reputed that some condemned felons may have been imprisoned in the gibbet alive, to die slowly of dehydration or exposure, there is scant evidence that this practice was ever carried out in England. Gibbeting was outlawed in 1834.
A number of legends exist regarding unfortunate souls reputed to have been gibbeted at this site, but definitive references are few and far between. Perhaps if you know of some firm evidence you could let me know! The most credible report is found at the Cambridgeshire County Record Office, where a William Cole (1714-1782) writes that "About 1753 or 1754 the son of Mrs. Gatward being convicted of robbing the Mail was hanged in chains on the Great Road." There is no explicit reference to Caxton Gibbet but it is thought by many to be the location Cole describes. Other sources state that a highwayman called Christopher Ewings was hanged here in 1676 and that in 1745 the felons Footmass and Jerroms were hanged for robbery.
More lurid tales exist in local folklore. In one tale, the landlord of the nearby inn attempted to rob three wealthy travellers. He killed all three, having disturbed them and been caught in the act, and so he disposed of the bodies down the inn's well. Ghostly footsteps are reputed to lead to the site of the well as if the ghoulish scene is being replayed.
Another story, which appears to have become confused in the telling, is of the murder of a member or members of the Partridge family. In one version of the tale, the murderer was hung alive from the gallows in an iron gibbet; a compassionate baker who handed him a piece of bread was also hanged.
The cache itself is a camouflaged round box containing the usual goodies, including an unactivated East Anglia Cachers geocoin as a FTF prize. The hide is nothing special, but I hope the location is of interest. It is by a busy road, so please take care with kids and dogs. After the cache, to turn northwards you may be better advised to drive south for a half-mile or so and go right around the next roundabout.
FTF: Islalou
Background photo © Andrew Dunn, 2006, used under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.