History

In the former, Bottisham, (or previously known as Bodekysham and Bottlesham) was a priory of Canons Regular, of the order of St. Augustine, founded by Richard de Clare, in an island called Anglesey, or Anglesey-in-the-Fens, hence the priory received the name of Anglesey Abbey.

The village has a number of 16th/17th century buildings which can be found along the High Street. At the heart of the village is always the church, ours is located on the High Street. The church is a wholly handsome building, dedicated to the Holy Trinity, hence where it gets its name. It is a sizeable late 12^th century church with much rebuilding in the early 13^th century. In the 14th century the nave was raised and a clerestory inserted, to create a spacious, lofty interior. The 14th-century work is said to be by Elias de Beckingham, a native of Bottisham who served as Justice of the Common Pleas under Edward I. The architecture of the nave is especially fine, with grey stone used for the delicate and complex piers. It contains several interesting monuments-one to Elias de Bekingham, justiciary of England in the reign of Edward 1.; one to Sir Roger Jenyns, who died in 1740; and one by Bacon, to Soame Jenyns, who died in 1787. The register dates from 1563. This is perhaps where we get our street name Jenyns Close from!

Holy Trinity, Bottisham is part of the Anglesey Group of Parishes, together with the Parishes of Lode, Stow-cum-Quy, Swaffham Bulbeck and Swaffham Prior.

Many years back Bottisham had an active airfield, known as RAF Bottisham which opened in 1940. This area is now celebrating and recognising its history and role in WW2 as a museum. Bottisham Hall was requisitioned for the officers' mess. On the southern half of the military base domestic accommodation for 2,841 personnel was established. These consisted of Nissen huts made of corrugated steel with a door and two small windows at the front and back. There was also a communal site with a church, sickbay and a number of prefab type buildings. In November 1948 The Nicholas Copernicus Grammar School for boys which, in the previous 12 months had moved from Riddlesworth in Norfolk to Ellough near Beccles, found a more permanent home in Bottisham.

Now it is a museum,opened in 2009 to commemorate the sometimes forgotten role of the airfield at Bottisham in WW2. The museum is now fully functioning with modern facilities including a coffee shop and shop.