Local Public Services in St. Ives

For local services, e.g.. District Council, Police, Fire Service, Public Buildings, Public Parks and Play Areas and all other public services,  use the links on the left. You will find names, telephone numbers and in many cases addresses of the providers of these Local Services to St Ives Cambridgeshire.

In an EMERGENCY dial 999

Public Buildings

Museums and places of Historic Interest

St Ives has an excellent museum with a knowledgeable and dedicated curator, Bob Burn-Murdoch. A visit to the Norris Museum is a must if you are visiting St Ives and if you wish to know anything about the history of St Ives then this is the place to start. It is good to have a museum in a town that has over 70 listed buildings, three of which are of Grade I status, we need somewhere and someone to keep the records and knowledge of our local heritage and we need someone like Bob to ensure that it is all written down for posterity.

Public Buildings

There are three principle public buildings in St Ives, the Town Hall and the Corn Exchange, both managed by the Town Council and the Burgess Civic Hall, which is part of the St Ivo Indoor Recreation Centre, is managed by Huntingdonshire District Council

Public Library

The public library is conveniently situated close to the town centre and the bus station at the western end of the Cattle Market Car Park. The library is managed and maintained by the Libraries and Information Service (External website will open in a new window) of Cambridgeshire County Council

Public Spaces

Allotments

According to the House of Commons there are over 250,000 allotment holders in the UK. This is as a result of the fact that Local Authorities have a statutory duty to provide "land for cultivation", up to 0.25 acres per person, to house holders in their parish if there is a demand for it, under the Allotments Acts of 1908, 1922, 1925 and 1950. If you would like an allotment or wish to obtain more information about allotments in St Ives please contact the Town Hall.

Public Car Parks

The Public Car Parks in St Ives are managed and maintained by the Transport Team of Huntingdon District Council and in general are well maintained, conveniently located to the town centre shops and have adequate provision for Blue Badge holders. There is a limited amount of Pay and Display on-street parking actually in the town centre at Market Hill and a considerable amount of additional parking available to the public for a small fee, currently £1, at the Dolphin Hotel in London Road.

Cemeteries

Strangely there is no statutory obligation for the Local Authority to provide a cemetery (burial ground) but luckily most do, nor must a cemetery be confused with a churchyard. The former is usually a public space whereas the later is owned by the relevant church authority and not all cemeteries are consecrated ground as would be expected with a churchyard. Luckily St Ives is well endowed with both and although there is still a little space left in Broad Leas, the new cemetery at Ramsey Road is about to be enlarged. The St Ives cemeteries are managed and maintained by the Town Council. The old cemetery in Broad Leas contains some monuments of historical and/or architectural interest and the new cemetery in Ramsey Road is thoughtfully laid out and very well maintained.

Nature Reserves around St Ives

It is extraordinary that within a few minutes walk from the town centre that one can experience three differing types of nature reserve. To the southeast of the town is the open riverside grassland of Wilhorn Meadow, to the southwest the former osier beds of Holt Island and to the west the woodlands of the Thicket. These are complimented by the massive area of Hemingford Meadow, although strictly speaking neither a nature reserve nor within the Parish of St Ives (see below). The three nature reserves are managed and maintained by the Country side Rangers of Huntingdonshire District Council.

Open Spaces

As stated above the largest open space around St Ives, Hemingford Meadow, is actually within the Parish of Hemingford Grey on the south bank of the River Great Ouse, the meadow separating the town and the village. On the north side of the river is the much smaller Nobles Field. These are both managed by separate trusts who allow thoughtful public use and access.

Outdoor Venues and Street Markets

Basically an "outdoor venue" could be anywhere in the town and could be of any size. We include the St Ives Street Market in this section becuase its location is rather ambiguous, on Friday a few dozen stalls on the Sheep Market, on Monday the whole of Market Hill and on Bank Holiday Mondays the whole of the town centre but when it comes to the Michaelmas Fair the whole of the old town!

Public Parks and Play Areas

St Ives is well endowed with parks and play areas all of which are evenly scattered across the residential areas of the town so that no one need walk far to get to one. The parks and play areas are managed by the Town Council

Street Scenes

We wanted a section of this website just to record pictures and descriptions of some of street scenes of St Ives, these images are not of a particular location but more of an overall view.

The Quay

Lastly but certainly not the least is the area where the town meets the river. Long ago this would have been a scene of frantic activity as cargo was loaded or unloaded from barges and lighters on the river but today is a tranquil place to sit and enjoy the wonderful view of the River Great Ouse, the St Ives Bridges and the Chapel of St Ledger, the chapel on the bridge.