Fen Ditton
Encyclopedia
Fen Ditton is a village
on the northeast edge of Cambridge
in Cambridgeshire
, England
. The parish
covers an area of 5.99 square kilometres (2 sq mi)
Fen Ditton lies on the east bank of the River Cam
, on the road from Cambridge to Clayhithe, and close to junction 34 of the A14. The nearest railway station is Cambridge
, however Waterbeach station
is just north of the village.
times, and stone tools have been found on the meadows between the village and the river.
The name was first recorded in around 950 as Dittone, meaning "the village by the ditch", derived from the Fleam Dyke
, the prehistoric ditch that passed through the village from the river to the edge of the fens at Stow-cum-Quy and can still be seen just to the east of the village. The name was later changed to its present name to distinguish it from Wood Ditton.
The village's history is closely connected to its position on the River Cam, which provided trade throughout the medieval period and its principal connection to other settlements. A large wharf at the western end of the High Street allowed goods to be delivered for the annual Stourbridge Fair
between the 12th and 14th centuries, but trade declined in later centuries. The wharf was still in use in 1845, but the opening of the London-Cambridge railway line removed its commercial purpose and it closed. More recently the river has been used primarily for leisure purposes.
A papermill was opened in the parish in around 1550, only the second recorded in England. Standing on Coldham's Brook at the junction of modern-day Ditton Walk and Newmarket Road it had fallen out of use by the early 19th century; it is now occupied by offices.
The first road in the village passed between the river and the church, linking Fen Ditton to Horningsea
from at least the start of the 15th century. By the 17th century it had been moved to the east of the church. Neither route to Horningsea is still in evidence, but its route south towards Cambridge is now marked by Ditton Walk and the Wadloes footpath. In the 18th century, a new road was added on the higher ground to link the Newmarket Road to Fen Ditton and Horningsea and now serves as the main route through the village. The railway line from Cambridge to Fordham
which opened in 1884, ran through the southern half of the parish.
The area known as Fen Ditton Fields was part of the parish until it was transferred to Cambridge in 1938. With the expansion of Cambridge, housing was built on the fields in the first half of the 20th century, and it also contains Cambridge's only remaining cemetery that takes new burials. The area is now bounded by the former railway line, Coldham's Common, and Cambridge Airport
. Pye Telecommunications, pioneers of the use of radios in taxis, opened their site in this area in 1944 until taken over by Philips in the 1980s.
, the annual rowing races held on the river alongside the village. This association can be seen in the church's weather vane, which takes the form of a rowing eight, and a service for rowers is held there each year. During the 1940s and 50s a ferry would operate across the river to The Plough public house during May Week
until it sank in 1961.
There are four public houses in Fen Ditton. The Plough runs down to the river at Green End; The Ancient Shepherds on the High Street was built as three cottages in 1540; The King's Head, active since at least 1760, is situated alongside the church; The Blue Lion, rebuilt in 1951, sits where the High Street meets the Horningsea Road. Former pubs include The Sluice or Pike and Eel, to the north of the village on the river, and The Harvestman on Green End.
Children initially attend Fen Ditton Primary school and usually then go on to Bottisham Village College
. The village's store and post office closed in 2005.
Fen Ditton is home to both a cricket and a football team. Both sides play their home games on Fen Ditton Recreation Ground.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
on the northeast edge of Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
in Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire is a county in England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the northeast, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to the west...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
covers an area of 5.99 square kilometres (2 sq mi)
Fen Ditton lies on the east bank of the River Cam
River Cam
The River Cam is a tributary of the River Great Ouse in the east of England. The two rivers join to the south of Ely at Pope's Corner. The Great Ouse connects the Cam to England's canal system and to the North Sea at King's Lynn...
, on the road from Cambridge to Clayhithe, and close to junction 34 of the A14. The nearest railway station is Cambridge
Cambridge railway station
Cambridge railway station is a railway station serving the city of Cambridge in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located at the end of Station Road, off Hills Road, 1 mile south-east of the city centre...
, however Waterbeach station
Waterbeach railway station
Waterbeach is a railway station serving the large village of Waterbeach in Cambridgeshire, England. The station lies on Fen Line from Cambridge to King's Lynn, electrified at 25 kV AC overhead...
is just north of the village.
History
The site has been occupied since at least neolithicNeolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
times, and stone tools have been found on the meadows between the village and the river.
The name was first recorded in around 950 as Dittone, meaning "the village by the ditch", derived from the Fleam Dyke
Fleam Dyke
Fleam Dyke is an earthwork in eastern Cambridgeshire, England, generally assumed to be Anglo-Saxon of origin. As a few potsherds of the early and late Bronze age were found in the most eastern part of the dyke it seems that much older earthworks have been used. The archaeologist Prof...
, the prehistoric ditch that passed through the village from the river to the edge of the fens at Stow-cum-Quy and can still be seen just to the east of the village. The name was later changed to its present name to distinguish it from Wood Ditton.
The village's history is closely connected to its position on the River Cam, which provided trade throughout the medieval period and its principal connection to other settlements. A large wharf at the western end of the High Street allowed goods to be delivered for the annual Stourbridge Fair
Stourbridge fair
Stourbridge fair was an annual fair held on Stourbridge Common in Cambridge, England. At its peak it was the largest fair in Europe and was the inspiration for Bunyan's "Vanity Fair"....
between the 12th and 14th centuries, but trade declined in later centuries. The wharf was still in use in 1845, but the opening of the London-Cambridge railway line removed its commercial purpose and it closed. More recently the river has been used primarily for leisure purposes.
A papermill was opened in the parish in around 1550, only the second recorded in England. Standing on Coldham's Brook at the junction of modern-day Ditton Walk and Newmarket Road it had fallen out of use by the early 19th century; it is now occupied by offices.
The first road in the village passed between the river and the church, linking Fen Ditton to Horningsea
Horningsea
Horningsea is a small village north of Cambridge in Cambridgeshire in England. The parish covers an area of 6.63 km. It lies on the east bank of the River Cam, and on the road from Cambridge to Clayhithe...
from at least the start of the 15th century. By the 17th century it had been moved to the east of the church. Neither route to Horningsea is still in evidence, but its route south towards Cambridge is now marked by Ditton Walk and the Wadloes footpath. In the 18th century, a new road was added on the higher ground to link the Newmarket Road to Fen Ditton and Horningsea and now serves as the main route through the village. The railway line from Cambridge to Fordham
Fordham
Fordham may refer to:In business:*Fordham Brewing Company, a brewing company based in Dover, Delaware*Fordham Company, a real estate development firm based in Chicago, IllinoisIn education:...
which opened in 1884, ran through the southern half of the parish.
The area known as Fen Ditton Fields was part of the parish until it was transferred to Cambridge in 1938. With the expansion of Cambridge, housing was built on the fields in the first half of the 20th century, and it also contains Cambridge's only remaining cemetery that takes new burials. The area is now bounded by the former railway line, Coldham's Common, and Cambridge Airport
Cambridge Airport
Cambridge Airport is a small regional airport in South Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the eastern outskirts of Cambridge, south of Newmarket Road and west of the village of Teversham, from the centre of Cambridge and approximately from London.Opened in 1938, when it replaced the old...
. Pye Telecommunications, pioneers of the use of radios in taxis, opened their site in this area in 1944 until taken over by Philips in the 1980s.
Church
The church of St Mary The Virgin was built in the twelfth century. Made from Barnack stone and rubble with clunch and limestone dressings, it consists of a chancel, nave, north and south aisles, a south porch, and west tower. Some original twelfth century masonry survives, and the tower dates from the thirteenth century.Village life
Fen Ditton is often associated with The BumpsBumps race
A bumps race is a form of rowing race in which a number of boats chase each other in single file, each boat attempting to catch and "bump" the boat in front without being caught by the boat behind....
, the annual rowing races held on the river alongside the village. This association can be seen in the church's weather vane, which takes the form of a rowing eight, and a service for rowers is held there each year. During the 1940s and 50s a ferry would operate across the river to The Plough public house during May Week
May Week
May Week is the name used within the University of Cambridge to refer to a period of time at the end of the academic year. Originally May Week took place in the week during May before year-end exams began. Today, May Week takes place in June. The end of exams is a cause for heavy celebration...
until it sank in 1961.
There are four public houses in Fen Ditton. The Plough runs down to the river at Green End; The Ancient Shepherds on the High Street was built as three cottages in 1540; The King's Head, active since at least 1760, is situated alongside the church; The Blue Lion, rebuilt in 1951, sits where the High Street meets the Horningsea Road. Former pubs include The Sluice or Pike and Eel, to the north of the village on the river, and The Harvestman on Green End.
Children initially attend Fen Ditton Primary school and usually then go on to Bottisham Village College
Bottisham Village College
Bottisham Village College is a comprehensive secondary school located in Cambridgeshire, England. The school opened in 1937 as the second village college in part of the Local Director of Education Henry Morris' vision for providing a good quality education for local people in the countryside around...
. The village's store and post office closed in 2005.
Fen Ditton is home to both a cricket and a football team. Both sides play their home games on Fen Ditton Recreation Ground.