Fowlmere
Encyclopedia
Fowlmere is one of the southernmost villages in Cambridgeshire
, England
. It is very close to the Imperial War Museum Duxford
, and 9 miles southwest of the city of Cambridge
.
settlement dating from around the ninth century.
The Census Records from 1841–1891 can be found in the Cambridge Record Office. In addition the 1851 Census for Fowlmere is available in full transcript form, on microfiche, from the Cambridgeshire Family History Society Bookstall.
Fowlmere Airfield, formerly RAF Fowlmere
, near the edge of the village, was the location for the RAF Station and transferred to the United States Army Air Force (USAAF) for use by their 339th Fighter Group during World War II
. The Group flew its first combat mission on 30 April 1944, and its last on 21 April 1945. Modern Air was established at the airfield during September 1990 by Derick Gunning and Anna McDowell. Now the airfield provides pilots with self-fly Piper aircraft and servicing, as well as PPL
training.
The Fowlmere nature reserve (maintained by the RSPB
) is situated west of the village, between it and the village of Melbourn
. With 2.4 kilometres (1 mi) of nature trails, it attracts many visitors. Several special birds are be seen there, including: Kingfisher
s, Water Rail
s, and Grasshopper Warbler
s.
Fowlmere, along with several other Cambridgeshire villages, lays claim to a sighting of the infamous Fen Tiger wild big cat
.
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...
. It is very close to the Imperial War Museum Duxford
Imperial War Museum Duxford
Imperial War Museum Duxford is a branch of the Imperial War Museum near the village of Duxford in Cambridgeshire, England. Britain's largest aviation museum, Duxford houses the museum's large exhibits, including nearly 200 aircraft, military vehicles, artillery and minor naval vessels in seven...
, and 9 miles southwest of the city 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...
.
History
The village has an ancient landmark called the ‘Round Moat’, which is the remains of an early SaxonAnglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
settlement dating from around the ninth century.
The Census Records from 1841–1891 can be found in the Cambridge Record Office. In addition the 1851 Census for Fowlmere is available in full transcript form, on microfiche, from the Cambridgeshire Family History Society Bookstall.
Airfield
RAF Fowlmere
RAF Fowlmere is a former airfield in the United Kingdom. The airfield is located six miles SW of Cambridge in Cambridgeshire.-RAF use:Flying at Fowlmere originated in 1918 when the airfield was used by Royal Air Force and United States Army Air Service Aero Squadrons...
, near the edge of the village, was the location for the RAF Station and transferred to the United States Army Air Force (USAAF) for use by their 339th Fighter Group during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The Group flew its first combat mission on 30 April 1944, and its last on 21 April 1945. Modern Air was established at the airfield during September 1990 by Derick Gunning and Anna McDowell. Now the airfield provides pilots with self-fly Piper aircraft and servicing, as well as PPL
Private Pilot License
A Private Pilot License or, in the United States of America, a Private Pilot Certificate, is a license that permits the holder to act as the pilot of an aircraft privately . The requirements to obtain the license are determined by the International Civil Aviation Authority , but the actual...
training.
- ICAO: EGMA
- Runway Length: 2297 feet (700.1 m)
- Runway Surface: Grass
- Aircraft for hire (2009): 4
- PPR for visiting: 01763 208281
- Fowlmere radio: 135.7 MHz
Natural history
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
Bird Notes and News was first published in April 1903.The title changed to 'Bird Notes' in 1947. In the 1950s, there were four copies per year . Each volume covered two years, spread over three calendar years...
) is situated west of the village, between it and the village of Melbourn
Melbourn
Melbourn is a large village in the far south west of Cambridgeshire, England. It is located next to the A10 just north of Royston. Melbourn has over 4,400 inhabitants...
. With 2.4 kilometres (1 mi) of nature trails, it attracts many visitors. Several special birds are be seen there, including: Kingfisher
Kingfisher
Kingfishers are a group of small to medium sized brightly coloured birds in the order Coraciiformes. They have a cosmopolitan distribution, with most species being found in the Old World and Australia...
s, Water Rail
Water Rail
The Water Rail is a bird of the rail family which breeds in well-vegetated wetlands across Europe, Asia and North Africa. Northern and eastern populations are migratory, but this species is a permanent resident in the warmer parts of its breeding range...
s, and Grasshopper Warbler
Grasshopper Warbler
The Grasshopper Warbler, Locustella naevia, is an Old World warbler in the grass warbler genus Locustella. It breeds across much of temperate Europe and Asia. It is migratory, wintering from northwest Africa to India....
s.
Fowlmere, along with several other Cambridgeshire villages, lays claim to a sighting of the infamous Fen Tiger wild big cat
Big cat
The term big cat – which is not a biological classification – is used informally to distinguish the larger felid species from smaller ones. One definition of "big cat" includes the four members of the genus Panthera: the tiger, lion, jaguar, and leopard. Members of this genus are the only cats able...
.