Foxton, Cambridgeshire
Encyclopedia
Foxton is a small village in South Cambridgeshire
, England
. It has a number of well-preserved fifteenth and sixteenth century houses, and a thirteenth century church dedicated to St Lawrence.
.
The parish itself was formed over the medieval period and is bounded on the north by the River Cam
and on the north-east and southwest by the Hoffer and Shepreth brooks. Its south-east boundary follows an ancient road that runs north-east from Fowlmere
, known as the Mareway from the 14th century (now the B1368), and further west by an earthwork known as Grim's ditch or Thriplow bank.
Known as Foxetune at the time of the Domesday Book
, the village's name means "farmstead where foxes are seen".
The theologian William Selwyn lived in Foxton House in the village in the 19th century.
(opened 1851) to London
and is on the main bus route to Cambridge and Royston
.
The village has one remaining public house
, The White Horse, that has been open since at least 1841, though it was rebuilt after a fire in 1880. Former drinking establishments included The Blackamoor's Head (later renamed The Black Boy) and The Railway Inn, which opened in around 1780 and 1860 respectively, but had both closed by the 1960s.
Foxton is also home to a village shop and post office, primary school, learning centre, educational trust (Villiers Park
) and is home to the Burlington Press. The village has a recreation ground with children's playground, tennis courts, bowling green, football and cricket pitches, and there is a modern village hall with meeting rooms and sports pavilion.
The village has a conservation area Foxton Dovecot and Meadow "established" in 2006.
South Cambridgeshire
South Cambridgeshire is a mostly rural local government district of Cambridgeshire, England. It was formed on 1 April 1974 by the merger of Chesterton Rural District and South Cambridgeshire Rural District. It surrounds the city of Cambridge, which is administered separately from the district by...
, 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 has a number of well-preserved fifteenth and sixteenth century houses, and a thirteenth century church dedicated to St Lawrence.
History
The parish has been occupied for at least 2000 years; in the first century A.D. a Belgic settlement appeared, closely followed by a Romano-British farmstead near Hoffer bridge. A pagan English cemetery has also been found just north of the railway stationFoxton railway station
Foxton railway station serves the village of Foxton in Cambridgeshire, England. The station is operated by First Capital Connect....
.
The parish itself was formed over the medieval period and is bounded on the north by 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...
and on the north-east and southwest by the Hoffer and Shepreth brooks. Its south-east boundary follows an ancient road that runs north-east from Fowlmere
Fowlmere
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.- History :...
, known as the Mareway from the 14th century (now the B1368), and further west by an earthwork known as Grim's ditch or Thriplow bank.
Known as Foxetune at the time of the Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
, the village's name means "farmstead where foxes are seen".
The theologian William Selwyn lived in Foxton House in the village in the 19th century.
Church
There has been a church in Foxton since the 12th century, and it has been dedicated to St Lawrence since at least 1225. The present building, consisting of a west tower, porch, and chancel with aisled and clerestoried nave was probably begun in the 13th century and extended over the following 200 years.Demographics
Foxton's population is currently around 1,250 (1,161 in 2001 census) split approximately 80:20 adults to children and occupying about 480 houses.Village life
Foxton has a mainline rail stationFoxton railway station
Foxton railway station serves the village of Foxton in Cambridgeshire, England. The station is operated by First Capital Connect....
(opened 1851) to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and is on the main bus route to Cambridge and Royston
Royston, Hertfordshire
Royston is a town and civil parish in the District of North Hertfordshire and county of Hertfordshire in England.It is situated on the Greenwich Meridian, which brushes the towns western boundary, and at the northernmost apex of the county on the same latitude of towns such as Milton Keynes and...
.
The village has one remaining public house
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
, The White Horse, that has been open since at least 1841, though it was rebuilt after a fire in 1880. Former drinking establishments included The Blackamoor's Head (later renamed The Black Boy) and The Railway Inn, which opened in around 1780 and 1860 respectively, but had both closed by the 1960s.
Foxton is also home to a village shop and post office, primary school, learning centre, educational trust (Villiers Park
Villiers Park
Villiers Park Educational Trust is a registered educational charity in the United Kingdom that helps very able students achieve their full academic potential and gain a place at a leading university. It runs a residential training centre in Foxton, close to Cambridge...
) and is home to the Burlington Press. The village has a recreation ground with children's playground, tennis courts, bowling green, football and cricket pitches, and there is a modern village hall with meeting rooms and sports pavilion.
The village has a conservation area Foxton Dovecot and Meadow "established" in 2006.