Oakington
Encyclopedia
Oakington is a small village
4 miles north-west of Cambridge
in Cambridgeshire
in England
, and belongs to the administrative district of South Cambridgeshire
. The village falls into the parish
of Oakington and Westwick.
(now the A14) and early Anglo-Saxon burials have been found near the church. The ancient parish of Oakington covered 1692 acres (684.7 ha) with the Via Devana forming its south-western boundary with Dry Drayton
. The Beck Brook separated it from Westwick and Histon
to the east, and field boundaries divided it from Longstanton
to the north, and Girton
to the south.
The village has long been paired with neighbouring Westwick, and the latter has relied on Oakington for a parish church since the 13th century. In 1985 the two parishes were merged to form the civil parish of Oakington and Westwick, and now covers 1862 acres (753.5 ha).
After reaching a peak population of 610 in 1851, poverty led to widespread emigration to Adelaide
, Australia
, and it was reported that the population fell by a third in three years. New housing was built after the Second World War and the population has risen steadily since.
The railway reached the parish in 1847, with the Oakington railway station
opening in 1848. The line closed in 1970, but is now used by the Cambridge to St Ives
guided bus
.
In 1909 two Oakington residents, Messrs Grose and Feary, built a monoplane in an attempt to win the Daily Mail
prize for £1,000 for the first Briton to fly a circular mile in an all-British aeroplane.
From 1940 a Royal Air Force
base, RAF Oakington
, was constructed at Oakington covering 540 acres (218.5 ha) and served as a base for Short Stirling
bomber forces and reconnaissance planes. In the post war period it as used for flight training, in the last period with Vickers Varsity
aircraft; however when the need for training on piston-engined planes reduced, it was converted to a barracks in 1975, which in turn closed in 1999. The site was then leased to the Home Office
and was converted into Oakington Immigration Reception Centre
, an immigration detention centre. The base contracted after the war and much evidence of its former presence is visible in farmland surrounding the current perimeter.
Listed as Hochinton in the Domesday Book
of 1086, the name "Oakington" means "estate of a man called Hocca".
The parish church of St Andrew comprises a chancel, aisled nave with rebuilt south porch, and west tower. Parts of the nave date back to the 12th century, and the church was substantially rebuilt in the 13th century.
Work has begun on the "New Building", a conference centre at the church. It is to consist of a kitchen and toilets, and also two meeting rooms.
Oakington also has Methodist and Baptist
churches.
The barracks
and attached airfield are to become the site of a new town called Northstowe
. It is planned to become one of England's first five "eco towns", as announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer
on May 2007.
At the village crossroads, the east-west road from Histon
to Longstanton
crosses the north-south road from Cottenham
to Dry Drayton
. Between Oakington and the nearby hamlet of Westwick runs the former railway branch line, with the former station
that is now part of the Cambridge to St Ives
guided bus
track. Next to the track, the 150-year-old bridge over Beck Brook was completely rebuilt in 2006.
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...
4 miles north-west 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...
in 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...
, and belongs to the administrative district of South Cambridgeshire
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...
. The village falls into 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...
of Oakington and Westwick.
History
Oakington formed just over a mile to the north east of the Roman road Via DevanaVia Devana
The Via Devana was a Roman Road in England that ran from Colchester in the south-east to Chester in the north-west. Both were important Roman military centres and it is conjectured that the main reason the road was constructed was military rather than civilian. The Latin name for Chester is Deva...
(now the A14) and early Anglo-Saxon burials have been found near the church. The ancient parish of Oakington covered 1692 acres (684.7 ha) with the Via Devana forming its south-western boundary with Dry Drayton
Dry Drayton
Dry Drayton is a village and civil parish about 5 miles northwest of Cambridge in Cambridgeshire, England. It covers an area of .-History:...
. The Beck Brook separated it from Westwick and Histon
Histon
Histon and Impington are villages in Cambridgeshire, England, They are situated just north of Cambridge with the main bulk of the settlements being separated from the city by the A14 road ....
to the east, and field boundaries divided it from Longstanton
Longstanton
Longstanton is a village in South Cambridgeshire, England, 6 miles northwest of Cambridge city centre.-History:For most of its history Longstanton was split into two parishes: the larger Long Stanton All Saints to the north and the smaller Long Stanton St. Michael to the south...
to the north, and Girton
Girton
Girton is a place name that could refer to:*Girton College, Cambridge*Girton, Cambridgeshire, England*Girton, Nottinghamshire, England*Girton High School, Mumbai, India...
to the south.
The village has long been paired with neighbouring Westwick, and the latter has relied on Oakington for a parish church since the 13th century. In 1985 the two parishes were merged to form the civil parish of Oakington and Westwick, and now covers 1862 acres (753.5 ha).
After reaching a peak population of 610 in 1851, poverty led to widespread emigration to Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, and it was reported that the population fell by a third in three years. New housing was built after the Second World War and the population has risen steadily since.
The railway reached the parish in 1847, with the Oakington railway station
Oakington railway station
Oakington railway station was a station in Oakington, Cambridgeshire on the line between Cambridge and St Ives. It opened in 1847 and was closed during the Beeching Axe in 1970. The station building remains as a private house but the track has been replaced by the Cambridgeshire Guided Busway....
opening in 1848. The line closed in 1970, but is now used by the Cambridge to St Ives
St Ives, Cambridgeshire
St Ives is a market town in Cambridgeshire, England, around north-west of the city of Cambridge and north of London. It lies within the historic county boundaries of Huntingdonshire.-History:...
guided bus
Guided bus
Guided buses are buses steered for part or all of their route by external means, usually on a dedicated track. This track, which often parallels existing roads, excludes other traffic, permitting the maintenance of reliable schedules on heavily used corridors even during rush hours.Guidance systems...
.
In 1909 two Oakington residents, Messrs Grose and Feary, built a monoplane in an attempt to win the Daily Mail
Daily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
prize for £1,000 for the first Briton to fly a circular mile in an all-British aeroplane.
From 1940 a Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
base, RAF Oakington
RAF Oakington
RAF Oakington was an RAF base situated in Cambridgeshire, England.Construction was started in 1939, but was affected by the outbreak of war, the original plan called for Type C hangars two type J were erected instead. It was used by No. 2 Group in July 1940 for No. 218 Squadron which had recently...
, was constructed at Oakington covering 540 acres (218.5 ha) and served as a base for Short Stirling
Short Stirling
The Short Stirling was the first four-engined British heavy bomber of the Second World War. The Stirling was designed and built by Short Brothers to an Air Ministry specification from 1936, and entered service in 1941...
bomber forces and reconnaissance planes. In the post war period it as used for flight training, in the last period with Vickers Varsity
Vickers Varsity
-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Andrews, C.F. and E.B. Morgan. Vickers Aircraft since 1908. London: Putnam, 1988. ISBN 0-85177-815-1.* Ellis, Ken. Wrecks & Relics. Manchester, UK: Crecy Publishing, 21st edition, 2008. ISBN 9-780859-791342....
aircraft; however when the need for training on piston-engined planes reduced, it was converted to a barracks in 1975, which in turn closed in 1999. The site was then leased to the Home Office
Home Office
The Home Office is the United Kingdom government department responsible for immigration control, security, and order. As such it is responsible for the police, UK Border Agency, and the Security Service . It is also in charge of government policy on security-related issues such as drugs,...
and was converted into Oakington Immigration Reception Centre
Oakington Immigration Reception Centre
Oakington Immigration Reception Centre was a UK Home Office immigration detention centre located in Cambridgeshire, England.Originally a World War II airfield, RAF Oakington, during the war it was used for Short Stirling bomber forces, as well as other assorted units...
, an immigration detention centre. The base contracted after the war and much evidence of its former presence is visible in farmland surrounding the current perimeter.
Listed as Hochinton in 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...
of 1086, the name "Oakington" means "estate of a man called Hocca".
Church
Work has begun on the "New Building", a conference centre at the church. It is to consist of a kitchen and toilets, and also two meeting rooms.
Oakington also has Methodist and Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
churches.
Village life
Oakington is now home to only one pub, The White Horse at Alehouse Green, which is recorded from the 1760s and was rebuilt after a fire in 1805. The New Inn opened near the former station in 1858 and closed after 1980.The barracks
Barracks
Barracks are specialised buildings for permanent military accommodation; the word may apply to separate housing blocks or to complete complexes. Their main object is to separate soldiers from the civilian population and reinforce discipline, training and esprit de corps. They were sometimes called...
and attached airfield are to become the site of a new town called Northstowe
Northstowe
Northstowe is a proposed new town of 9,500 houses in Cambridgeshire, UK. It is expected to be "an exemplar of sustainability in the use of renewable energy resources and reducing carbon emissions"...
. It is planned to become one of England's first five "eco towns", as announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer
Chancellor of the Exchequer
The Chancellor of the Exchequer is the title held by the British Cabinet minister who is responsible for all economic and financial matters. Often simply called the Chancellor, the office-holder controls HM Treasury and plays a role akin to the posts of Minister of Finance or Secretary of the...
on May 2007.
At the village crossroads, the east-west road from Histon
Histon
Histon and Impington are villages in Cambridgeshire, England, They are situated just north of Cambridge with the main bulk of the settlements being separated from the city by the A14 road ....
to Longstanton
Longstanton
Longstanton is a village in South Cambridgeshire, England, 6 miles northwest of Cambridge city centre.-History:For most of its history Longstanton was split into two parishes: the larger Long Stanton All Saints to the north and the smaller Long Stanton St. Michael to the south...
crosses the north-south road from Cottenham
Cottenham
Cottenham is a village in Cambridgeshire, England. It is close to The Fens. Before the fens were drained in the 19th century Cottenham was on the last contour before the waterlogged marshes, with Ely being the nearest dry land around to the north-east....
to Dry Drayton
Dry Drayton
Dry Drayton is a village and civil parish about 5 miles northwest of Cambridge in Cambridgeshire, England. It covers an area of .-History:...
. Between Oakington and the nearby hamlet of Westwick runs the former railway branch line, with the former station
Oakington railway station
Oakington railway station was a station in Oakington, Cambridgeshire on the line between Cambridge and St Ives. It opened in 1847 and was closed during the Beeching Axe in 1970. The station building remains as a private house but the track has been replaced by the Cambridgeshire Guided Busway....
that is now part of the Cambridge to St Ives
St Ives, Cambridgeshire
St Ives is a market town in Cambridgeshire, England, around north-west of the city of Cambridge and north of London. It lies within the historic county boundaries of Huntingdonshire.-History:...
guided bus
Guided bus
Guided buses are buses steered for part or all of their route by external means, usually on a dedicated track. This track, which often parallels existing roads, excludes other traffic, permitting the maintenance of reliable schedules on heavily used corridors even during rush hours.Guidance systems...
track. Next to the track, the 150-year-old bridge over Beck Brook was completely rebuilt in 2006.