493:
50:
445:
482:
31:
512:
Blue Lion, rebuilt in 1951, where the High Street meets the
Horningsea Road. The Blue Lion closed in March 2012 to allow the site to be redeveloped as housing. The Ancient Shepherds on the High Street was built as three cottages in 1540. It closed as a public house in June 2020, was bought by Mark J Poynton, and reopened later in 2020 as a restaurant, under the name of MJP @ The Shepherds.
57:
504:, 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
411:
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
456:
of St Mary The Virgin was built in the 12th 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 12th-century masonry survives, and the tower dates from the 13th century.
511:
There are two public houses in Fen Ditton. The Plough runs down to the river at Green End; The King's Head, active since at least 1760, is situated alongside the church. Former pubs include The Sluice or Pike and Eel, to the north of the village on the river; The
Harvest Home on Green End; and The
472:
church of St
Vincent de Paule is located on Ditton Lane. It is a timber building, clad with corrugated iron, and as a pre-fabricated building has resided in multiple sites (as a makeshift hospital, a club and a hall) until being set up as a church in its current location in 1958. The church has a
541:, whose family were the principal landowners until the 1730s, as six cottages ("for six poor widows") in 1665, rebuilt in 1877, and finally, in 1968/9, combined into the three used today. These are operated by a charity, "for rental by single independent people of the parish of Fen Ditton".
525:
The village's war memorial, unveiled in 1921, sits on a grass island at the junction of High Street and Church Street. It is a tapered obelisk sat on a plinth that lists the names of 22 villagers killed in the First World War and a further five from the second. Among those commemorated is
395:
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.
390:
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
403:
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.
635:
419:
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
718:
225:
217:
125:
884:
619:
473:
regular attendance of around 80 people. Although on Ditton Lane, and a short distance from the village, this church is actually within the City of
Cambridge, not Fen Ditton.
519:. The village's store and post office closed in 2005. The shop unit is presently used as a studio and gallery by Christina Green, one of Fen Ditton's artists in residence.
492:
412:
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
98:
537:
On Church Street, opposite the church, is a small, picturesque row of three cottages, known as Willys' Almshouses. Wall plaques explain they were built by
909:
207:
49:
914:
743:
904:
424:, Cambridge's only remaining cemetery that takes new burials. The area is now bounded by the former railway line, Coldham's Common, and
809:
616:
277:
804:
269:
259:
329:, England. In 2011 the parish had a population of 760. The parish covers an area of 5.99 square kilometres (2 sq mi).
597:
453:
349:
195:
161:
538:
383:
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
662:
522:
Fen Ditton is home to both a cricket and a football team. Both sides play their home games on Fen Ditton
Recreation Ground.
91:
688:
A History of the County of Cambridge and the Isle of Ely: Volume 10: Cheveley, Flendish, Staine and Staploe Hundreds
353:
831:
744:"The building that has travelled across Cambridge for a century and is now a popular church - Cambridgeshire Live"
550:
516:
429:
264:
341:
175:
527:
421:
413:
432:, pioneers of the use of radios in taxis, opened their site in this area in 1944; it was taken over by
318:
115:
107:
899:
705:
553:, the great-grandmother of Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, and Catherine Howard, three of the wives of
444:
379:, the prehistoric ditch that passed through the village from the river to the edge of the fens at
143:
852:
562:
425:
407:
The first road in the village passed between the river and the church, linking Fen Ditton to
800:
686:
481:
392:
200:
30:
623:
554:
531:
486:
345:
151:
368:
times, and stone tools have been found on the meadows between the village and the river.
558:
469:
462:
326:
133:
70:
893:
458:
380:
314:
384:
585:
575:
515:
Children initially attend Fen Ditton Primary school and usually then go on to
501:
408:
400:
376:
292:
279:
580:
365:
337:
333:
322:
185:
36:
505:
433:
167:
496:"A Modern Village School" children at Fen Ditton Junior School in 1944
874:
416:, which opened in 1884, ran through the southern half of the parish.
778:
879:
853:"Fen Ditton: Charities for the poor | British History Online"
491:
480:
443:
35:
Thatched cottages on the outskirts of Fen Ditton, from across the
757:
239:
869:
557:
of England, thus making her great-great-grandmother to
375:, meaning "the village by the ditch", derived from the
234:
216:
206:
194:
184:
174:
160:
142:
124:
106:
90:
80:
23:
723:St Mary the Virgin, Fen Ditton - A Church Near You
371:The name was first recorded in around 950 as
8:
356:is several kilometres north of the village.
680:
678:
676:
674:
364:The site has been occupied since at least
20:
332:Fen Ditton lies on the east bank of the
609:
233:
215:
183:
159:
89:
27:
485:The village war memorial, a Grade II
205:
193:
173:
141:
123:
105:
7:
500:Fen Ditton is often associated with
321:district, on the northeast edge of
810:National Heritage List for England
685:A F Wareham, A P M Wright (2002).
340:, and close to junction 34 of the
56:
14:
530:. The war memorial is a Grade II
910:Civil parishes in Cambridgeshire
719:"St Mary the Virgin, Fen Ditton"
664:The Placenames of Cambridgeshire
642:. Office for National Statistics
448:The Church of St Mary The Virgin
336:, on the road from Cambridge to
55:
48:
29:
598:Fen Ditton Halt railway station
454:Church of England parish church
636:"Civil Parish population 2011"
539:Sir Thomas Willys, 1st Baronet
1:
915:South Cambridgeshire District
832:"Willy's Almshouses Charity"
92:OS grid reference
18:Human settlement in England
931:
905:Villages in Cambridgeshire
885:2001 Census summary (PDF)
880:Fen Ditton Parish Council
779:"Fen Ditton Cricket Club"
517:Bottisham Village College
250:
226:South East Cambridgeshire
43:
28:
702:The Valuation of Norwich
640:Neighbourhood Statistics
875:Fen Ditton Cricket Club
508:until it sank in 1961.
422:Cambridge City Cemetery
805:"Fen Ditton (1428633)"
661:Skeat, Walter (1901).
497:
489:
449:
430:Pye Telecommunications
196:Postcode district
870:The Ancient Shepherds
495:
484:
447:
708:(Oxford, 1926) p.528
319:South Cambridgeshire
176:Sovereign state
116:South Cambridgeshire
691:. pp. 118–123.
528:Captain Keith Lucas
289: /
622:2011-06-09 at the
498:
490:
457:It is topped by a
450:
354:Waterbeach station
218:UK Parliament
208:Dialling code
563:Queen Elizabeth I
461:in the form of a
426:Cambridge Airport
313:is a village and
308:
307:
126:Shire county
922:
857:
856:
849:
843:
842:
840:
838:
828:
822:
821:
819:
817:
801:Historic England
797:
791:
790:
788:
786:
775:
769:
768:
766:
764:
758:"MJP Restaurant"
754:
748:
747:
740:
734:
733:
731:
729:
715:
709:
699:
693:
692:
682:
669:
668:
658:
652:
651:
649:
647:
632:
626:
614:
551:Elizabeth Cheney
393:Stourbridge Fair
304:
303:
301:
300:
299:
294:
290:
287:
286:
285:
282:
256:
246:
243:
241:
170:
102:
101:
69:Location within
59:
58:
52:
33:
21:
930:
929:
925:
924:
923:
921:
920:
919:
890:
889:
866:
861:
860:
851:
850:
846:
836:
834:
830:
829:
825:
815:
813:
799:
798:
794:
784:
782:
777:
776:
772:
762:
760:
756:
755:
751:
746:. 3 April 2021.
742:
741:
737:
727:
725:
717:
716:
712:
700:
696:
684:
683:
672:
660:
659:
655:
645:
643:
634:
633:
629:
624:Wayback Machine
615:
611:
606:
594:
572:
570:Nearby villages
555:King Henry VIII
547:
532:listed building
487:listed building
479:
442:
362:
350:Cambridge North
346:railway station
297:
295:
291:
288:
283:
280:
278:
276:
275:
274:
254:
238:
230:
166:
156:
138:
120:
97:
96:
85:
76:
75:
74:
73:
67:
66:
65:
64:
60:
39:
19:
12:
11:
5:
928:
926:
918:
917:
912:
907:
902:
892:
891:
888:
887:
882:
877:
872:
865:
864:External links
862:
859:
858:
844:
823:
792:
770:
749:
735:
710:
694:
670:
653:
627:
608:
607:
605:
602:
601:
600:
593:
590:
589:
588:
583:
578:
571:
568:
567:
566:
559:King Edward VI
546:
545:Notable native
543:
478:
475:
470:Roman Catholic
441:
438:
436:in the 1980s.
361:
358:
344:. The nearest
327:Cambridgeshire
306:
305:
293:52.22°N 0.17°E
273:
272:
270:Cambridgeshire
267:
262:
257:
255:List of places
251:
248:
247:
236:
232:
231:
229:
228:
222:
220:
214:
213:
210:
204:
203:
198:
192:
191:
188:
182:
181:
180:United Kingdom
178:
172:
171:
164:
158:
157:
155:
154:
148:
146:
140:
139:
137:
136:
134:Cambridgeshire
130:
128:
122:
121:
119:
118:
112:
110:
104:
103:
94:
88:
87:
82:
78:
77:
71:Cambridgeshire
68:
62:
61:
54:
53:
47:
46:
45:
44:
41:
40:
34:
26:
25:
17:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
927:
916:
913:
911:
908:
906:
903:
901:
898:
897:
895:
886:
883:
881:
878:
876:
873:
871:
868:
867:
863:
854:
848:
845:
833:
827:
824:
812:
811:
806:
802:
796:
793:
780:
774:
771:
759:
753:
750:
745:
739:
736:
724:
720:
714:
711:
707:
703:
698:
695:
690:
689:
681:
679:
677:
675:
671:
666:
665:
657:
654:
641:
637:
631:
628:
625:
621:
618:
613:
610:
603:
599:
596:
595:
591:
587:
584:
582:
579:
577:
574:
573:
569:
564:
560:
556:
552:
549:
548:
544:
542:
540:
535:
533:
529:
523:
520:
518:
513:
509:
507:
503:
494:
488:
483:
476:
474:
471:
466:
464:
460:
455:
446:
439:
437:
435:
431:
427:
423:
417:
415:
410:
405:
402:
397:
394:
388:
386:
382:
378:
374:
369:
367:
359:
357:
355:
351:
347:
343:
339:
335:
330:
328:
324:
320:
316:
312:
302:
271:
268:
266:
263:
261:
258:
253:
252:
249:
245:
237:
227:
224:
223:
221:
219:
211:
209:
202:
199:
197:
189:
187:
179:
177:
169:
165:
163:
153:
150:
149:
147:
145:
135:
132:
131:
129:
127:
117:
114:
113:
111:
109:
100:
95:
93:
83:
79:
72:
51:
42:
38:
32:
22:
16:
847:
835:. Retrieved
826:
814:. Retrieved
808:
795:
783:. Retrieved
773:
761:. Retrieved
752:
738:
726:. Retrieved
722:
713:
701:
697:
687:
663:
656:
644:. Retrieved
639:
630:
612:
536:
524:
521:
514:
510:
499:
477:Village life
467:
463:rowing eight
459:weather vane
451:
418:
406:
398:
389:
381:Stow-cum-Quy
372:
370:
363:
331:
315:civil parish
310:
309:
15:
617:2001 Census
385:Wood Ditton
298:52.22; 0.17
296: /
900:Fen Ditton
894:Categories
706:W. E. Lunt
604:References
586:Waterbeach
576:Horningsea
409:Horningsea
401:paper mill
377:Fleam Dyke
311:Fen Ditton
242:.fenditton
86:760 (2011)
81:Population
63:Fen Ditton
24:Fen Ditton
816:9 October
581:Clayhithe
502:The Bumps
366:neolithic
338:Clayhithe
334:River Cam
323:Cambridge
190:CAMBRIDGE
186:Post town
84:747
37:River Cam
620:Archived
592:See also
506:May Week
440:Churches
108:District
99:TL485602
785:29 July
728:25 July
646:17 July
434:Philips
414:Fordham
373:Dittone
360:History
317:in the
281:52°13′N
265:England
235:Website
168:England
162:Country
837:8 July
781:. FDCC
763:8 July
704:, ed.
284:0°10′E
144:Region
212:01223
839:2020
818:2017
787:2012
765:2020
730:2023
648:2016
561:and
468:The
452:The
244:.org
152:East
348:is
342:A14
325:in
240:www
201:CB5
896::
807:.
803:.
721:.
673:^
638:.
534:.
465:.
428:.
399:A
387:.
352:;
260:UK
855:.
841:.
820:.
789:.
767:.
732:.
667:.
650:.
565:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
