Eaton Ford
Encyclopedia
Eaton Ford is a district of St Neots
and is in Cambridgeshire
, England
. Until 1965 it was a separate village in the county of Bedfordshire
, when it was absorbed through boundary changes. Eaton Ford lies on the west bank of the River Great Ouse
, on the western side of St Neots. The old village centre is still identifiable with a triangular village green and several old farmhouses remaining amongst the newer houses.
) and was sited at the ford
across the River Great Ouse, the main route from the south to the town of St Neots.
In recent decades Eaton Ford expanded quickly, but generally beginning later than other parts of St Neots which were included in the London overspill
programme. From the 1960s until the 1980s there were four main housing developments: the Milton Avenue and Gainsborough Avenue area (the 'Poets' Estate); the Meadowsweet, Silverweed and Burwell Road developments (Bovis Estate); the area around Brook Road and Orchard Road; and the Trafalgar Road / Jutland Rise area (Battles Estate). There have also been a number of smaller infill
developments on brownfield sites in the area.
As Eaton Ford grew, it absorbed the ancient hamlets
of Crosshall Ford and Maltmans Green. The name 'Crosshall' remains in the name of a local school, a road, and some recently erected roundabout signs. Maltmans Green is believed to have been around the area of Milton Avenue.
between Eaton Ford and neighbouring Eaton Socon are somewhat vague and mostly not signposted.
The boundary runs alongside the A1 from the North until this road is bisected by Duloe Road. It then runs eastbound along Duloe Road until it reaches the junction with the Great North Road.
The boundary then "dog-legs" along the Great North Road, meaning that to the East is Eaton Ford and the West is Eaton Socon
. About half a mile south of here, Duloe Brook runs under the Great North Road, and the boundary again changes course to the East. Everything south of the line here belongs to Eaton Socon, except Field Cottage Road which is generally considered to be part of Eaton Ford.
St Neots
St Neots is a town and civil parish with a population of 26,356 people. It lies on the River Great Ouse in Huntingdonshire District, approximately north of central London, and is the largest town in Cambridgeshire . The town is named after the Cornish monk St...
and is 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...
. Until 1965 it was a separate village in the county of Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire is a ceremonial county of historic origin in England that forms part of the East of England region.It borders Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Northamptonshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the west and Hertfordshire to the south-east....
, when it was absorbed through boundary changes. Eaton Ford lies on the west bank of the River Great Ouse
River Great Ouse
The Great Ouse is a river in the east of England. At long, it is the fourth-longest river in the United Kingdom. The river has been important for navigation, and for draining the low-lying region through which it flows. Its course has been modified several times, with the first recorded being in...
, on the western side of St Neots. The old village centre is still identifiable with a triangular village green and several old farmhouses remaining amongst the newer houses.
History
In Anglo-Saxon times Eaton Ford was known as Sudbury but became known as Eaton Ford as it was next to the village of Eatun (now Eaton SoconEaton Socon
Eaton Socon is a district of St Neots in Cambridgeshire, England. It was originally a village in Bedfordshire, along with the neighbouring village of Eaton Ford, but officially became part of the town in 1965...
) and was sited at the ford
Ford (crossing)
A ford is a shallow place with good footing where a river or stream may be crossed by wading or in a vehicle. A ford is mostly a natural phenomenon, in contrast to a low water crossing, which is an artificial bridge that allows crossing a river or stream when water is low.The names of many towns...
across the River Great Ouse, the main route from the south to the town of St Neots.
In recent decades Eaton Ford expanded quickly, but generally beginning later than other parts of St Neots which were included in the London overspill
London overspill
London overspill is the term given to the communities created - largely consisting of publicly provided housing - as a result of the Government policy of moving residents out of Greater London, England into other towns around the South East, East Anglia and beyond.-Policy development:The policy...
programme. From the 1960s until the 1980s there were four main housing developments: the Milton Avenue and Gainsborough Avenue area (the 'Poets' Estate); the Meadowsweet, Silverweed and Burwell Road developments (Bovis Estate); the area around Brook Road and Orchard Road; and the Trafalgar Road / Jutland Rise area (Battles Estate). There have also been a number of smaller infill
Infill
Infill in its broadest meaning is material that fills in an otherwise unoccupied space. The term is commonly used in association with construction techniques such as wattle and daub, and civil engineering activities such as land reclamation.-Construction:...
developments on brownfield sites in the area.
As Eaton Ford grew, it absorbed the ancient hamlets
Hamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
of Crosshall Ford and Maltmans Green. The name 'Crosshall' remains in the name of a local school, a road, and some recently erected roundabout signs. Maltmans Green is believed to have been around the area of Milton Avenue.
Boundaries
The boundariesBorder
Borders define geographic boundaries of political entities or legal jurisdictions, such as governments, sovereign states, federated states and other subnational entities. Some borders—such as a state's internal administrative borders, or inter-state borders within the Schengen Area—are open and...
between Eaton Ford and neighbouring Eaton Socon are somewhat vague and mostly not signposted.
The boundary runs alongside the A1 from the North until this road is bisected by Duloe Road. It then runs eastbound along Duloe Road until it reaches the junction with the Great North Road.
The boundary then "dog-legs" along the Great North Road, meaning that to the East is Eaton Ford and the West is Eaton Socon
Eaton Socon
Eaton Socon is a district of St Neots in Cambridgeshire, England. It was originally a village in Bedfordshire, along with the neighbouring village of Eaton Ford, but officially became part of the town in 1965...
. About half a mile south of here, Duloe Brook runs under the Great North Road, and the boundary again changes course to the East. Everything south of the line here belongs to Eaton Socon, except Field Cottage Road which is generally considered to be part of Eaton Ford.
External links
- Eatons Community Association
- St Neots Town Council – Contains information on Eaton Ford.