Hauxton
Encyclopedia
Hauxton is a small village in Cambridgeshire
, England
around 5 miles to the south-west of Cambridge
.
and a ford
near Hauxton Mill
that has probably been used since the Bronze Age
. A bridge was added in the 14th century. A settlement to the north-east of the mill, with a cemetery of over 100 graves is believed to have been in use from the early Iron Age
, through Belgic and Roman occupation until Anglo-Saxon times.
The history of Hauxton has long been tied to that of neighbouring Newton; they were ruled by a single manor, were a single civil parish until the 16th century and until 1930 formed a single ecclesiastical parish. There were disputes over the parish boundaries with Harston
and Little Shelford
until they were finally settled in 1800, when the parish of Hauxton was set at 239 hectares.
In 970 the land around Newton and Hauxton was passed to King Edgar who offered them to Bishop Aethelwold for the new Abbey at Ely
. However, Edgar died before the lands were transferred and the lands were subject to a series of disputes until they were purchased for the Abbey.
At the time of the Domesday Book
the manor at Hauxton was owned by Ely Abbey and remained so until the Dissolution of the Monasteries
in 1539. Since then the manor has been owned by the Dean and Chapter of Ely Cathedral
.
The modern village built up along a single street that runs approximately parallel to the River Cam from the old London
to Cambridge
road (now the A10 towards Little Shelford
. From the 14th century there was an additional settlement, known as Mill End, around the mill site. The settlement grew, particularly when the road became a turnpike
and two alehouses, the Ship and the Chequers, opened in the late 18th century.
Listed as Hafucestune in the 10th century and Hauochestun in the Domesday Book
, the name Hauxton means "Farmstead of a man called Hafoc". In 1316 it was noted as Haukestone.
The parish church, dedicated to St Edmund since the 15th century, was probably founded prior to the Norman Conquest. The present building is small and comprises a chancel, nave, and west tower. It has been largely unchanged since its construction in the 12th century, other than the addition of the three-storey tower in the 15th century.
A recess in the south wall contains a contemporary painting of Thomas Becket
that was rediscovered in 1860.
In addition to the Ship and Chequers at Mill End (the latter of which closed between 1930 and 1960), Hauxton formerly had two public houses, The King's Head and The Leather Gaiters, which opened in the mid-19th century. The King's Head closed before 1961, and The Leather Gaiters followed soon after.
The village comprises four main roads:
Hauxton Primary School is at the western end of Jopling Way.
The village achieved attention in 2010 when remediation of the former Bayer Crop Sciences site became a source of concern over air pollution. The site had produced pesticides under the ownership of successive manufacturers until its closure. Remediation was undertaken by Vertase plc, and monitored by South Cambridgeshire District Council and a number of national environmental protection bodies.
These bodies concluded that the remediation process, although it generated unpleasant odours over a wide area, was essentially harmless to health. Nonetheless a protest group HauxAir was formed to campaign for either immediate cessation of the remediation process or a change in the techniques used.
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...
around 5 miles to the south-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...
.
History
Hauxton has been occupied for well over two thousand years thanks to its position on the River CamRiver 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 a 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...
near Hauxton Mill
Hauxton mill
The Hauxton Mill is a classic English watermill on the old A10 motorway between Cambridge and Royston, England.The mill was the last working commercial mill of this type in the area....
that has probably been used since the Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
. A bridge was added in the 14th century. A settlement to the north-east of the mill, with a cemetery of over 100 graves is believed to have been in use from the early Iron Age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
, through Belgic and Roman occupation until Anglo-Saxon times.
The history of Hauxton has long been tied to that of neighbouring Newton; they were ruled by a single manor, were a single civil parish until the 16th century and until 1930 formed a single ecclesiastical parish. There were disputes over the parish boundaries with Harston
Harston
Harston is a village to the south of Cambridge, England.-Harston House:Harston House is a historic private house in Harston. It was formerly known as Harston Hall....
and Little Shelford
Little Shelford
Little Shelford is a village located to the south of Cambridge, in the county of Cambridgeshire, in eastern England. The River Granta lies between it and the larger village of Great Shelford, and both are served by Shelford railway station, which is on the line from Cambridge to London Liverpool...
until they were finally settled in 1800, when the parish of Hauxton was set at 239 hectares.
In 970 the land around Newton and Hauxton was passed to King Edgar who offered them to Bishop Aethelwold for the new Abbey at Ely
Ely, Cambridgeshire
Ely is a cathedral city in Cambridgeshire, England, 14 miles north-northeast of Cambridge and about by road from London. It is built on a Lower Greensand island, which at a maximum elevation of is the highest land in the Fens...
. However, Edgar died before the lands were transferred and the lands were subject to a series of disputes until they were purchased for the Abbey.
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 manor at Hauxton was owned by Ely Abbey and remained so until the Dissolution of the Monasteries
Dissolution of the Monasteries
The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the set of administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, priories, convents and friaries in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their...
in 1539. Since then the manor has been owned by the Dean and Chapter of Ely Cathedral
Ely Cathedral
Ely Cathedral is the principal church of the Diocese of Ely, in Cambridgeshire, England, and is the seat of the Bishop of Ely and a suffragan bishop, the Bishop of Huntingdon...
.
The modern village built up along a single street that runs approximately parallel to the River Cam from the old 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...
to 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...
road (now the A10 towards Little Shelford
Little Shelford
Little Shelford is a village located to the south of Cambridge, in the county of Cambridgeshire, in eastern England. The River Granta lies between it and the larger village of Great Shelford, and both are served by Shelford railway station, which is on the line from Cambridge to London Liverpool...
. From the 14th century there was an additional settlement, known as Mill End, around the mill site. The settlement grew, particularly when the road became a turnpike
Turnpike trust
Turnpike trusts in the United Kingdom were bodies set up by individual Acts of Parliament, with powers to collect road tolls for maintaining the principal highways in Britain from the 17th but especially during the 18th and 19th centuries...
and two alehouses, the Ship and the Chequers, opened in the late 18th century.
Listed as Hafucestune in the 10th century and Hauochestun 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...
, the name Hauxton means "Farmstead of a man called Hafoc". In 1316 it was noted as Haukestone.
Church
A recess in the south wall contains a contemporary painting of Thomas Becket
Thomas Becket
Thomas Becket was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1162 until his murder in 1170. He is venerated as a saint and martyr by both the Roman Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion...
that was rediscovered in 1860.
Village life
Hauxton had a 2001 population of 687 and boasts a gym, a sub post office, an organic food shop and a church.In addition to the Ship and Chequers at Mill End (the latter of which closed between 1930 and 1960), Hauxton formerly had two public houses, The King's Head and The Leather Gaiters, which opened in the mid-19th century. The King's Head closed before 1961, and The Leather Gaiters followed soon after.
The village comprises four main roads:
- Church Road (which becomes High Street at its eastern end) is the main road
- The Lane
- Jopling Way
- Willow Way
Hauxton Primary School is at the western end of Jopling Way.
The village achieved attention in 2010 when remediation of the former Bayer Crop Sciences site became a source of concern over air pollution. The site had produced pesticides under the ownership of successive manufacturers until its closure. Remediation was undertaken by Vertase plc, and monitored by South Cambridgeshire District Council and a number of national environmental protection bodies.
These bodies concluded that the remediation process, although it generated unpleasant odours over a wide area, was essentially harmless to health. Nonetheless a protest group HauxAir was formed to campaign for either immediate cessation of the remediation process or a change in the techniques used.
External links
- Hauxton Primary School website
- Hauxton Parish Council website