Manor Farm Close
Manor Farm Close, or to perhaps give it an older title Ash Close, was previously part of the Manor Farm Estate. The land incorporates the earlier Ash Close, and part of an allotment which was owned by the Free School which was then on the other side of the High Street. Prior to 1959 the land was operated by Manor Farm Piggeries (there are signs of pigsties under the front lawn of number 16), and then was used as a builder’s yard. In 1966 an application to convert the site to housing was rejected due to unsympathetic design and, typically for Oakington, drainage issues. In 1971 an improved application by Robinson and Gimbert to build 25 dwellings was approved (subject to space for 2.5 cars per plot!), and building started soon after. The developer went out of business building the site, which was then acquired and finished by T & E Homes. Several of the completed properties were acquired initially by Marshalls of Cambridge to provide accommodation for their increasing staff.
In 2023 there were still a fair number of the original residents living in the Close, though of course many of the properties have been extended since as families and their needs grew over time. Residents have been active in village life. At one point there were three Parish Councillors and one District Councillor living in the street.
An archaeological test pit in a resident’s garden some years ago showed signs of a possible medieval inn, with pots and a floor level.
The field behind Manor Farm Close provides valuable green space adjacent to the village. In 1884 it was divided into a Low Bury and a High Bury. “Bury” is an old English word with various meanings, perhaps the most likely is a “mound” indicating higher ground, possibly fortified. Given the Anglo-Saxon presence in the village in olden times, and the start of the fens not far away, this might suggest firstly a drier area perhaps for grazing, and possibly a defence against invasion from the fens.
Mike Oakley
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