Waterbeach

infobox UK place
country = England
static_

latitude=52.26642
longitude=0.19084
official_name= Waterbeach
population = 4,690
shire_district= South Cambridgeshire
region= East of England

shire_county = Cambridgeshire
constituency_westminster= South East Cambridgeshire
post_town= CAMBRIDGE
postcode_district = CB25
postcode_area= CB
dial_code= 01223
os_grid_reference= TL496654

Waterbeach is a large fen-edge village located 6 miles north of Cambridge in Cambridgeshire in England, and belongs to the administrative district of South Cambridgeshire. The parish covers an area of 23.26 km².

History

Waterbeach is on the Car Dyke, a Roman canal whose course can be traced as far as Lincoln. Recent archaeological investigations have found extensive evidence on Roman settlement at the south end of the village.

Waterbeach appears in the Domesday Book as Utbech.

In the 12th Century, the Knights Templar had a base at Denny Abbey located in the village.

Today

Waterbeach has numerous shops and a Post Office, a primary school, a Parish church dedicated to St. John the Evangelist, a Baptist Church famous for its connection with Charles Haddon Spurgeon, a small independent library, three public houses (The Sun, The White Horse and The Brewery Tap), a Tandoori restaurant (The Slap Up Tandoori) and a social club. Waterbeach railway station lies on the London (Kings Cross) to King's Lynn line, allowing some of its residents to commute to London for work. The village lies close to the busy A10 road that also links London to King's Lynn. A regular bus service also operates through the village that links Cambridge to the towns of March, Wisbech and Littleport and the small city of Ely.

The Waterbeach Community Primary School swimming pool was built in 1960 by local people, today the school is raising funds to update the pool. [http://www.waterbeach.cambs.sch.uk Waterbeach School]

The Royal Air Force base (now Waterbeach Barracks) in the north of the village was built in 1940. Hawker Hunter fighters arrived for the first time in May 1955 and, two years later, the prototype English Electric P1 (Lightning) visited there.

From 1955 Hawker Hunters were accompanied by Meteors, Venoms and Vampires. Three Squadrons were there from that year; 56, 63 and 253. Pilots training at the Oakwood RAF Base cold be seen on the horizon from the Waterbeach Control Tower in the fifties.The original control tower is still in place.

The base and airfield remain property of the Ministry of Defence, but are no longer used by the Royal Air Force. The barracks, airfield and surrounding quarters are now used by the British Army, housing a regiment of the Royal Engineers and a weekend barracks for Cambridgeshire Army Cadet Force. The airfield is now used as a training area for troops.

The parish contains two Scheduled Ancient Monuments: Denny Abbey (now a museum) and the site of Waterbeach Abbey (near the present church).

Village Websites

* [http://www.waterbeach.org.uk Waterbeach Parish Council]
* [http://www.waterbeach.net Waterbeach.Net]
* [http://www.waterbeach.cambs.sch.uk Waterbeach School]

Nearby villages

* Chittering
* Cottenham
* Horningsea
* Landbeach
* Milton

References

* [http://www.scambs.gov.uk/scambs/council.nsf/pages/LP2004.html?OpenDocument&Start=1&Count=1000&ExpandView South Cambridge District Council Local Plan 2004]
* [http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/CAM/Waterbeach/index.html GENUKI entry for Waterbeach]

ee also

* List of places in Cambridgeshire