Historic South Cambridgeshire
Explore hidden histories, historic photos, and things you never knew about South Cambridgeshire from the collections and archives of Historic England.
Discover South Cambridgeshire's listed buildings and places
Introducing some of South Cambridgeshire's most significant historic sites, curated from the National Heritage List for England.
Childerley Hall
Childerley
Childerley Hall features restored 16th-century moated gardens, initially linked to a manor by Sir John Cutts.
Wilbraham Temple
Great Wilbraham
Wilbraham Temple's origins trace back to the Knights Templar in the Middle Ages, featuring a C17 manor house surrounded by C19 parkland designed by Rev Hicks.
Croxton Park
Croxton
Croxton Park is an 18th-century house with a rich history, originally developed in the 16th century with gardens and a deer park.
Duxford: Control Tower (Building 209)
Duxford
An airfield control tower, dating to 1942 and built by the Air Ministry's Directorate of Works and Buildings.
Hatley Park
Hatley
Hatley Park features historical gardens remodeled multiple times over centuries and is a Grade II* listed country house with extensive parkland and architectural significance.
Water Tower
Linton
Water tower, 1935-6. Consulting engineers Sands & Walker of Nottingham. Brickwork by H. J. Paintin of Linton, steelwork by R. Watson of Bolton. Read the official list entry to find out more.
Duxford: Building 79 (Hangar 4)
Duxford
Aircraft hangar, one of a group of three, built in 1917-18 to the War Office's Directorate of Fortifications and Works Drawing Number 332/17.
American Military Cemetery
Madingley
The only permanent American Second World War cemetery in Britain, designed by Perry, Shaw, Hepburn and Dean, Architects and Olmsted Brothers, landscape architects and dedicated in 1956.
Duxford: Building 84 (Hangar 3)
Duxford
Aircraft hangar, one of a group of three, built in 1917-18 to the War Office's Directorate of Fortifications and Works Drawing Number 332/17.
Bourn Hall
Bourn
Bourn Hall, originally built in 1602, features landscaped gardens developed by the Reptons in 1817 and now functions as an infertility clinic with historic estate elements.
American Air Museum, including 'Counting the Cost' war me…
Duxford
Museum exhibition hall, built in 1995-1997 to the designs of Sir Norman Foster and Partners, with Ove Arup and Partners as consulting engineers and John Sisk and Son as main contractor.
Eight cantilevered pillboxes at the former RAF Oakington
Northstowe
Eight cantilevered pillboxes, numbered 443 to 446, 449, 454, 455 and 462 in Francis (2005), designed by F C Construction and Co.
Wimpole Hall
Arrington
Wimpole Hall features 19th-century gardens on a historic park. Designed by notable architects over centuries, it was bequeathed to the National Trust in 1976.
Madingley Hall
Madingley
Madingley Hall, a 16th-century manor, has a landscape designed by Lancelot Brown and formal gardens added by Col Thomas Harding in the early 20th century.
Duxford: Building 78 (Hangar 5)
Duxford
Aircraft hangar, one of a group of three, built in 1917-18 to the War Office's Directorate of Fortifications and Works Drawing Number 332/17.
Fulbourn War Memorial
Fulbourn
War memorial, unveiled in 1920, carved by T.C. Stanbridge, and dedicated to the fallen of the First and Second World Wars, and the Gulf War. Read the official list entry to find out more.
Duxford: Operations Block and Blast Walls (Building 59)
Duxford
Former Operations Block built in 1928 to the design of the Air Ministry's Directorate of Works and Buildings and extended in 1938. Read the official list entry to find out more.
Croydon War Memorial
Croydon
First World War memorial, unveiled and dedicated in 1922. Read the official list entry to find out more.
Duxford (Cambridgeshire) War Memorial
Duxford
War memorial, erected 1920 with later additions following the Second World War. Read the official list entry to find out more.
Longstowe Hall
Bourn
Longstowe Hall, a Grade II listed mansion, showcases late 19th-century and early 20th-century modifications, featuring formal gardens and a transformed deer park initially created in 1571 by...
Milestone Opposite Coomb Grove Farmhouse
Arrington
A milestone dating from the late C18 to early C19. Read the official list entry to find out more.
Home Farmhouse
Fen Ditton
Farmhouse and attached outbuilding, formerly a service range. Early C17, with C18 and C19 additions and alterations, refurbished 2006. Read the official list entry to find out more.
Fowlmere War Memorial
Fowlmere
War memorial, erected 1919 and with later additions after the Second World War. Read the official list entry to find out more.
Shepreth War Memorial
Shepreth
War memorial, probably erected 1920. Later additions for the Second World War. Read the official list entry to find out more.
Ickleton War Memorial
Ickleton
War memorial, 1920 with later additions for the Second World War. Read the official list entry to find out more.
Hinxton War Memorial
Hinxton
War memorial, 1921 with later additions for the Second World War. Read the official list entry to find out more.
Girton War Memorial
Girton
War memorial, unveiled in 1919, and dedicated to the fallen of the First and Second World Wars. Read the official list entry to find out more.
Milton War Memorial
Milton
War memorial, unveiled in 1922, and dedicated to the fallen of the First and Second World Wars. Read the official list entry to find out more.
Fen Ditton War Memorial
Fen Ditton
War memorial, by Ivett and Reed Ltd, unveiled in 1921, and dedicated to the fallen of the First and Second World Wars. Read the official list entry to find out more.
Barrington War Memorial
Barrington
First World War memorial, 1920, with later additions. Read the official list entry to find out more.
Hauxton War Memorial
Hauxton
First World War memorial, 1922, with later additions for the Second World War. Read the official list entry to find out more.
Great Shelford War Memorial
Great Shelford
First World War memorial, 1921, with later additions for the Second World War. Read the official list entry to find out more.
Whittlesford Cross
Whittlesford
First World War memorial,1920. Later additions for the Second World War. Read the official list entry to find out more.
Bourn War Memorial, Cambridgeshire
Bourn
First World War memorial, 1920, with later additions for the Second World War. Read the official list entry to find out more.
Carlton War Memorial
Carlton
First World War memorial, with later additions for the Second World War. Read the official list entry to find out more.
Gamlingay War Memorial
Gamlingay
First World War memorial, unveiled and dedicated in 1920, with Second World War additions. It was moved in the late C20 and again in 2016. Read the official list entry to find out more.
Steeple Morden War Memorial
Steeple Morden
First World War memorial by Jeffrey Lucas unveiled on 12 December 1920. Read the official list entry to find out more.
Milestone 60m north-east of Arrington Nurseries
Arrington
Milestone dating to the C18 or C19. Read the official list entry to find out more.
Historic South Cambridgeshire through time
The National Heritage List for England contains hundreds of details about buildings and places, including the periods in which they were built and the uses they've had over the years. Explore how your local area has changed through time.
Prehistoric Before AD 43
Prehistory covers a million years of human occupation before the Roman invasion and the introduction of writing. Primarily hunter-gatherers of several human species including Neanderthals, the peoples moved across Europe, hunting animals, exchanging ideas and developing complex culture and belief systems including burial rites and astronomical understanding, as at Stonehenge for example.
Roman AD 43 to AD 410
Britain was invaded by four legions of the Roman army in AD 43, who relatively rapidly conquered England from landing points in Kent. Parts of Wales and Scotland soon followed.
Roman culture brought urbanism, monumental buildings, wide-ranging religious beliefs, writing, and strong social hierarchy. The Roman administrative system was withdrawn in AD 410.
Early medieval AD 410 to AD 1066
This period, often associated in England with Anglo-Saxons and Vikings, saw a reduction in urban living from the Roman period and increased migration from northern Europe.
Traces of this period can be found in cemeteries, particularly in artefacts and in some of the very early churches, as this period also saw the growth of Christianity in Britain.
Medieval AD 1066 to AD 1540
This period, sometimes known as the Middle Ages, began with the Norman invasion in AD 1066. It saw a significant rise in military and defensive buildings such as castles and earthworks, as well as religious houses dominating a largely agricultural landscape.
The monarchy and Church dominated the period, which also saw the break with the Roman Catholic Church and the English reformation.
Post medieval AD 1540 to AD 1901
The Post-Medieval period brought seismic changes to life in England, with religious reformation leading to the democratization of worship and the destruction of hundreds of religious houses.
In parallel, there was a huge expansion of scientific study and enlightenment that permanently altered the nation's social structure and landscape. Industrialization and mass production lead to wider global trade, emigration, and immigration.
20th century AD 1901 to AD 2000
The 20th century saw an incredible expansion of England's transport networks, with suburban growth shadowing rapid infrastructural expansion. The establishment of state schools, hospitals, and modern technical colleges, with new architectural styles, radically changed the appearance of towns and cities.
Two catastrophic world wars and the 1918 pandemic also brought unprecedented change, altering England's built environment and social structures forever.
Prehistoric Before AD 43
Prehistory covers a million years of human occupation before the Roman invasion and the introduction of writing. Primarily hunter-gatherers of several human species including Neanderthals, the peoples moved across Europe, hunting animals, exchanging ideas and developing complex culture and belief systems including burial rites and astronomical understanding, as at Stonehenge for example.
Roman AD 43 to AD 410
Britain was invaded by four legions of the Roman army in AD 43, who relatively rapidly conquered England from landing points in Kent. Parts of Wales and Scotland soon followed.
Roman culture brought urbanism, monumental buildings, wide-ranging religious beliefs, writing, and strong social hierarchy. The Roman administrative system was withdrawn in AD 410.
Early medieval AD 410 to AD 1066
This period, often associated in England with Anglo-Saxons and Vikings, saw a reduction in urban living from the Roman period and increased migration from northern Europe.
Traces of this period can be found in cemeteries, particularly in artefacts and in some of the very early churches, as this period also saw the growth of Christianity in Britain.
Medieval AD 1066 to AD 1540
This period, sometimes known as the Middle Ages, began with the Norman invasion in AD 1066. It saw a significant rise in military and defensive buildings such as castles and earthworks, as well as religious houses dominating a largely agricultural landscape.
The monarchy and Church dominated the period, which also saw the break with the Roman Catholic Church and the English reformation.
Post medieval AD 1540 to AD 1901
The Post-Medieval period brought seismic changes to life in England, with religious reformation leading to the democratization of worship and the destruction of hundreds of religious houses.
In parallel, there was a huge expansion of scientific study and enlightenment that permanently altered the nation's social structure and landscape. Industrialization and mass production lead to wider global trade, emigration, and immigration.
20th century AD 1901 to AD 2000
The 20th century saw an incredible expansion of England's transport networks, with suburban growth shadowing rapid infrastructural expansion. The establishment of state schools, hospitals, and modern technical colleges, with new architectural styles, radically changed the appearance of towns and cities.
Two catastrophic world wars and the 1918 pandemic also brought unprecedented change, altering England's built environment and social structures forever.
Aerial photos of South Cambridgeshire
Historic aerial photography shows the growth and changes in England's urban and rural landscapes, revealing secrets that are impossible to see from the ground.
Sawston
Sawston Paper Mill, Sawston, 1935
Sawston
The Sawston Paper Mill, Sawston, 1952
Girton
Girton College, Cambridge, 1920
Girton
Girton College, Girton, 1947
Hinxton
The village, Hinxton Hall and environs, Hinxton, 1947
Hinxton
Hinxton Hall, Hinxton, 1947
Babraham
Babraham Hall (Institute of Animal Physiology), Babraham, 1953
Babraham
St Peter's Church and Babraham Hall (Institute of Animal Physiology), Babraham, 1953
Madingley
Madingley Hall and Park, Madingley, 1938
Madingley
Madingley Hall and Park, Madingley, 1938
Historic England Archive images of South Cambridgeshire
The Historic England Archive holds and cares for over 15 million images, from the 1850s to the present day. Discover stunning images of South Cambridgeshire's past.
Charles George Harper Collection
South Cambridgeshire, Cambridgeshire
Date created: 1892 - 1933
Looking across the mill pond towards the north elevation of the Old Mill
Eric de Mare
Longstowe, South Cambridgeshire, Cambridgeshire
Date created: 1945 - 1980
General view of the Sir Ralph Bovey Monument in St Mary's Church in Longstowe.
John Gay Collection: Rural Life
South Cambridgeshire, Cambridgeshire
Date created: 1960
A view of the gnarled trunk and branches of a large walnut tree on an area of grass at the north end of the High Street in Hildersham, South...
John Gay Collection: Counties
South Cambridgeshire, Cambridgeshire
Date created: 1963
Looking up at an organ next to a perpendicular window, probably in All Saints' Church
John Laing Collection
Wimpole Park, South Cambridgeshire, Cambridgeshire
Date created: 19 Jul 1990
A group of elderly people posed at the front entrance to Wimpole Hall, during a visit by Laing's Elstree Senior Citizens Club
Nigel Temple Collection of Postcards of Parks and Gardens
South Cambridgeshire, Cambridgeshire
Date created: 1900 - 1930
GENERAL VIEW SHOWING THE TEA LAWN
Walter Scott
South Cambridgeshire, Cambridgeshire
Date created: 1964
The south-west front of Harlequin House at 43 Abbey Street
Charles George Harper Collection
South Cambridgeshire, Cambridgeshire
Date created: 1892 - 1933
People walking along the High Street in Melbourn, with the tower of All Saints' Church in the background
John Gay Collection: Rural Life
South Cambridgeshire, Cambridgeshire
Date created: 1960
A view of the gnarled trunk and branches of a large walnut tree on an area of grass at the north end of the High Street in Hildersham, South...
John Gay Collection: Counties
South Cambridgeshire, Cambridgeshire
Date created: 1963
The monument to Sir Giles Alyngton, or Alington, (d.1522) and his son Giles (d.1586) in All Saint's Church, showing a recumbent effigy with a dog at...
John Laing Collection
Wimpole Park, South Cambridgeshire, Cambridgeshire
Date created: 19 Jul 1990
An elderly man and woman posed in the stable block courtyard at Wimpole Hall, during a visit by Laing's Elstree Senior Citizens Club
Walter Scott
South Cambridgeshire, Cambridgeshire
Date created: 1964
The west front of Wellington House viewed from the south-west
Stories about heritage in South Cambridgeshire
Historic England publishes news, blogs, videos and podcasts celebrating England's heritage. Discover the stories we have about South Cambridgeshire.
12 of the Oldest Tea Rooms in England
Mentions South Cambridgeshire
Tea rooms first appeared in England in the 18th century, and the first tea room, Twinings, has stood in the same spot for over 300 years.
Hidden in Plain Sight: Evidence of the Second World War
Mentions Building 103 (Decontamination Centre)
Discover the evidence of how the Second World War had an impact on urban, suburban and rural England which are hidden in plain sight.
9 Places that Tell the Story of the Royal Air Force
Mentions Duxford: Operations Block and Blast Walls (Building 59)
Some of our most important listed structures help to illustrate the key achievements of the RAF during the twentieth century.
A Brief History of Burial Sites in England
Mentions Bartlow Hills Roman barrow cemetery
Discover how burial rites and memorials to the dead have changed in England throughout history
Tall Tales From 6 Unusual Monastic Sites
Mentions Denny Abbey
Monastic sites help tell the story of English Christianity through fourteen centuries.
Measuring Impact and Managing Change in the Oxford to Cambridge Arc
Mentions South Cambridgeshire
Developing the methodology for assessing sensitivity of the historic environment at the earliest stages of major landscape change.
Heritage at Risk in the East of England Revealed
Mentions Bourn Mill
9 sites have been saved and 31 sites added to the Heritage at Risk Register 2023 in the East of England.
Historic England Reveals its Heritage at Risk Register 2021
Mentions Bourn Mill
Historic England publishes its annual Heritage at Risk Register, the yearly health-check of England’s most valued historic places.
IWM Duxford’s American Air Museum Awarded Grade II* Listed Status
Mentions American Air Museum,, American Air Museum,, American Air Museum,
The innovative design and architectural significance of the American Air Museum recognised, with a war memorial sculpture part of the listing.
Explore your social history through photos
Over 10,000 images from the Historic England Archive have been specially selected and re-captioned for teachers, students, and anyone who wants to learn more about heritage in their local area.
Windmill, West Wratting, Cambridgeshire
Period: Georgian (1714 - 1836)
This smock mill was built in 1726 of brick with tarred weatherboarding over timber framing.
Windmill, West Wratting, Cambridgeshire
Wimpole Hall, Wimpole, Cambridgeshire
Period: Stuart (1603 - 1713)
This mansion house has 17th century origins, but was mainly built in the 18th century.
Wimpole Hall, Wimpole, Cambridgeshire
Village College, Impington, Cambridgeshire
Period: 1930s (1930 - 1938)
This comprehensive school was originally built as a village college. It was constructed in 1938-9 by Walter Gropius and E Maxwell Fry.
Village College, Impington, Cambridgeshire
The Old Court House, Caxton, Cambridgeshire
Period: Victorian (1837 - 1901)
This was formerly the divisional Magistrates Court, Police Station and Prison of Caxton. It was built in 1859 by the architect Mr Clarke for £755.
The Old Court House, Caxton, Cambridgeshire
Statue of Jonas Webb, Babraham, Cambridgeshire
Period: Victorian (1837 - 1901)
This statue of Jonas Webb was constructed in the late 19th century by Marochetti.
Statue of Jonas Webb, Babraham, Cambridgeshire
Oasthouse, Foxton, Cambridgeshire
Period: Stuart (1603 - 1713)
This building is now in use as a domestic cottage.
Oasthouse, Foxton, Cambridgeshire
Moreton's Charity Almshouses, Cottenham, Cambridgeshire
Period: Victorian (1837 - 1901)
These former almshouses date back to 1853.
Moreton's Charity Almshouses, Cottenham, Cambridgeshire
Mill Pond, Grantchester Road, Grantchester, Cambridgeshire
Period: 1960s (1960 - 1969)
A view of the mill stream beside the mill bridge in Grantchester, South Cambridgeshire, showing three children and an older man fishing from the...
Mill Pond, Grantchester Road, Grantchester, Cambridgeshire
Visit grant-aided places near you
These places and buildings have been helped by Historic England's financial grants. Find local heritage in your neighbourhood that you never knew existed! Please note that opening times may vary.
Bourn Mill, Caxton Road, Bourn
Bourn Windmill is one of the oldest windmills in England and is Grade I listed as well as being designated as a scheduld monument.
Great Chishill Windmill, Barley Road, Great Chishill, South Cambridgeshire, Cambridgeshire
Great Chishill Windmill is one of the very few surviving open trestle mills and is the only such mill with a fantail for automatic winding.
Discover more Heritage nearby
Have you got another local place, or somewhere you're planning to visit? Take a look at these other places nearby
