| Trumpington Local History Group Shelford Road: 3000 Years of History |
| Copyright © Trumpington Local History Group, 2017. Updated 25 March 2017. Email: admin@trumpingtonlocalhistorygroup.org |
Introduction
Shelford Road extends just over ½ mile from the Trumpington High Street/Hauxton Road
junction to Cambridge Road, Great Shelford. The road is crossed by Addenbrooke's Road,
constructed from 2007-10 and opened in October 2010, connecting Hauxton Road to the
Cambridge Biomedical Campus. There are a number of residential side roads, including
Cranleigh Close/Craven Close, Bishop's Road/Lantree Crescent and Exeter Close to the south
west and The Brambles and Reed Close to the north east. Less than ¼ mile from the High Street
junction, the road is carried by a bridge across the Busway (the former Cambridge-Bedford
railway line).
Shelford Road extends just over ½ mile from the Trumpington High Street/Hauxton Road
junction to Cambridge Road, Great Shelford. The road is crossed by Addenbrooke's Road,
constructed from 2007-10 and opened in October 2010, connecting Hauxton Road to the
Cambridge Biomedical Campus. There are a number of residential side roads, including
Cranleigh Close/Craven Close, Bishop's Road/Lantree Crescent and Exeter Close to the south
west and The Brambles and Reed Close to the north east. Less than ¼ mile from the High Street
junction, the road is carried by a bridge across the Busway (the former Cambridge-Bedford
railway line).
Andrew Roberts
This history of Shelford Road has been developed from a presentation
given to the Local History Group in March 2008, updated in March
2017. It describes the early history of the road, its development with
homes and gardens, and a brief note of some of the trades and
personalities associated with the route.
This history of Shelford Road has been developed from a presentation
given to the Local History Group in March 2008, updated in March
2017. It describes the early history of the road, its development with
homes and gardens, and a brief note of some of the trades and
personalities associated with the route.
Spring blossom
on Shelford
Road. Photo:
Andrew Roberts,
9 March 2017.
on Shelford
Road. Photo:
Andrew Roberts,
9 March 2017.
| Looking towards Shelford Road from Addenbrooke’s Hospital, with Hobson’s Brook and Clay Farm in the foreground and Haslingfield in the distance. Photo: Andrew Roberts, 6 January 2008. |
Early History
Shelford Road follows a slight ridge about 17 m above sea level, which runs south east from the
centre of Trumpington towards Great Shelford. The surrounding land dips towards the River
Cam to the south west and Hobson’s Brook to the north east. The ridge has been a transport link
for at least 3000 years. For the great majority of this period, the area was agricultural land, with
few houses along the road until the early 1900s.
The road may be on the line of a prehistoric trackway which ran between Grantchester,
Trumpington, Great Shelford and Great Chesterford, intersecting with another trackway on the
line of the current Trumpington-Great Shelford parish boundary. The route was probably used
as a Roman road from Ermine Street to Great Chesterford, where there was a Roman military
base (Kirby and Oosthuizen, 2000, p. 11; Taylor, 1999, p. 24; VCH, 1978, p. 3, 28, 46).
Shelford Road follows a slight ridge about 17 m above sea level, which runs south east from the
centre of Trumpington towards Great Shelford. The surrounding land dips towards the River
Cam to the south west and Hobson’s Brook to the north east. The ridge has been a transport link
for at least 3000 years. For the great majority of this period, the area was agricultural land, with
few houses along the road until the early 1900s.
The road may be on the line of a prehistoric trackway which ran between Grantchester,
Trumpington, Great Shelford and Great Chesterford, intersecting with another trackway on the
line of the current Trumpington-Great Shelford parish boundary. The route was probably used
as a Roman road from Ermine Street to Great Chesterford, where there was a Roman military
base (Kirby and Oosthuizen, 2000, p. 11; Taylor, 1999, p. 24; VCH, 1978, p. 3, 28, 46).
| Left: Extract from Tim Malim (2000) 'Prehistoric Trackways', in An Atlas of Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire History, page 11. Trumpington parish has been highlighted in yellow. Right: Extract from map of Prehistoric, Roman and early Anglo-Saxon sites in Cambridge, in Alison Taylor (1999), Cambridge: the Hidden History, p. 24. |
Recent archaeological excavations in the area have produced evidence of land use during the
Bronze Age, Iron Age and Roman periods. The excavations on Clay Farm between Shelford
Road and Long Road identified Bronze Age field systems and settlements and Early Roman
settlements to the east of Trumpington village. When Addenbrooke’s Road was constructed, an
extensive pattern of Romano-British crop marks and enclosures were found at the site of the
roundabout to the east of Shelford Road. (See meeting reports from March 2012 and March
2015.)
Bronze Age, Iron Age and Roman periods. The excavations on Clay Farm between Shelford
Road and Long Road identified Bronze Age field systems and settlements and Early Roman
settlements to the east of Trumpington village. When Addenbrooke’s Road was constructed, an
extensive pattern of Romano-British crop marks and enclosures were found at the site of the
roundabout to the east of Shelford Road. (See meeting reports from March 2012 and March
2015.)
| Left: Excavation on the line of Addenbrooke's Road, Showground site, north east of Shelford Road. Photo: Andrew Roberts, July 2007. Right: Aerial view of the archaeological investigations on Clay Farm, to the east of Shelford Road, with Addenbrooke's Road, July-August 2010. Oxford Archaeology East. |
The route was crucial to the foundation of Trumpington village, as the settlement developed
from the Saxon period (c. 900-1000 AD) at the intersection of the Cambridge-Royston and
Grantchester-Great Shelford roads. By the 17th century, the road between Trumpington and
Great Shelford was known as the Moorway, running through arable fields, with pasture on the
low ground along Hobson’s Brook. The long narrow Moor field ran parallel to the Cambridge
road as far as the Moorway leading to Great Shelford; another field (called Hauxton, Church or
Hauxton Mill field) covered the land to the west of the road. There are still a few local examples
of sheep pastures, such as fields around Sawston (Cambridgeshire Archives, 347/T4; VCH,
1982, p. 249, 258-59).
from the Saxon period (c. 900-1000 AD) at the intersection of the Cambridge-Royston and
Grantchester-Great Shelford roads. By the 17th century, the road between Trumpington and
Great Shelford was known as the Moorway, running through arable fields, with pasture on the
low ground along Hobson’s Brook. The long narrow Moor field ran parallel to the Cambridge
road as far as the Moorway leading to Great Shelford; another field (called Hauxton, Church or
Hauxton Mill field) covered the land to the west of the road. There are still a few local examples
of sheep pastures, such as fields around Sawston (Cambridgeshire Archives, 347/T4; VCH,
1982, p. 249, 258-59).
| Sheep grazing near Sawston, close to the line of the Stump Cross Turnpike. Photo: Andrew Roberts, August 2008. |
Turnpike routes
The two main roads through Trumpington became turnpikes in the 18th century. The future
Shelford Road was a key link in the Stump Cross Turnpike, which ran from Cambridge to
Chesterford (Stump Cross). The turnpike started on Trumpington Road, north of Barrow Road,
at a point which is still marked by the first milestone. The next milestone is on the west side of
Shelford Road, opposite Reed Close, with a benchmark and two holes which must have held a
sign. The third and fourth milestones have not survived, but were near the Great Shelford
railway bridge and the Stapleford river bridge. The fifth milestone is still in place, on the right
hand side of the downhill slope into Sawston, with a sign ‘To Cambridge 6 miles, to London 48
miles’.
The two main roads through Trumpington became turnpikes in the 18th century. The future
Shelford Road was a key link in the Stump Cross Turnpike, which ran from Cambridge to
Chesterford (Stump Cross). The turnpike started on Trumpington Road, north of Barrow Road,
at a point which is still marked by the first milestone. The next milestone is on the west side of
Shelford Road, opposite Reed Close, with a benchmark and two holes which must have held a
sign. The third and fourth milestones have not survived, but were near the Great Shelford
railway bridge and the Stapleford river bridge. The fifth milestone is still in place, on the right
hand side of the downhill slope into Sawston, with a sign ‘To Cambridge 6 miles, to London 48
miles’.
| Three surviving milestones on the Stump Cross Turnpike Road. Above left: the first (fallen and damaged) stone on Trumpington Road; above, right: the second on Shelford Road; left: the fifth to the north of Sawston. Photos: Andrew Roberts, January-February 2008. |
The Stump Cross Turnpike was ‘turnpiked’ in 1724 and ‘disturnpiked’ in 1870. Two of the Acts
to enable the turnpike were passed in 1790 and 1813. These established a number of provisions,
including that there should be no buildings other than toll houses within 30 ft of the centre of the
road, which presumably influenced the wide verges and paths which remain on either side of the
road (Cambridgeshire Archives, P175/28/1; VCH, 1982, p. 208).
to enable the turnpike were passed in 1790 and 1813. These established a number of provisions,
including that there should be no buildings other than toll houses within 30 ft of the centre of the
road, which presumably influenced the wide verges and paths which remain on either side of the
road (Cambridgeshire Archives, P175/28/1; VCH, 1982, p. 208).
| Title page, Act for Road from Stump Cross to Trumpington, Stump Cross Turnpike Trust (Statutes 30 George III, c.94, 1790). Cambridgeshire Archives, P175/28/1. |
Enclosure
At the beginning of the 19th century, Trumpington was a small village surrounded by a network
of open fields, with farmhouses, coaching inns and houses close to the village centre. Almost all
the land in the parish was owned by the Pemberton and Anstey families. The Inclosure Act of
1801-04 led to the enclosure of the open fields either side of Shelford Road: the fields called
South Croft to the south west of the road were awarded to the Vicar (the Church); the fields
called Moor Field to the north east were awarded to Francis Charles James Pemberton, apart
from a small area at the road junction which was awarded to Christopher Anstey and three fields
on the east side of the road near the parish boundary which were awarded to the Trumpington
Charity, William Dobson and William Stacey. The surveyors prepared a detailed map of the
parish, which recorded their decisions (Cambridgeshire Archives 130/01; VCH, 1982, p. 249,
260).
At the beginning of the 19th century, Trumpington was a small village surrounded by a network
of open fields, with farmhouses, coaching inns and houses close to the village centre. Almost all
the land in the parish was owned by the Pemberton and Anstey families. The Inclosure Act of
1801-04 led to the enclosure of the open fields either side of Shelford Road: the fields called
South Croft to the south west of the road were awarded to the Vicar (the Church); the fields
called Moor Field to the north east were awarded to Francis Charles James Pemberton, apart
from a small area at the road junction which was awarded to Christopher Anstey and three fields
on the east side of the road near the parish boundary which were awarded to the Trumpington
Charity, William Dobson and William Stacey. The surveyors prepared a detailed map of the
parish, which recorded their decisions (Cambridgeshire Archives 130/01; VCH, 1982, p. 249,
260).
Enclosure
At the beginning of the 19th century, Trumpington was a small village surrounded by a network
of open fields, with farmhouses, coaching inns and houses close to the village centre. Almost all
the land in the parish was owned by the Pemberton and Anstey families. The Inclosure Act of
1801-04 led to the enclosure of the open fields either side of Shelford Road: the fields called
South Croft to the south west of the road were awarded to the Vicar (the Church); the fields
called Moor Field to the north east were awarded to Francis Charles James Pemberton, apart
from a small area at the road junction which was awarded to Christopher Anstey and three fields
on the east side of the road near the parish boundary which were awarded to the Trumpington
Charity, William Dobson and William Stacey. The surveyors prepared a detailed map of the
parish, which recorded their decisions (Cambridgeshire Archives 130/01; VCH, 1982, p. 249,
260).
At the beginning of the 19th century, Trumpington was a small village surrounded by a network
of open fields, with farmhouses, coaching inns and houses close to the village centre. Almost all
the land in the parish was owned by the Pemberton and Anstey families. The Inclosure Act of
1801-04 led to the enclosure of the open fields either side of Shelford Road: the fields called
South Croft to the south west of the road were awarded to the Vicar (the Church); the fields
called Moor Field to the north east were awarded to Francis Charles James Pemberton, apart
from a small area at the road junction which was awarded to Christopher Anstey and three fields
on the east side of the road near the parish boundary which were awarded to the Trumpington
Charity, William Dobson and William Stacey. The surveyors prepared a detailed map of the
parish, which recorded their decisions (Cambridgeshire Archives 130/01; VCH, 1982, p. 249,
260).
| Extract from A Map of the Parish of Trumpington in the County of Cambridge, 1804. Cambridgeshire Archives, R60/24/2/70(a). |
After the enclosure, a number of farmsteads were built away from the village centre, including
Vicarage Farm (or Glebe Farm), which was established on the church land about ¼ mile to the
south west of the road and was the only house near the road until the early 1900s. As recent as
the 1960s, local residents would go to Glebe Farm for produce (milk, eggs). Although no longer
used as an active farmhouse, the house survives and has been renovated. The northern part of
the Glebe Farm land has been used for housing development (VCH, 1982, p. 249).
Vicarage Farm (or Glebe Farm), which was established on the church land about ¼ mile to the
south west of the road and was the only house near the road until the early 1900s. As recent as
the 1960s, local residents would go to Glebe Farm for produce (milk, eggs). Although no longer
used as an active farmhouse, the house survives and has been renovated. The northern part of
the Glebe Farm land has been used for housing development (VCH, 1982, p. 249).
| Glebe Farmhouse. Photo: Andrew Roberts, August 2008. |
Early 19th Century
Richard Grey Baker produced maps of Cambridgeshire and Cambridge between 1817 and 1830,
which showed the road from Trumpington to Great Shelford and indicated a weighing machine
and weighbridge house on the High Street near the road junction. Writing in 1889, Samuel Page
Widnall recalled the weighbridge house as it was in the 1840s and the large number of
stagecoaches which would pass by (Cambridgeshire Records Society, 1999; VCH, 1982, facing
p. 161; Widnall, 1889).
Richard Grey Baker produced maps of Cambridgeshire and Cambridge between 1817 and 1830,
which showed the road from Trumpington to Great Shelford and indicated a weighing machine
and weighbridge house on the High Street near the road junction. Writing in 1889, Samuel Page
Widnall recalled the weighbridge house as it was in the 1840s and the large number of
stagecoaches which would pass by (Cambridgeshire Records Society, 1999; VCH, 1982, facing
p. 161; Widnall, 1889).
| Above and above right: Extracts from Baker's Map of Cambridgeshire, 1824 (VCH, 1982, facing p. 161). Below right: Extract from Baker's Map of Cambridge, 1830 (Cambridgeshire Records Society, 1999). |
| Left: The Toll House and Weighbridge House, High Street, in the 1920s. Percy Robinson collection. Right: The Toll House and Weighbridge House from the Shelford Road/High Street junction. Photo: Andrew Roberts, August 2008. |
Railway to Busway
The Shelford Road area was transformed in August 1862, when the Cambridge to Bedford
branch of the London & North West Railway opened. Shelford Road was reduced in width
either side of the railway and a bridge was constructed to carry the road over the railway cutting.
There is an Ordnance Survey bench mark near the south west corner of the bridge parapet, with
the bridge marked as 67.4 ft OD on the 1885 map and 20.51 m OD on the 2008 map (a flush
bracket, reference 11733).
The cutting was presumably kept free of trees, to reduce the risk of fire. The branch line
remained in active use for over 100 years, but closed in 1965 and the track was removed in
January 1968. The cutting became an informal nature reserve with trees, blackberries and an
open stream. It was then used for the Busway, constructed from 2008-10 and opened in 2011
(VCH, 1982, p. 250).
The Shelford Road area was transformed in August 1862, when the Cambridge to Bedford
branch of the London & North West Railway opened. Shelford Road was reduced in width
either side of the railway and a bridge was constructed to carry the road over the railway cutting.
There is an Ordnance Survey bench mark near the south west corner of the bridge parapet, with
the bridge marked as 67.4 ft OD on the 1885 map and 20.51 m OD on the 2008 map (a flush
bracket, reference 11733).
The cutting was presumably kept free of trees, to reduce the risk of fire. The branch line
remained in active use for over 100 years, but closed in 1965 and the track was removed in
January 1968. The cutting became an informal nature reserve with trees, blackberries and an
open stream. It was then used for the Busway, constructed from 2008-10 and opened in 2011
(VCH, 1982, p. 250).
| Above left: The railway bridge from the south, with the cycle and pedestrian crossing. Photo: Andrew Roberts, 26 January 2008. Above right: Ordnance Survey bench mark on Shelford Road railway bridge. Photo: Andrew Roberts, 17 February 2008. Left: The removal of the railway track from the cutting to the east of Shelford Road bridge, 1969. Photo: Margaret Marrs. |
Later 19th Century: Allotments and Cemetery
By the 1880s, the triangle of land between Shelford Road, Hauxton Road and the railway had
been marked out as allotments and there was a small enclosed area on the east side of the road at
the junction with Hauxton Road. The road had not been named and there were no houses along
the road other than Glebe Farmhouse. In 1893, the vicar sold 4 a. of his glebe land for a new
graveyard, developed as Trumpington Churchyard Extension. This is shown on the 1901
Ordnance Survey map, which also marks an additional block of allotments on the north east side
of the road (VCH, 1982, p. 265).
By the 1880s, the triangle of land between Shelford Road, Hauxton Road and the railway had
been marked out as allotments and there was a small enclosed area on the east side of the road at
the junction with Hauxton Road. The road had not been named and there were no houses along
the road other than Glebe Farmhouse. In 1893, the vicar sold 4 a. of his glebe land for a new
graveyard, developed as Trumpington Churchyard Extension. This is shown on the 1901
Ordnance Survey map, which also marks an additional block of allotments on the north east side
of the road (VCH, 1982, p. 265).
| Left: Ordnance Survey map, 1885, showing the route of the railway, the allotments and churchyard, and the absence of houses. Right: Ordnance Survey map, 1901, showing the churchyard. |
| Entrance to Trumpington Churchyard extension, Shelford Road. Photo: Andrew Roberts, 16 May 2014. |
| The line of yews along the footpath in the Shelford Road cemetery. Photo: Andrew Roberts, 26-27 January 2008. |
Early 20th century: First Houses and Ribbon Development
In the 1901 census, properties in Trumpington village ended at the weighbridge, with no housing
on or near Shelford Road apart from Glebe Farmhouse. Soon after this, ribbon development
began in discontinuous blocks along the road. The change is apparent by 1910, when an updated
map and schedule were produced for the Inland Revenue (the Land Value map), listing the
occupier, owner and status of each plot of land, with the first houses shown on the north east
side of the road near the High Street junction and other parcels of land marked out on the south
west side of the road near the parish boundary (Inland Revenue, 1910; VCH, 1982, p. 250).
A number of photographs and postcards from the 1910s-20s show the High Street/Shelford
Road/Hauxton Road junction and the first houses along Shelford Road. At that time, the access
track between numbers 1 and 3 led to a gravel pit, owned by Samuel Gentle. Numbers 3 to 21
are now arranged as a terrace, but were originally in two main groups, numbers 3 to 11 and 15 to
21. The houses had names including Blenheim House, Roseville, West View, The Cottage, St
Mabyn, Field View, Woodside and Braceley, with house naming being a common feature at that
time. Number 13 was added in 1924, with ‘St Govans 1924’ inscribed on the wall.
Further along Shelford Road, numbers 134 to 148 are one of the early groups of houses. They
were built in 1914-15 and have date stones with inscriptions ‘LE 1914’ or ‘LE 1915’. There is
comparable evidence on some of the houses in Alpha Terrace which bear the inscription "L.E.":
Louisa Edwards was the widow of brewer Richard Edwards, who lived at The Villa,
Trumpington High Street, until her death in 1915.
In the 1901 census, properties in Trumpington village ended at the weighbridge, with no housing
on or near Shelford Road apart from Glebe Farmhouse. Soon after this, ribbon development
began in discontinuous blocks along the road. The change is apparent by 1910, when an updated
map and schedule were produced for the Inland Revenue (the Land Value map), listing the
occupier, owner and status of each plot of land, with the first houses shown on the north east
side of the road near the High Street junction and other parcels of land marked out on the south
west side of the road near the parish boundary (Inland Revenue, 1910; VCH, 1982, p. 250).
A number of photographs and postcards from the 1910s-20s show the High Street/Shelford
Road/Hauxton Road junction and the first houses along Shelford Road. At that time, the access
track between numbers 1 and 3 led to a gravel pit, owned by Samuel Gentle. Numbers 3 to 21
are now arranged as a terrace, but were originally in two main groups, numbers 3 to 11 and 15 to
21. The houses had names including Blenheim House, Roseville, West View, The Cottage, St
Mabyn, Field View, Woodside and Braceley, with house naming being a common feature at that
time. Number 13 was added in 1924, with ‘St Govans 1924’ inscribed on the wall.
Further along Shelford Road, numbers 134 to 148 are one of the early groups of houses. They
were built in 1914-15 and have date stones with inscriptions ‘LE 1914’ or ‘LE 1915’. There is
comparable evidence on some of the houses in Alpha Terrace which bear the inscription "L.E.":
Louisa Edwards was the widow of brewer Richard Edwards, who lived at The Villa,
Trumpington High Street, until her death in 1915.
| The first houses on Shelford Road, c. 1910. Extract from the Inland Revenue Land Value map for Trumpington, 1910-11. Cambridgeshire Archives, file 470/047, sheet XLVII.10. |
| Shelford and Royston Roads, Trumpington (Hauxton Road junction), Ted Mott, number 9124, 1920s. Cambridgeshire Collection. |
| Shelford Road from the junction with the High Street and Hauxton Road, c. 1914. Cambridgeshire Collection. |
| Looking across the earliest houses in Shelford Road, numbers 3-17, to the junction with Trumpington High Street, from the west side of the road. Left: c. 1920. Trumpington in Old Picture Postcards, 24. Right: Andrew Roberts, 26 January 2008. |
From the 1920s, more houses were built along Shelford Road and Bishop's Road was developed
as the main side road. A number of the housing plots on the east side of the road had narrow
frontages but long rear gardens, with farmland to the rear. The house designs included
bungalows, built with a prefabricated construction using asbestos and wood. A number of homes
had trees planted in their front gardens, many of which have remained as an attractive feature of
the landscape. The extent of ribbon development here and on other routes out of Cambridge
became a serious concern which led to a campaign to protect the countryside by the Council for
the Preservation of Rural England (CPRE) and the formation of the Cambridge Preservation
Society (now Cambridge PPF). The overall effect was described in a brochure produced at the
origin of the Cambridge Preservation Society, 1929: “The consequences [of ribbon development]
may be seen along the road from Trumpington to Shelford, where an almost continuous row of
ill-proportioned and unsightly houses has ruined what was once a delightful way out of
Cambridge ... The Shelford Road may well serve as a warning ...”. Writing in the 1950s, W.E.
Dring remembered Shelford Road in the 1920s: ‘The road to Shelford is now bordered by a
continuous row of houses, but when I first knew it there was only one here and there. Near the
fork of the roads was the entrance to the village gravel and rubbish pit used extensively before
the days of organised rubbish collection. I remember that growing in the middle of the pit was a
remarkably healthy specimen of the datura or thorn-apple, heavens knows how it came there.’
As an example of the developments, land fronting a length of Shelford Road on the north east
side north of the railway bridge was sold in 1925 by the Pemberton estate to Mrs M.M. Parker
(then of 15 Shelford Road), as the Shelford Road Building Estate. A number of detached and
semi-detached houses were then built around 1930. A strip of land between numbers 45 and 47
was retained for a proposed new road. This access was instead used as a path to the fields to the
rear of the houses. The farmland to the rear of the properties at the north east end of the road
was developed as a housing estate in the late 1940s, with allotments behind some of the Shelford
Road gardens. When the allotments were developed after the estate was built in 1946-48, the
path ran across the allotments, with two side paths to Foster Road and the continuation behind
Foster Road, with a connection to the tracks across Clay Farm. In 1993-94, the Allotment
Society closed the path after problems on the allotments. Following a local enquiry, the path was
declared a public footpath and reopened; it was subsequently re-routed to follow the rear of the
gardens on Foster Road and a fence was erected and hedge planted on the allotment side.
as the main side road. A number of the housing plots on the east side of the road had narrow
frontages but long rear gardens, with farmland to the rear. The house designs included
bungalows, built with a prefabricated construction using asbestos and wood. A number of homes
had trees planted in their front gardens, many of which have remained as an attractive feature of
the landscape. The extent of ribbon development here and on other routes out of Cambridge
became a serious concern which led to a campaign to protect the countryside by the Council for
the Preservation of Rural England (CPRE) and the formation of the Cambridge Preservation
Society (now Cambridge PPF). The overall effect was described in a brochure produced at the
origin of the Cambridge Preservation Society, 1929: “The consequences [of ribbon development]
may be seen along the road from Trumpington to Shelford, where an almost continuous row of
ill-proportioned and unsightly houses has ruined what was once a delightful way out of
Cambridge ... The Shelford Road may well serve as a warning ...”. Writing in the 1950s, W.E.
Dring remembered Shelford Road in the 1920s: ‘The road to Shelford is now bordered by a
continuous row of houses, but when I first knew it there was only one here and there. Near the
fork of the roads was the entrance to the village gravel and rubbish pit used extensively before
the days of organised rubbish collection. I remember that growing in the middle of the pit was a
remarkably healthy specimen of the datura or thorn-apple, heavens knows how it came there.’
As an example of the developments, land fronting a length of Shelford Road on the north east
side north of the railway bridge was sold in 1925 by the Pemberton estate to Mrs M.M. Parker
(then of 15 Shelford Road), as the Shelford Road Building Estate. A number of detached and
semi-detached houses were then built around 1930. A strip of land between numbers 45 and 47
was retained for a proposed new road. This access was instead used as a path to the fields to the
rear of the houses. The farmland to the rear of the properties at the north east end of the road
was developed as a housing estate in the late 1940s, with allotments behind some of the Shelford
Road gardens. When the allotments were developed after the estate was built in 1946-48, the
path ran across the allotments, with two side paths to Foster Road and the continuation behind
Foster Road, with a connection to the tracks across Clay Farm. In 1993-94, the Allotment
Society closed the path after problems on the allotments. Following a local enquiry, the path was
declared a public footpath and reopened; it was subsequently re-routed to follow the rear of the
gardens on Foster Road and a fence was erected and hedge planted on the allotment side.
| Left: Ordnance Survey map, 1925, showing the spread of housing, particularly beyond the railway line. Right: Ordnance Survey map, 1939, with most plots now in use, both sides of the road and the railway line. |
| Shelford Road from the junction with the High Street and Hauxton Road, 1930s, with houses on the north east side of the road up to and beyond the railway bridge, an AA box at the junction, a line of telegraph poles but no street lights. Cambridgeshire Collection. Reproduced in Trumpington Past & Present, p. 14. |
| Looking from the former grocer’s (now a local store) to the former butcher’s (now a kitchen design shop) on the west side of Shelford Road, numbers 152-132. Photo: Andrew Roberts, 27 January 2008. |
| A surviving example of a bungalow (77a Shelford Road), alongside the house which replaced another bungalow in the late 1990s (79 Shelford Road). Photo: Andrew Roberts, 27 January 2008. |
Later 20th century to the present
From the 1940s, a number of new closes and crescents were developed to the west of Shelford
Road, including Exeter Close, built 1962-65. The allotments between Shelford Road and
Hauxton Road became largely enclosed by houses before the allotment land was used as a gravel
pit. The access route into the land was taken up with a detached house, number 50, built c.
1954, set back from the road, with a curved entrance driveway. Despite being relatively new, the
house was demolished before 1968 and the land to the rear was developed as Cranleigh and
Craven Close, built by Willett Homes in 1968-69. The narrow strip of land to the right of the
original houses at the start of Shelford Road was developed as The Brambles from 1979, built by
Melbourn Property Co. Ltd., Potton.
The land to the rear of the south east end of the road, between the railway bridge and the
boundary, continued to be used as farmland. The land became known as the Showground after
being used for the Cambridge and Ely Agricultural Show in 1949 and the Royal Show in 1951,
1960 and 1961. There were two access tracks to the farmland, one between numbers 95 and 99
known as the Showground track and the other between numbers 125 and 129 (there is no
number 97 or 127). A number of residents would allow visitors to park on their driveways when
they were going to the shows at the Showground, including the owner of number 151, and some
provided bed & breakfast. In 1966, a bungalow was built alongside the Showground track to the
rear of number 95, extended in 1976 and 1984. In 2007, planning permission was granted to
convert the bungalow into a religious meeting house for the Radgund Trust. In 2011, the
Showground track was developed as the access road to new housing in the rear gardens of 99-
105 Shelford Road, adjacent to Addenbrooke’s Road, with the roads named Showground Road
and Showground Close.
From the 1940s, a number of new closes and crescents were developed to the west of Shelford
Road, including Exeter Close, built 1962-65. The allotments between Shelford Road and
Hauxton Road became largely enclosed by houses before the allotment land was used as a gravel
pit. The access route into the land was taken up with a detached house, number 50, built c.
1954, set back from the road, with a curved entrance driveway. Despite being relatively new, the
house was demolished before 1968 and the land to the rear was developed as Cranleigh and
Craven Close, built by Willett Homes in 1968-69. The narrow strip of land to the right of the
original houses at the start of Shelford Road was developed as The Brambles from 1979, built by
Melbourn Property Co. Ltd., Potton.
The land to the rear of the south east end of the road, between the railway bridge and the
boundary, continued to be used as farmland. The land became known as the Showground after
being used for the Cambridge and Ely Agricultural Show in 1949 and the Royal Show in 1951,
1960 and 1961. There were two access tracks to the farmland, one between numbers 95 and 99
known as the Showground track and the other between numbers 125 and 129 (there is no
number 97 or 127). A number of residents would allow visitors to park on their driveways when
they were going to the shows at the Showground, including the owner of number 151, and some
provided bed & breakfast. In 1966, a bungalow was built alongside the Showground track to the
rear of number 95, extended in 1976 and 1984. In 2007, planning permission was granted to
convert the bungalow into a religious meeting house for the Radgund Trust. In 2011, the
Showground track was developed as the access road to new housing in the rear gardens of 99-
105 Shelford Road, adjacent to Addenbrooke’s Road, with the roads named Showground Road
and Showground Close.
| Ordnance Survey maps, with most plots now in use, left: 1950 and right: 1954. |
| The 1949 Cambridge and Ely Agricultural Show on the Showground site, with Hobson’s Brook in the foreground and Shelford Road in the distance, Bishop’s Road to the upper right and the railway line to the far right. Photograph: Antony Pemberton, reproduced in Trumpington Past & Present, p. 130. |
| Cambridge Road and Shelford Road signs, memorial plaque to the Coronation and boundary stone, at the boundary between Trumpington and Great Shelford, east side of Shelford Road. Photo: Andrew Roberts, 26 January 2008. |
The scale of development around Trumpington demonstrated the need to protect the surrounding
farmland. The Cambridge Preservation Society pressed for a green belt and this was eventually
adopted by the Council in 1992 (Cooper, 2000).
farmland. The Cambridge Preservation Society pressed for a green belt and this was eventually
adopted by the Council in 1992 (Cooper, 2000).
| The Cambridge Green Belt, 1990s. Source: Anthony Cooper (Cooper, 2000, fig. 11). |
As noted above, the railway closed in the 1960s and the cutting became overgrown. In the
1980s, there was a school crossing patrol where the road went over the bridge. In 2001, the
pavement on the north east side of the road from the High Street to the Showground access was
upgraded into a shared cycle path and footpath and a signalled crossing was added on the crest
of the railway bridge. A number of the original bungalows and houses have been demolished and
replaced with larger homes, including numbers 57 and 79. A bungalow at number 39 was
demolished and replaced with three properties in the 2000s, two of which are to the rear. An
electricity building and site was converted into homes at number 31. A house immediately to the
south of the railway bridge (numbered as Bishop’s Road) was demolished and rebuilt after
subsidence, with further homes built to the rear in 2016-17.
There were additional allotments behind the houses on the east side of the further end of
Shelford Road, with access to the right of number 143. Bungalow and houses have been built on
this land in stages since the 1960s. Nearer the boundary, Reed Close was built in 1984, named
after the local builder, David Reed, after a long argument (the original plan had been for 12
houses, later reduced to 6 houses on a smaller footprint, leaving land to left and right for separate
development.
1980s, there was a school crossing patrol where the road went over the bridge. In 2001, the
pavement on the north east side of the road from the High Street to the Showground access was
upgraded into a shared cycle path and footpath and a signalled crossing was added on the crest
of the railway bridge. A number of the original bungalows and houses have been demolished and
replaced with larger homes, including numbers 57 and 79. A bungalow at number 39 was
demolished and replaced with three properties in the 2000s, two of which are to the rear. An
electricity building and site was converted into homes at number 31. A house immediately to the
south of the railway bridge (numbered as Bishop’s Road) was demolished and rebuilt after
subsidence, with further homes built to the rear in 2016-17.
There were additional allotments behind the houses on the east side of the further end of
Shelford Road, with access to the right of number 143. Bungalow and houses have been built on
this land in stages since the 1960s. Nearer the boundary, Reed Close was built in 1984, named
after the local builder, David Reed, after a long argument (the original plan had been for 12
houses, later reduced to 6 houses on a smaller footprint, leaving land to left and right for separate
development.
| The north east side of Shelford Road seen from the railway bridge, showing the pavement before it was developed as the cycle path and the original bungalow at number 57, later replaced by a house. Source: Anthony Cooper (Cooper, 2000). |
| Looking along the east side of Shelford Road from north of the railway bridge, with the cycle path and footpath, the new 57 in foreground. Photo: Andrew Roberts, 26 January 2008. |
From 2007, Shelford Road and its surroundings were affected by the construction of
Addenbrooke's Road and the Busway. Work on the new road began in late 2007, with the road
opening in October 2010. The work included the demolition of numbers 110 and 109-13
Shelford Road, the construction of the signalled road junction between Shelford Road and
Addenbrooke's Road and the widening of the road to the south of the junction. Work on the
Busway started in 2008 and it opened in 2011.
Addenbrooke's Road and the Busway. Work on the new road began in late 2007, with the road
opening in October 2010. The work included the demolition of numbers 110 and 109-13
Shelford Road, the construction of the signalled road junction between Shelford Road and
Addenbrooke's Road and the widening of the road to the south of the junction. Work on the
Busway started in 2008 and it opened in 2011.
| Aerial photo of Shelford Road from the north west, with early work on the route of Addenbrooke’s Road and the camping and caravan site. Photo: Arthur Brookes, August 2007. |
| Looking north along Shelford Road towards the location of Addenbrooke’s Road junction, from the west side of the footpath, outside 122/120 Shelford Road. Photo: Andrew Roberts, 30 September 2007. |
| Looking south along Shelford Road towards the location of Addenbrooke’s Road junction, from opposite Exeter Close. Photo: Andrew Roberts, 9 October 2007. |
| Looking west across Shelford Road at the location of Addenbrooke’s Road junction, towards 110 Shelford Road. Photo: Andrew Roberts, 30 September 2007. |
| Looking east across Shelford Road at the location of Addenbrooke’s Road junction, from 110 Shelford Road to 109 and 111/113 Shelford Road. Photo: Andrew Roberts, 30 September 2007. |
| Preliminary work to clear the grounds of 110 Shelford Road, west side of road. Photo: Andrew Roberts, 1 November 2007. |
| Preliminary work to clear the grounds of 109-13 Shelford Road, east side of road. Photo: Andrew Roberts, 1 November 2007. |
| Demolition work on the east side of Shelford Road, 111 and 115 after the removal of 113. Photo: Andrew Roberts, December 2007. |
| Looking along the line of the new Addenbrooke’s Road, to the west of Shelford Road. Photo: Andrew Roberts, 17 February 2008. |
| Surfacing the new road and roundabout to the east of Shelford Road. Photo: Andrew Roberts, 5 April 2008. |
| The final stage of surfacing Addenbrooke’s Road, from Shelford Road towards Hauxton Road. Photo: Andrew Roberts, 2 May 2008. |
| Roadwork sign for the final stage of Addenbrooke’s Road junction with Shelford Road. Photo: Andrew Roberts, 11 February 2009. Work on the realignment of Shelford Road at Addenbrooke’s Road junction. Photo: Andrew Roberts, 10 May 2009. |
| The Shelford Road junction at the opening of Addenbrooke’s Road. Photo: Andrew Roberts, 27 October 2010. Road sign on Shelford Road, the day of the opening of Addenbrooke’s Road. Photo: Andrew Roberts, 27 October 2010. |
| Street sign at the Shelford Road junction, the day of the opening of Addenbrooke's Road. Photo: Andrew Roberts, 27 October 2010. Aerial photograph of Clay Farm from the south, including Shelford Road, Addenbrooke's Road and the spine road and lake. Countryside/Tamdown, 19 March 2012. |
| Looking north east from Shelford Road railway bridge, after the clearance of the railway cutting, frosty morning. Photo: Andrew Roberts, 17 February 2008. |
| Laying the track for the Guided Busway to the east of Shelford Road bridge. Photo: Andrew Roberts, 21 September 2010. |
| A test run on the guided busway, looking east along the railway cutting from Shelford Road bridge. Photo: Peter Dawson, early 2011. |
| Guided Busway from Shelford Road bridge 24 November 2010. Photo: Edmund Brookes. |
| The Tour de France peloton coming over the railway bridge on Shelford Road. Photo: Stephen Brown, 7 July 2014. |
Since the opening of Addenbrooke's Road in 2010, work has proceeded on the housing
developments on Glebe Farm and Clay Farm to the west and east of Shelford Road and on the
Cambridge Biomedical Campus further east. One effect of this has been a considerable growth in
traffic, congestion and pollution. Despite this, the road remains an attractive place in which to
live.
developments on Glebe Farm and Clay Farm to the west and east of Shelford Road and on the
Cambridge Biomedical Campus further east. One effect of this has been a considerable growth in
traffic, congestion and pollution. Despite this, the road remains an attractive place in which to
live.
| Traffic congestion on Shelford Road, approaching the High Street and Addenbrooke's Road junctions. Photo: Andrew Roberts, 10-15 March 2017. |
| The Trumpington Churchyard Extension with tree in blossom and spring flowers, Shelford Road. Photo: Andrew Roberts, 14 March 2017. |
| The approach to the railway bridge/busway bridge, Shelford Road. Photo: Andrew Roberts, 13 March 2017. |
| Spring blossom on Shelford Road. Photo: Andrew Roberts, 13 March 2017. |
| Road signs at the Shelford Road/Addenbrooke's Road junction. Photo: Andrew Roberts, 13 March 2017. |
Shelford Road trades and traders
There have been a wide range of trades practiced along Shelford Road, a few of which are noted
below. This subject was also discussed by Arthur Brooke's at a meeting in October 2012.
Mrs Florence Mary Charter lived at 39 Shelford Road from the 1930s to the 1970s, where she
was a ladies’ hairdresser from the 1930s to the 1950s (the bungalow was demolished and
replaced with houses after 2008). Frank Ryder lived at 53 Shelford Road from 1930 to his death
in 1952, working as a watch and clock maker and repairer.
There have been a wide range of trades practiced along Shelford Road, a few of which are noted
below. This subject was also discussed by Arthur Brooke's at a meeting in October 2012.
Mrs Florence Mary Charter lived at 39 Shelford Road from the 1930s to the 1970s, where she
was a ladies’ hairdresser from the 1930s to the 1950s (the bungalow was demolished and
replaced with houses after 2008). Frank Ryder lived at 53 Shelford Road from 1930 to his death
in 1952, working as a watch and clock maker and repairer.
| Above: The original bungalow at 39 Shelford Road. Photo: Andrew Roberts, 26 January 2008. Right: Invoice for the repair of a clock issued to Trumpington Village Hall by Frank Ryder, 1948. |
In 1925, Lesley Walter Wedd founded a joinery company with a workshop to the rear of the
bungalow at 77 Shelford Road. He built the bungalow and lived there with his family. He
established a company in the 1930s, L.W. Wedd and Son, which continued there until the 2000s
and is now Wedd Joinery, based in Stapleford.
bungalow at 77 Shelford Road. He built the bungalow and lived there with his family. He
established a company in the 1930s, L.W. Wedd and Son, which continued there until the 2000s
and is now Wedd Joinery, based in Stapleford.
| 77a Shelford Road, which had the Wedd workshop to the rear. Photo: Andrew Roberts, 27 January 2008. |
Arthur Brookes records the history of a number of properties at the southern end of Shelford
Road. The building at the beginning of Bishop’s Road was used as a general store from the
1920s (initially Mrs Richardson), then a dental surgery (now Dentastique Dental Surgery).
Number 132 has been used as a family butchers (C.G. Gilbert & Son, 1930s), ladies hairdressers
(J. & M. Boot, 1960s-70s), cycle repairer (Trumpington Cycles, 1980s-90s) and men's barbers
(Ashley, 1990s-2006), and now a kitchen designer (Design Matters). Arthur summarises the use
of 150 Shelford Road, including a grocers (Cherry Stores, 1930s, Pitman's family store and
grocer, 1930s-70s), off licence (Threshers, 2000s, Trumpington Food and Wine, 2000s) and
general store (2010s). The nearby garage began at number 158 and later extended to number
154-156, where two semi-detached houses were demolished in the early 1970s. It was run by
Bert Carter, automobile engineer, from the 1930s-50s, then Fletchers, motor engineers, renamed
Reliance Garage, taken over by Richard Wells, from the 1960s. It was acquired by Buckingham
& Stanley in 1991, when the garage was extended. The petrol station closed on 11 December
2010 but the garage continues in operation.
Road. The building at the beginning of Bishop’s Road was used as a general store from the
1920s (initially Mrs Richardson), then a dental surgery (now Dentastique Dental Surgery).
Number 132 has been used as a family butchers (C.G. Gilbert & Son, 1930s), ladies hairdressers
(J. & M. Boot, 1960s-70s), cycle repairer (Trumpington Cycles, 1980s-90s) and men's barbers
(Ashley, 1990s-2006), and now a kitchen designer (Design Matters). Arthur summarises the use
of 150 Shelford Road, including a grocers (Cherry Stores, 1930s, Pitman's family store and
grocer, 1930s-70s), off licence (Threshers, 2000s, Trumpington Food and Wine, 2000s) and
general store (2010s). The nearby garage began at number 158 and later extended to number
154-156, where two semi-detached houses were demolished in the early 1970s. It was run by
Bert Carter, automobile engineer, from the 1930s-50s, then Fletchers, motor engineers, renamed
Reliance Garage, taken over by Richard Wells, from the 1960s. It was acquired by Buckingham
& Stanley in 1991, when the garage was extended. The petrol station closed on 11 December
2010 but the garage continues in operation.
| Left: Mrs Richardson’s general store, 4 Bishop’s Road, early 1930s. Cambridgeshire Collection. Right: The dental surgery at the start of Bishop’s Road. Photo: Andrew Roberts, 27 January 2008. |
| Design Matters, kitchen design shop on the west side of Shelford Road, number 132. Photo: Andrew Roberts, 27 January 2008. |
| Looking from the former grocer’s (then a Threshers off-license) to the former butcher’s (Design Matters kitchen design shop) on the west side of Shelford Road, numbers 152-132. Photo: Andrew Roberts, 27 January 2008. |
| Trumpington Food & Wine shop, Shelford Road. Photo: Andrew Roberts, 13 March 2017. |
| The garage and off-license on the west side of Shelford Road, numbers 158 to 150. Photo: Andrew Roberts, 27 January 2008. |
| The Buckingham & Stanley garage, Shelford Road. Photo: Andrew Roberts, 13 March 2017. |
Shelford Road personalities
Shelford Road has had many long-term residents with interesting backgrounds and careers in the
last 100 years. For example, Jack and Jessie Overhill owned 99 Shelford Road from the 1920s-
80. Jack published a number of books, articles and diaries, and was a dedicated swimmer who
would go swimming in the Cam every day. John Ryder lived with his parents at 53 Shelford
Road in the 1930s-40s, and published a book of poetry “Ewafe” in 1994. Mary Smith lived at
the family home, 36 Shelford Road, from the 1930s to her death in 1993, where she was a
talented artist, creating delicate flower paintings. She was a nature lover who collected wild
flowers and watercress from Hobson’s Brook. Finally, Herbert Clifford Roads, 58 Shelford
Road, had the house designed to his instructions in 1939. A farmer, he had three agricultural
patents to his name: animal food appliance, 1945, harrow poles, 1946, and sack grab, 1947.
Shelford Road has had many long-term residents with interesting backgrounds and careers in the
last 100 years. For example, Jack and Jessie Overhill owned 99 Shelford Road from the 1920s-
80. Jack published a number of books, articles and diaries, and was a dedicated swimmer who
would go swimming in the Cam every day. John Ryder lived with his parents at 53 Shelford
Road in the 1930s-40s, and published a book of poetry “Ewafe” in 1994. Mary Smith lived at
the family home, 36 Shelford Road, from the 1930s to her death in 1993, where she was a
talented artist, creating delicate flower paintings. She was a nature lover who collected wild
flowers and watercress from Hobson’s Brook. Finally, Herbert Clifford Roads, 58 Shelford
Road, had the house designed to his instructions in 1939. A farmer, he had three agricultural
patents to his name: animal food appliance, 1945, harrow poles, 1946, and sack grab, 1947.
| Left: Portrait of Jack Overhill, Ramsey & Muspratt Studio Archive deposited in the Cambridgeshire Collection. Centre: John Ryder. Right: Title page of Ewafe by John Ryder. |
| Flower paintings by Mary Smith, cranesbill, oxslip, pansy and pasque flower. |
| Summary of the patent for and animal food appliance, issued to Herbert Clifford Roads, 1945. |
References
Cambridgeshire Records Society (1999). Baker's Map of the University and Town of
Cambridge, 1830: with an introduction by Sarah Bendall. : Cambridgeshire Records Society.
Cooper, Anthony J. (2000). Planners and Preservationists. The Cambridge Preservation
Society and the City's Green Belt, 1928-1985. Cambridge: Cambridge Preservation Society.
Inland Revenue, Commissioners of (1910). Duties on Land Values. Record of Valuations Made
by the Commissioners of Inland Revenue ... Valuation Book for the Parishes of Coton, Dry
Drayton, Grantchester and Trumpington. (Cambridgeshire Archives, file 470/047.)
Kirby, Tony and Oosthuizen, Susan (editors) (2000). An Atlas of Cambridgeshire and
Huntingdonshire History. Cambridge: Centre for Regional Studies, Anglia Polytechnic.
Taylor, Alison (1999). Cambridge: the Hidden History. Stroud: Tempus.
The Victoria History of the Counties of England (1978).The History of the County of
Cambridge & the Isle of Ely. Volume VII: Roman Cambridgeshire. Edited by J.J. Wilkes and C.
R. Elrington. Oxford: Oxford University Press for the Institute of Historical Research.
The Victoria History of the Counties of England (VCH) (1982). A History of Cambridgeshire
and the Isle of Ely, Volume VIII. Armingford and Thriplow Hundreds. Edited by C.R.
Elrington. Oxford: Oxford University Press for the Institute of Historical Research. Trumpington
chapter, p. 248-67. [http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=66760]
Widnall, S.P. (1889). Reminiscences of Trumpington Fifty Years Ago. Grantchester: the Author.
Cambridgeshire Records Society (1999). Baker's Map of the University and Town of
Cambridge, 1830: with an introduction by Sarah Bendall. : Cambridgeshire Records Society.
Cooper, Anthony J. (2000). Planners and Preservationists. The Cambridge Preservation
Society and the City's Green Belt, 1928-1985. Cambridge: Cambridge Preservation Society.
Inland Revenue, Commissioners of (1910). Duties on Land Values. Record of Valuations Made
by the Commissioners of Inland Revenue ... Valuation Book for the Parishes of Coton, Dry
Drayton, Grantchester and Trumpington. (Cambridgeshire Archives, file 470/047.)
Kirby, Tony and Oosthuizen, Susan (editors) (2000). An Atlas of Cambridgeshire and
Huntingdonshire History. Cambridge: Centre for Regional Studies, Anglia Polytechnic.
Taylor, Alison (1999). Cambridge: the Hidden History. Stroud: Tempus.
The Victoria History of the Counties of England (1978).The History of the County of
Cambridge & the Isle of Ely. Volume VII: Roman Cambridgeshire. Edited by J.J. Wilkes and C.
R. Elrington. Oxford: Oxford University Press for the Institute of Historical Research.
The Victoria History of the Counties of England (VCH) (1982). A History of Cambridgeshire
and the Isle of Ely, Volume VIII. Armingford and Thriplow Hundreds. Edited by C.R.
Elrington. Oxford: Oxford University Press for the Institute of Historical Research. Trumpington
chapter, p. 248-67. [http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=66760]
Widnall, S.P. (1889). Reminiscences of Trumpington Fifty Years Ago. Grantchester: the Author.