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Category Archives: South Cambridgeshire local history
Fruit Growing in Shepreth
Extract from my forthcoming book on Fruit Growing in South Cambs: from chapter five, ‘The Geography of Fruit Growing’. (Copyright J Spain, 2016). Notes on Shepreth: Shepreth is a low-lying parish, with a more clay subsoil, liable to flooding, alleviated … Continue reading
Fruit Stealing in South Cambs
Extract from my forthcoming book on fruit farming in South Cambs., from chapter six, ‘Fruit Growing and Village Life’. (Copyright J. Spain, 2016). A problem which growers faced at this stage of the season was that of petty larceny – … Continue reading
Leonard Illingworth, musician, chess-player and beekeeper
I am researching the life of Leonard Illingworth, who lived in Foxton from the early 1920s till his death in the mid 1950s. He lived at The Way’s End, with two and a half acres of garden, where he kept … Continue reading
Shepreth as seen by others
Over the years I have come across references to Shepreth in historical papers, local history books, county guides and other publications and it is interesting to see how the village has been represented down the ages. If one was writing … Continue reading
Our Lady of White hill: new evidence of the chapel at Haslingfield
Since publishing my short book, ‘The Pilgrimage to Our Lady of White hill,’ in 2013, I have come across further evidence relating to its use in the early 16th century. This relates to bequests made in two wills, of offerings … Continue reading
Old Orchards in South Cambridgeshire
Where ever you go in South Cambs. it’s possible to see the remnants and relics of a once thriving fruit growing industry. Most of the commercial orchards were grubbed up in the 1970s so it’s a question of looking for … Continue reading
Fruit Farming in South Cambs: writing a history
Having spent much of 2013 and early 2014 researching the history of fruit farming in South Cambs., I have completed the introduction and first chapter. I am having a break at present before returning to work on this project in … Continue reading
Forthcoming local history talks
Haslingfield Village Society: Haslingfield Village Hall, Tuesday 16 September, 8pm. The Pilgrimage to Our Lady of White hill. I will be discussing the documentary evidence for the shrine and the role played by local historians in the preservation of this … Continue reading
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