Sawston is a large village in Cambridgeshire in England, situated on the River Cam about south of Cambridge. It has a population of 7,260.
History
Prehistory
Although the current village of Sawston has only existed as anything more than a hamlet for 400 to 600 years, there is evidence for a settlement in the vicinity dating back to the early Bronze Age almost 5,000 years ago. The northern high-ground in Sawston would have been the only vantage point from which to view the ancient Hill figures discovered in the Wandlebury section of the Wheatsheaf Duxford.
Domesday Book
In the Domesday Book of 1086, Sawston is recorded as being in the hundred of Whittlesford and the county of Cambridgeshire. It is recorded to have 38 households, placing it in the top 20% of settlements in terms of population. It has 3 listed owners: Count Robert of Mortain, Geoffrey de Mandeville and Eudo the Steward. One of the overlords in 1066 was reportedly Edward the Confessor.
Sawston Hall
Sawston Hall is a Grade I listed Tudor manor house dating from the 16th century. The hall has many fine features, such as the magnificent Great Hall complete with Elizabethan panelling and a large Tudor fireplace with fireback dated 1571. The hall has a chapel which is also panelled and has an 18th-century decorated plaster ceiling and stained glass windows.
The hall is surrounded by almost of grounds which includes a Site of Special Scientific Interest protected by Natural England due to the presence of Cambridge Milk Parsley, a rare English native plant. The ground also include a number of naturally-fed springs, woodland walks, a half moat and a number of smaller landscaped gardens.
Sawston Cross
Until 1815 the village of Sawston had an ancient cross, possibly erected by the Knights Templar. The cross had many purposes, even as a location where public officers administered justice during the 13th century. It survived the rage of the Puritans in the civil wars, but was torn down between the summer of 1815 and autumn of 1816, along with the surrounding amphitheatre-like enclosure, the stocks and ancient sycamore tree, and sold by greedy village elders to make way for redevelopment. William Hone's Table-book includes a contributor's description when he stumbled across the villagers discussing whether or not to tear down the cross. A poem comparing Sawstonites to the Jews, which would today appear to be antisemitic, was subsequently published in the 1827 journal: The Jews of old, as we've been told—— And Scriptures pure disclose—— With harden'd hearts drew lots for parts Of our Salvator's clothes.
The modern Jews ——the Sawstonites——
As harden'd as the Israelites——
In ignorance still more gross——
Thinking they could no longer thrive
By Christian means, did means contrive——
Draw lots, and sold the cross!
Recent history
Sawston has seen substantial development since the end of the Second World War and, more recently, a number of large housing estates have been constructed, most notably to the north-west and south of the village. This development has led to the area of Sawston spreading into the small nearby village of Pampisford.
Sawston has been earmarked for development to meet Cambridgeshire's housing needs, including in the 2013 Local Plan from South Cambridgeshire District Council currently under review by the Planning Inspectorate. Work on a new Community Hub, which will be a flexible meeting place and re-home the Library (in temporary buildings following the 2012 fire at the Walnut Gallery, SVC), was completed in 2022. It is be located adjacent to the Marven Centre on New Road.
As well as housing developments on either side of the Babraham Road, approval has been given for the building of a 3,000 capacity football stadium to house Cambridge City F.C.
Geology
The underground structure of Sawston is the same as that of the region – permeable chalk and impermeable clay. The low-lying nature of the village is indicative of a former flood plain which still tends towards the moist, although comparatively recent dredging of the local ditches and rivers has alleviated the general flooding problem. The chalky nature of the local geology provides for a clean, if hard, water supply as it is drawn from artesian wells in the area. The chalk and clay in the area contains a large quantity of flint that often finds its way into older local construction.
There is a hill, Huckeridge Hill, to the north west of the village. At 32 m it is a good viewpoint for Little Trees Hill (itself the highest point of Magog Down in the Gog Magog Hills) across the valley of the Granta.