The
Parish of Arrington
by Malcolm Barrett |
| LOCATION |
| Arrington
is a small rural parish situated in south-west Cambridgeshire. The A1198 or Ermine
Way, part of the ancient Ermine Street, is a major influence on the parish. |
| Cambridge
is 10 miles to the east and provides the major focus for public transport and
community links. Royston is 6.5 miles to the south but there are no significant
public transport routes even though as a market town it once traditionally enjoyed
a focus for the parish. Huntingdon is 16 miles to the north and there are no public
transport links in this direction. Similarly Biggleswade which is 12.8 miles to
the west has no public transport links with the parish. A bus service provides
links with Cambridge which is where the nearest rail service can be found if travelling
by public transport. |
| GEOGRAPHY |
| The
parish can be described as a long wedge shape with it narrower ‘southern’
end defined by the river Rhee, its long eastern edge defined in the main by Ermine
Way and the ‘northern’ and western parts by various field boundaries. |
| This
means that the landscape ranges from a river valley, across a minor chalk outcrop
running west to east, and this in turn borders higher clay lands. |
| The
whole of the parish is though, contained within the West Anglian Natural Plain.
The village sits within areas of countryside formerly known as Best Countryside
a term no longer current but which nevertheless indicates something of its quality. |
| BIODIVERSITY |
| Much
of the southern and western parts of the parish can be characterised as having
a lack of any substantial trees. Field boundaries are defined by ditches and sometimes,
thin hedges, whereas the higher claylands contain woodland and hardwood trees.
A substantial part of the parish lies within a SCDC Countryside Enhancement Area
and parts of the parish also lie within the feeding range of the internationally
important Barbastelle bat. Both factors will have implications for planning and
development within the parish. |
| Buzzard and Marsh Harrier
have recently been seen within the parish or close by and otter has also been
reported. There are areas of protected verges on Arrington Hillside and old Ponds
still exist within the area. |
| The village itself has
a number of fields that relate to ancient closes as parts of the parish were Enclosed
soon after the Reformation and these provide a distinct contrast to the open Field
structure found elsewhere in the parish. |
| COMMUNITY |
| The
SCDC population analysis describes Arrington as containing 549 hectares with a
population of approximately 400 people. This represents a 2.6% population growth
since 1991. |
| The Parish is described in the Local Development
Framework as having a low service base, which means it has no school, shop or
many other amenities and so is designated as an infill village only. |
| The
Village has two village frameworks, one centred on the Church and the other centred
on the A1198. There are other smaller settlements outside these two areas such
as Crow End, Whitehall Farm, Pump Hall, Arrington Bridge, Hillside and Mill Lane
but these are all considered to be in open countryside. This pattern has implications
for planning and development and is also a characteristic of the south Cambridgeshire
area that people may find attractive. |
| LISTED
BUILDINGS and PARKLAND |
| There are a number of listed
buildings and structures in the parish. Most are grade 2 but the Parish Church
is grade 1 and part of the parish still remains within Wimpole Park, which is
grade 1 listed parkland. |
| The older listed domestic
buildings are in the main thatched in traditional Longstraw and SCDC policy is
to retain these traditional details. There is some traditional clay tiling found
in high status buildings, as can be found in the Parish Church, even though this
was once thatched in reed. Clay tile is also prominent in the group of listed
buildings around the Arrington Gate, which is itself listed along with the K6
Telephone Box. There are also three old stone milestones in the parish that relate
to the old coaching days and the turnpiking of these roads. |
| Other
characteristic features are the Hitchbrick walls that act as boundaries to Ermine
Way and the Park. There are also sliding horizontal sach windows of traditional
buildings. These windows follow the two colour pattern found locally in this part
of Cambridgeshire (lighter sash and darker frame). |
| In
addition to the listed structures there are also areas that contain ancient earthworks
that are believed to represent house platforms and lanes from the late medieval
village. These are situated behind the old school house and Crow End and which
also have implications for planning and development. |
| LOCAL
DETAILS |
| Some of these details will be subject
to planning restraints others will not. They are offered as a guide to traditional
details found within the parish and immediate surrounding area. |
| Boundaries |
| Some
property boundaries are listed as they are made from 'Hitchbrick' which was an
early 19th Century brick system developed in Hertfordshire and not very common.
In Arrington these mostly bound the A1198 but remains also exist on the Wimpole
Park boundary. |
| Building Form |
| Traditional
buildings are mostly one and a half stories, two storied buildings are uncommon
within the parish until the 18th century. These early buildings will be timber
frame coverd in 'pebble dash'. |
| Roof Coverings |
| These
are long-straw without a blocked ridge although decorative ridges did start appearing
in the 1950's. The long straw appears to bedded on a local reed. The only reed
roof recorded was on the church. |
| Thatch was replaced
by clay tiles and in the 19th century red pantiles appear. |
| Colour |
| Traditional
external colours are light (near whites) for walls as they were limewashed. A
form of red oxide colour has been noted in some interiors. Windows follow the
Cambridge model of light sashes and dark frames. |
| Building
Materials |
| Traditional buildings are timber framed
but due the poor building timber available are then covered in lathe and daub
although this was often replaced in the 19th century with lathe and cement. |
| The
fireplaces, and footings would be in red brick although some clunch was also used
for fireplaces. |
| FOOTPATHS
and COUNTRYSIDE ACCESS |
| Both long distance and
local footpaths pass through the area and one bridleway. These are the Harcamlow
Way, Clopton Way and other un-named routes. They all allow access to the landscape
its views and its bio-diversity and connect with other footpath networks in adjoining
parishes. They tend to run east - west rather than north - south. |
| A
useful link for those interested in walking is Walking
in Cambridgeshire More than 70 FREE Cambridgeshire walks to download and print,
details of all the books, maps and walking groups in the county. |
| Text
© 2008 Malcolm Barrett. |
