Fen Ditton

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Fen Ditton
OS Grid Reference:	TL485602
Lat/Lon:	52°13′17″N, 0°10′8″ECoordinates: 52°13′17″N, 0°10′8″E
Population:	747 (2001 Census)
Dwellings:	331 (2001 Census)
Formal status:	Village
Administration
County:	Cambridgeshire
Region:	East Anglia
District:	South Cambridgeshire
Nation:	England
Post Office and Telephone
Post town:	CAMBRIDGE
Postcode:	CB5 8
Dialling Code:	01223

Fen Ditton is a village on the northeast edge of Cambridge in Cambridgeshire, England. The parish covers an area of 5.99 km².

Fen Ditton lies on the east bank of the River Cam, on the road from Cambridge to Clayhithe, and close to junction 34 of the A14. The nearest railway station is Cambridge, however Waterbeach station is just north of the village.

1 History
2 Nearby villages
3 References
4 External links
5 See also

[edit] History

The site has been occupied since at least neolithic times, and stone tools have been found on the meadows between the village and the river.

The name was first recorded in around 950 as "Dittone", meaning "the village by the ditch", derived from the Fleam Dyke, the prehistoric ditch that passed through the village from the river to Stow-cum-Quy and can still be seen just to the east of the village. The name was later changed to its present name to distinguish it from Wood Ditton.

The church of St Mary The Virgin was built in the twelfth century and survives to this day^[1]. Fen Ditton is often associated with The Bumps, the annual rowing races held on the river alongside the village. This association can be seen in the church's weather vane, which takes the form of a rowing eight, and a service for rowers is held there each year.