| Eaton Ford | |
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Eaton Ford
Eaton Ford shown within Cambridgeshire |
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| Shire county | Cambridgeshire |
|---|---|
| Region | East |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | ST. NEOTS |
| Postcode district | PE19 |
| Police | Cambridgeshire |
| Fire | Cambridgeshire |
| Ambulance | East of England |
| EU Parliament | East of England |
| List of places: UK • England • Cambridgeshire | |
Eaton Ford is a district of St Neots and is in Cambridgeshire, England. Until 1965 it was a separate village in the county of Bedfordshire,[1] when it was absorbed through boundary changes. Eaton Ford lies on the west bank of the River Great Ouse, on the western side of St Neots. The old village centre is still identifiable with a triangular village green and several old farmhouses remaining amongst the newer houses.
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In Anglo-Saxon times Eaton Ford was known as Sudbury but became known as Eaton Ford as it was next to the village of Eatun (now Eaton Socon) and was sited at the ford across the River Great Ouse, the main route from the south to the town of St Neots.
In recent decades Eaton Ford expanded quickly, but generally beginning later than other parts of St Neots which were included in the London overspill programme. From the 1960s until the 1980s there were four main housing developments: the Milton Avenue and Gainsborough Avenue area (the 'Poets' Estate); the Meadowsweet, Silverweed and Burwell Road developments (Bovis Estate); the area around Brook Road and Orchard Road; and the Trafalgar Road / Jutland Rise area (Battles Estate). There have also been a number of smaller infill developments on brownfield sites in the area.
As Eaton Ford grew, it absorbed the ancient hamlets of Crosshall Ford and Maltmans Green. The name 'Crosshall' remains in the name of a local school, a road, and some recently erected roundabout signs. Maltmans Green is believed to have been around the area of Milton Avenue.
The boundaries between Eaton Ford and neighbouring Eaton Socon are somewhat vague and mostly not signposted.
The boundary runs alongside the A1 from the North until this road is bisected by Duloe Road. It then runs eastbound along Duloe Road until it reaches the junction with the Great North Road. The boundary then "dog-legs" along the Great North Road, meaning that to the East is Eaton Ford and the West is Eaton Socon. About half a mile south of here, Duloe Brook runs under the Great North Road, and the boundary again changes course to the East. Everything south of the line here belongs to Eaton Socon, except Field Cottage Road which is generally considered to be part of Eaton Ford.