| Waterbeach | |
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Waterbeach
Waterbeach shown within Cambridgeshire |
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| Population | 4,691 |
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| OS grid reference | TL496654 |
| District | South Cambridgeshire |
| Shire county | Cambridgeshire |
| Region | East |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | CAMBRIDGE |
| Postcode district | CB25 |
| Dialling code | 01223 |
| Police | Cambridgeshire |
| Fire | Cambridgeshire |
| Ambulance | East of England |
| EU Parliament | East of England |
| UK Parliament | South East Cambridgeshire |
| List of places: UK • England • Cambridgeshire | |
Waterbeach is a large fen-edge village located 6 miles north of Cambridge in Cambridgeshire in England, and belongs to the administrative district of South Cambridgeshire. The parish covers an area of 23.26 km².
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Waterbeach is on the Car Dyke, a Roman waterway whose course can be traced as far as Lincoln. Recent archaeological investigations have found extensive evidence of Roman settlement at the southern end of the village.
Waterbeach appears in the Domesday Book as Utbech.
In the 12th Century, the Knights Templar were located at Denny Abbey located to the north of the village.
The parish contains two Scheduled Ancient Monuments: Denny Abbey (now also housing the Farmland Museum) and the site of Waterbeach Abbey (near the present church).
RAF Station Waterbeach and airfield (now called Waterbeach Barracks) were built in 1940 on the northern edge of the village as part of RAF Bomber Command. Vickers Wellingtons arrived in March 1941, followed by Short Stirlings and Avro Lancasters.
After World War II Liberators and Dakotas from Transport Command flew from RAF Waterbeach. Units posted there were Numbers 18, 24, 51, 53, 59, 62 and 77 Squadrons. Fighter Command took over the base on 1 March 1950 and used Meteors, Swifts, Venoms, Vampires and Javelins. In addition Hawker Hunter fighters arrived in May 1955 and, two years later, the prototype English Electric P1 (Lightning) visited RAF Waterbeach. Three squadrons were there from that year; Numbers 56, 63 and 253. Later squadrons were Numbers 1, 25, 46, 54 and 64. The last RAF fixed-wing aircraft from Number 54 Squadron left in August 1963, and the site was then used by the RAF Construction Branch.
The original control tower and many RAF buildings, including several hangars, are still present.[1]
The station and airfield remain property of the Ministry of Defence, but were transferred from the Royal Air Force to the Royal Engineers, part of the British Army, in 1966.[2] The barracks, airfield and surrounding quarters currently house 25 and 39 Engineer Regiments, the former having redeployed from Northern Ireland. The former airfield is now used as a training area for troops, with occasional visits by helicopters and, in the past, by Harriers.[3]
In July 2011 the Ministry of Defence announced that Waterbeach Barracks will close.[4][5] In November 2011 the Ministry of Defence announced that 39 Engineer Regiment would move to RAF Kinloss in the summer of 2012. HQ 12 (Air Support) Engineer Group will move from Waterbeach to RAF Wittering in the summer of 2013, enabling the closure of Waterbeach Barracks by December 2013.[6]
In addition, 25 Engineer Regiment will be disbanded by no later than 31 May 2012. Two of its squadrons (34 Field Squadron and 53 Field Squadron) will become part of 39 Engineer Regiment and move to RAF Kinloss. A total of 930 Service personnel will move to Kinloss, and 44 Service personnel to Wittering.[7]
Waterbeach is a thriving village with a population of approx. 5000, situated six miles north of Cambridge. It has expanded considerably in recent years due to the economic growth in the region and has become increasingly a dormitory for Cambridge and, to some extent, London. Waterbeach has a doctor's surgery, three village shops (The spar, One-Stop and Rosemary Newsagents & shop), a Post Office, a butcher, a bakery, two hairdressers and a barber's shop, a pharmacy, a primary school, a Parish church dedicated to St John the Evangelist, a Baptist church famous for its connection with Charles Haddon Spurgeon, a corps of the Salvation Army, a small independent library (Waterbeach Independent Lending Library), three public houses (The Sun, The White Horse and The Brewery Tap), a social club, an Indian restaurant (Bollywood), a Chinese takeaway (Chung Hwa), a fish and chip shop (The Beach Fryer), also between Tuesday to Saturday a kebab van resides on the green. There is a small industrial estate at the edge of the village and a number of small companies have premises in the village itself.
Waterbeach railway station lies on the London (Kings Cross) to King's Lynn line, permitting its residents to commute to London for work. The village lies close to the busy A10 road that also links London to King's Lynn. A regular bus service also operates through the village that links Cambridge to the towns of March, Wisbech and Littleport and the small city of Ely.[8]
Waterbeach Community Primary School is a mixed primary school, with an average annual number of 350 pupils from 4 – 11 years. The most recent Ofsted report (in October 2007) graded the school as 'outstanding'. The school is used for many local activities including amateur dramatics, band rehearsals and concerts and keep fit classes. There is a thriving Parent Teacher Association. The school swimming pool was built in 1960 by local people; an update and refurbishment of the pool was completed in 2010. Waterbeach Community Primary School is situated on the High Street.
There are active Scout and Girl Guiding groups in Waterbeach, meeting at the Scout Hut on the School grounds.
Located in the grounds of the school is 'The Playhouse' which houses the Waterbeach After School Playscheme (WASPS) and the Waterbeach Community Playgroup. There are three playgroups in the village; Waterbeach Community Playgroup,Waterbeach Toddler Playgroup and the Buchanan Children's Centre.
Within the Army Barracks there is a golf course, fishing lake and open-air swimming pool (seasonal), all of which may be used by local residents.
The county headquarters of the Army Cadet Force is on the edge of the village, in Denny End Road. There is also a detachment which meets one evening a week in Waterbeach Barracks.
Waterbeach Community Association works to promote togetherness in the villages of Waterbeach, Landbeach and Chittering, and organise various social events throughout the year. These include the Waterbeach Feast, an annual party for local senior citizens, a Christmas Carol service on Waterbeach Green on Christmas Eve, and charity fundraising, as well as the village magazine “Beach News”, which is produced and distributed entirely by volunteers and is delivered free to over 2,500 local homes four times a year.
Home of Late Maj.Dr.R.A.GAYER-ANDERSON DSO RAMC Pasha : donated home in Cairo to Egyptian Government. The Gayer-Anderson Museum. Son John Gayer-Anderson, a well-known Ceramic`artist, also lived in Waterbeach.