Foxton is a small village in South Cambridgeshire, England. It has a number of well-preserved fifteenth- and sixteenth-century houses, and a thirteenth-century church dedicated to St Laurence.
History
The parish has been occupied for at least 2000 years; in the first century A.D. a Belgic settlement appeared, closely followed by a Romano-British farmstead near Hoffer bridge. A pagan English cemetery has also been found just north of the railway station.
The parish itself was formed over the medieval period and is bounded on the north by the River Cam and on the north-east and southwest by the Hoffer and Shepreth brooks. Its south-east boundary follows an ancient road that runs north-east from Fowlmere, known as the Mareway from the 14th century (now the B1368), and further west by an earthwork known as Grim's ditch or Thriplow bank.
The theologian William Selwyn lived in Foxton House in the village in the 19th century. In 2010, the restoration of Rayner's dovecote received an award at the South Cambridgeshire District Council bi-annual built heritage awards.
Foxton also has a teenage football club called Dynamo Foxton Football club, established by Marcus Kohler and others when the players departed from their former club (Whittlesford).
Literature
Foxton is known for being the subject of Rowland Parker's 1975 classic of local history The Common Stream. In it, Parker charts 2000 years of history of the village, from the Celts through to the Romans to the Saxons and the modern era.
References
External links
- Foxton Parish Council Website