Why you should move to Duxford
Found along the edge of the bank of the River Calm, nestled below the luscious green hills of North Essex, lies the village of Duxford. The village has a small population, boasting a modest 2000 inhabitants ranging from young babies to older retirees.
History of Duxford
Local Churches
This charming village has a rich history, with two Grade 1 listed medieval parish Churches, St. John’s Church and St. Peter’s Church. The village was originally two independent parishes with their own church, however in 1874 they combined to form the Village of Duxford, using the St. John’s Church as the villages chapel, whilst St. Peter’s Church was given to the Churches Conservation Trust and is still well maintained by the local council today. Both churches still stand tall and proud, and are a fantastic view into how life in the village used to be hundreds of years ago.
RAF Air Field
The history of the RAF Air Field close to Duxford is intrinsically tied to the village, with a deep culture of respect being owed to the services of the military base.
Duxford gives its name to RAF Duxford (now called Duxford Aerodrome), a former Royal Air Force Field that was used as a sector station during the Battle of Britain. Duxford airfield later became a fighter airfield for the USA Air Force operating P-47 Thunderbolt aircraft. In 1972 the Ministry of Defence began to house historically important aircraft in the hangars, which became the Imperial War Museum Duxford.
There are currently three all-weekend air shows a year which have good visibility from the village, and it is common to see planes flying over the village, either leisure flights or in essential practice.
Village Life
The village currently has two remaining pubs – The John Barleycorn and The Plough. Other former pubs include The Wheatsheaf (which re-opened in 2018 as Graystones deli/cafe), the Three Horseshoes, first recorded in 1786, the King's Head which opened in the mid-19th century and the Flower Pot, located at the end of the old airfield runway on what is now Hunts Road. The latter was a popular haunt for pilots during the war.
The village holds an annual Advent Market at St. John’s Church to raise funds which are then available for local projects which enhance the quality of life for residents. There is also an annual Soap Box Derby in September.
There is a Duxford Women’s Institute, a local drama group (DVD - Duxford Village Drama) and a bowls club. The National Garden Scheme sees several private gardens open to the public for one day a year. The local football team is Duxford United FC who play their home games on the recreation ground. The Duxford Lawn Tennis Club has two courts on the same ground.
The school is a Church of England Primary School in the Diocese of Ely which has a large playground site and yearly fetes for all the family to enjoy. In May 2019 the foundations of a new village community centre were dug and the finished building was opened to the public in May 2020.
The monthly parish magazine for the village is called The Duxford Chatterbox, detailing all the important local news which helps keep the local community close.