Bourn-Cedar Herald Index

Bourn is a small village and civil parish in South Cambridgeshire, England. Surrounding villages include Caxton, Eltisley and Cambourne. It is 8 miles (12 km) from the county town of Cambridge. The population of the parish was 1,015 at the time of the 2011 census.

Bourn has a Church of England primary school, a doctors' surgery, the Church of St Mary & St Helena, a golf club, a former Royal Air Force bomber airfield (RAF Station Bourn 1940–1945), today used for light aircraft, and an old windmill. Bourn Hall Clinic, the centre for infertility treatment founded in 1980 by IVF pioneers Patrick Steptoe and Professor Robert Edwards, who were responsible for the conception in 1978 of Louise Brown, the world's first IVF or test-tube baby, is also located here. Since its foundation the clinic has assisted in the conception of more than 10,000 babies.

Bourn

A small stream called Bourn Brook runs through the village, eventually joining the River Cam.

Bourn

History

The name Bourn is derived from the Old English burna or Old Scandinavian , meaning '(place at) the spring(s) or stream(s)'. It was spelled Brune in the 1086 Domesday book.

Bourn

Bourn has existed as a settlement for over a thousand years. Roman remains have been found along the Bourn Brook and near Bourn Hall. Evidence of Romano-British activity has been found along the top of the valley on the airfield and in the direction of Caxton. Three tumuli on Alms Hill are of Roman and Danish origin and the two that were excavated in 1909 contained Roman coins and pottery, a Celtic button and evidence of Danish feasting commemorating the death of a leader or celebrating a victory around 1010.

The mediaeval village was in a wooded valley and developed along both sides of the Bourn Brook. The farming system of common grazing land and six large fields managed in a three-course rotation lasted until the Enclosure Act in 1809. By 1279 there were 183 families and 900 people; the names of fields and families from this time are still known in the area. By the 14th century Bourn's population had dropped to 299 because of factors including the plague, high taxes, poor weather, the emergence of the yeoman farmer and the decrease in serfdom.

By the 19th century settlement in Bourn parish was concentrated along the High Street near the church, though there were also streets and ancient closes in the areas of the village known as Caxton End and Crow End.

The population had grown to 945 by 1851. This fell to 587 in 1931, during the Great Depression, but after World War II a large influx of squatters from London came to live on the disused airfield and the population was 1,053 in 1951. Some later occupied Bourn's first council housing estate, Hall Close.

RAF Bourn

Bourn Airfield was constructed for RAF Bomber Command in 1940 as a satellite airfield for nearby RAF Oakington.

Now the Rural Flying Corps uses part of the runway for light aircraft; small industrial developments occupy other areas of the site. On Bank Holidays, Bourn Market uses much of the old runways for stalls.

Governance

Bourn parish council has nine councillors. The parish is represented on South Cambridgeshire District Council by three councillors for the Bourn ward and on Cambridgeshire County Council by one councillor. It is represented at the House of Commons as part of the South Cambridgeshire constituency.

Geography

Bourn village is north of the B1046 road, east of Caxton and south of Cambourne. It is 8 miles (12 km) west of Cambridge and 47 miles (76 km) north of London. The South Cambridgeshire (Parishes) Order 2004 created a new parish of Cambourne and changed the boundaries of Bourn parish.

Bourn parish ranges from 32 to 72 metres above sea level and the soil is clay with a gault subsoil. In 2001, the area of the parish was 1,660 hectares.

Demography

At the time of the 2001 census, the population of Bourn parish was 1,764 people living in 713 households. 96.1% were White, 1.4% Asian or Asian British, 0.2% Black or Black British, and 1.2% 'other'. 68.6% described themselves as Christian and 29.9% said they had no religion or did not state one.