Park Lane
The land on which 5, Park Lane was built around 1927 is gravel based. Architect designed, it was probably built by Tollidays, of High Street Histon (now Barker’s Bakers). The plot of land was bought from builder Philip King for £80 and was built for under £600. The property has linen fold panelling above the living room mantelpiece, which was purchased at an Impington Hall contents sale c.1926.
The site of 2 and 2a was adjacent to Camping Close. In 1801 the front section was part of a homestead (cottage plus outbuildings) and orchard owned, together with much property elsewhere in the village, by Rushforth Barker. The rear section appears to include land, which belonged to a homestead on which The Red Lion is now built. The Barker homestead stretched from what is now School Hill along the south side of The Brook (see 1806 map).
1806 Enclosure map of Park Lane area.
1909 Histon Rangers with Histon Manor grounds beyond.
From 1903 until their demise in 1913, Histon Rangers played at Camping Close.
Around 1840 the buildings were demolished and a village school erected. The building was extended several times over the next fifty years (part over the culverted brook). The remaining land associated with the site (see 1903 map) was sold in 1913, which coincides with the school being made redundant on the opening of a new village school in New School Road.
The muddy brook crossing was culverted at School Hill around 1855.
Before 1817 much of the farmland to the south of the site over towards Girton belonged to the owners of Histon Manor and was managed from Middle Farm, now The Gables on the High Street. Before 1801, this was an open field called both Park (after Histon Manor Park) and Mill Field (after the post mill at Swan Pond).
Around 1913 the site running behind the school was sold to the builder Philip King based at 9, Church Street (who built Kingsway, and the council houses on New Road, Impington). He went on to build 1, Park Lane from a design featured at the Ideal Home Exhibition around 1924. The potting shed was once the school toilets.
903 Camping Close behind the village school.
In 1806 much of the site of No IA (built between 1969 and 1974) was described as ‘town land’ and probably acted as the Histon pound.
Looking back from the bridge at the entrance to Harding Way one can see the brick supports of a sluice, which was built on the site of a weir.
Harding Way was built on Camping Close (believed to be the site for camping of itinerant fruit pickers and so known in 1801.) The development was named after Ambrose Harding, who lived in Histon Manor between 1899 and 1927
c. 1780 Post mill with Madingley village and Girton church beyond.
On his father’s death Mr Harding moved to Madingley Hall, selling Histon Manor and gardens to Dr W.H. Rouse, retired headmaster of The Perse School for Boys. Dr W.H. Rouse was a classics scholar, who revolutionized the teaching of classical and modern languages by emphasizing the spoken word. Much of the park/farm land was sold to Frank Unwin, builder, of Station Road, Histon.
The orchard and house between 8 and 9 on the sale map was not part of the estate. Previous village family owners were the Coes, Carters and Betsons, all market gardeners. The Ballast Hole next door (No.9) was dug in 1846 to provide gravel ballast for the railway. When it filled with water it was used as a pleasure and fishing lake.
The parish purchased the lake in 1927 and infilled it with rubbish. When full it was capped with soil and sold c.1952. It then became the site of Camways Farm before the present Pease Way Estate was erected in the early 1990s. Dr Joanna Pease was a much loved locum doctor and active local councillor.
1927 Sale map showing Ballast Hole (9.), park land (8) and Camping Close (7).
c. 1900 The Ballast Hole.