King's Hedges
King's Hedges is an area in the north of the city of Cambridge, county town of Cambridgeshire.
This is a predominantly residential area, developed with cheap council housing to house overspill from the city. It has good bus and road connections to the centre of Cambridge as well as ready access to the outskirts and the A14 trunk road. It is home to the Cambridge Regional College further education college, as well as a number of local pubs and shops.
The Cambridge Science Park is at the edge of King's Hedges.
History
The open land to the north of Cambridge that now comprises King's Hedges was known as Albrach from as early as the 13th century. In 1558 it was agreed that Richard Brakyn could inclose all 34 acres of Albrach, following which it was renamed Kings Hedges [1] (without that later innovation, an apostrophe).
The name is believed to have derived from the fact that it is on the site of the ancient King's warren, or game preserve, where hedges were grown to direct the animals into areas where the hunters could easily catch or kill them.[2]
Development
Development of the King's Hedges estate to the north-west of Campkin Road began in 1967, and by 1986 a total of 1,570 households had been built on the 125-acre site, largely in blocks of three and four storeys, and reaching the city limits. These council estates were occupied predominantly by families removed from older parts of the city, and there were initially numerous complaints of vandalism and about the lack of community facilities.[1]
The estate was planned around cycling and walking routes which provide direct paths through the area. This encourages people to travel without cars within the estate. King's Hedges provides the best example of such development in Cambridge. This aspect of the King's Hedges design has not been replicated in newer developments, which revert to car-centric design.
In 2005 the adjacent Orchard Park, previously known as Arbury Park, was begun.[3][4] Cambridgeshire Guided Busway, which opened in 2011, now runs along the edge of the King's Hedges.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 [1]
- ↑ T. McK. Hughes (4 February 1897). Cambridge Review. 18. pp. 201–2.
- ↑ Orchard Park
- ↑ Arbury Park
Outside links
- Location map: 52°13’44"N, -0°7’55"E