Charming Cambridgeshire village with airfield museum once home to RAF base

The scenic village is among the county’s oldest settlements

A pretty village located about six miles from Cambridge offers a “little gem” airfield museum which was once home to an RAF base. Bottisham is a relatively large village with a population of 2,400, as recorded in 2021.

The village was previously known as Bodekysham and Bottlesham and is among the county’s oldest settlements. There is evidence of human activity dating back thousands of years with archaeological finds, including flint tools and Iron Age remains, showing that people have lived there since prehistoric times.

Bottisham underwent a series of changes over the years after several fires destroyed many homes, leading to the rebuilding of the High Street. The village also played a crucial role during the Second World War with the former RAF Bottisham.

The airfield was initially used for RAF operations but later became home to American fighter squadrons and contributed in the Allied war effort, according to Bottisham Parish Council.

After the war, part of the former airfield site became home to Nicholas Copernicus Grammar School for Boys in 1948. Today, the history of the former RAF base is a popular attraction: Bottisham Airfield Museum.

The museum, which opened in 2009, commemorates the former airfield and those who served during the war. It welcomes visitors and offers a café as a pitstop for those enjoying a day there.

The museum has been described by previous visitors on Google as offering “Interesting displays” with “knowledgeable and enthusiastic” volunteers. It was also described as a “little gem”.

Aside from the former airfield and museum, the village hosts a GP surgery, a primary school, a village college, and several pubs, restaurants and shops including The Bell, Lexi’s Café and Bakery, and Bottisham Community Sports and Social Club. The village, perfectly situated between Cambridge and the horse-racing town of Newmarket, offers classic countryside views throughout.

However, beautiful scenery and a rich history come at a cost. House prices in Bottisham averaged £540,750 over the last year, according to Rightmove. The majority of properties sold in the village during the last year were detached properties, selling for an expensive £668,000.

Meanwhile, semi-detached properties sold for an average of £430,00 and terraced reached £388,750. According to Office for National Statistics, the average house price in East Cambridgeshire was provisionally £344,000 in June 2026.