The village is made up of pretty houses and cottages as well as lots of local amenities
Locals have praised a “hidden secret” village in Cambridgeshire for its “really cute community” and for being in an ideal location to spot planes flying from the garden.
Home to over 2000 people, the village of Duxford is made up of pretty houses and cottages. It is a village widely known for its Imperial War Museum and their historic air shows. Situated around 10 miles south of Cambridge, Duxford has a shop, a community centre with a park and a café, and two pubs called The Plough and John Barleycorn. The village also has a charming café called Four Duxford.
As part of our Exploring Cambridgeshire series, we visited the village and spoke to people about what it is like to live here.
Caroline and Meredith Lloyd-Evans moved to the village five years ago from Cambridge. Meredith said Duxford is a “hidden secret” where he can see planes flying and “doing acrobats” from his garden. The couple say they enjoy seeing the planes because of “the history”.
Meredith highlighted the sereneness of the village and how “it’s one of the few places I’ve been where you can walk back from the nearest station”, which is Whittlesford Parkway. The railway station is around a 25 minute walk from Duxford or five minutes away by car.
He likes that Duxford is filled with “old buildings” that feels like “old England”. Caroline said she is actually “such a ‘townie” but finds that “villages are coping better post pandemic”. She added that “most towns end up with tattoo shops, fudge shops, and coffee shops” but she has “more or less” all the amenities she needs in Duxford.
Caroline continued: “What you still have in villages is community pride and character.”
Meredith explained that during his first day in Duxford, he noticed “one very big difference from Cambridge”. He said: “People stopped and said ‘hello’ and ‘good morning’.”
Gentiana Restelica runs the local café, Four Duxford. She “loves” the village for its “really cute community” that makes her feel as though she has “a big family”. Gentiana has been at the café for around eight months and initially expected Duxford to be “gridlocked” during air shows, however she said “it felt really controlled” and “well organised”.
The 33-year-old highlighted another “really fun” event where “hundreds of people come down”. Duxford Soapbox Derby is an annual charity racing event featuring homemade, gravity-powered vehicles racing through the village streets. Gentiana explained that there are adult and child races and each of the go-karts has a unique design.
Jenny Mustoe, has lived in Duxford for 44 years. She highlighted how the locals are all “friendly” and the transport options “work well”. Duxford has a bus station which takes you into Cambridge city or alternative routes such as Saffron Walden. Jenny said that she “wouldn’t want to live in a town” and she has all the amenities she needs.
Andrew Baker, 52, grew up in Duxford and said “it’s a beautiful village” and reminisced on how he used to go to the village green with friends when he was a child. His favourite feature of the village is the two pubs alongside the community hub which Andrew believes is “a fantastic addition” and says it is “always busy” and “very vibrant”.







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