The village is filled with thatched cottages and featured in the Doomsday Book
A charming village on the Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire border was once owned by two of the best universities in the world. This small village has an extensive history, as it dates back to ancient times and featured in the Doomsday Book of 1086.
This is the village of Gamlingay, which straddles the two county borders. The village has plenty on offer for its residents, with local shops and traditional pubs.
It is also a picturesque place to go for a walk, with thatched cottages around, adding to the village’s cute feel. The village has an extensive history behind it.
There is evidence that there has been a settlement here since the Bronze Age. There are also signs of the village being occupied in the Stone Age as well.
The village was also once owned by both Oxford and Cambridge Universities. In 1600, a fire hit the village.
The layout was not changed after the fire, however Merton College – a part of Oxford University – made changes in the Medieval period and created Merton Manor Farm. After this, Cambridge University ’s Downing and Clare Colleges then took over ownership of the village.
Downing College took over ownership as it was requested in the will of Sir George Downing, who lived in a mansion, known as Gamlingay Park, on the Gamlingay estate.
Also in Gamlingay, there is a former schoolhouse which was used by the university. This dates back to 1848 and is still visible today.
In the present day, the village has become a popular commuter destination. Despite the Covid-19 pandemic, Gamlingay was one of five places in Cambridgeshire that saw an increase in house prices in 2020.
Properties in the village saw a four percent increase in value in 2020. Like other places across Cambridgeshire, the village also used to have a railway station.
Gamlingay railway station was a part of the Bedford and Cambridge Branch of the London and North Western Railway. It operated from 1862 until 1968.
