Rural Cambridgeshire town where locals say high street is ‘dying’

One person said the high street had ‘nothing’ to offer

Residents in a rural town say their hometown is relaxing, but most are disappointed with its “dying” high street. The rural market town of Ramsey is home to around 8,800 people, according to the 2021 census.

It’s a town full of history and beautiful surrounding countryside, but some of its residents have mixed views on their hometown. As part of our Exploring Cambridgeshire series, we spoke to people about what it’s like to live there.

Jeff Kinpton, who lives in Ramsey Forty Foot with wife Jane, thinks Ramsey is “lovely”, but “that was about it”. Jeff described the town’s high street as “crap”.

He added: “It’s full of barbers. We had a fruit shop which was lovely, but it went within a few months. There is a coffee shop which is brilliant, but other than that, we don’t use anything because you walk down the high street and there is nothing. There is nothing to come here for.”

Jane believes there isn’t “enough footfall” to bring people to Ramsey’s high street. She added: “They are on about taking away parking, which is going to kill the shops. The footfall is going to be worse and we are going to lose more shops. There is not a lot of reason to come into town.”

Elaine Baxter lives in Scotland, but regularly visits Ramsey to visit her elderly parents. She likes Ramsey, describing it as a “calm and nice” place. She believes the high street has a “reasonable amount of shops”, but finds it a “shame” that the town has “lost a lot of banks”.

She added: “There used to be a few nice ladies’ clothes shops, but that was about 20 years ago. Do they really need as many tanning shops? But, then if they want to attract younger people, maybe they do.”

Debbie Lowther is a long-term resident of Ramsey, but also volunteers at the Sue Ryder charity shop in the high street. On the state of the high street, she said: “It’s always a shame because any new shop tends to come and go very quickly, just because they don’t have the customers. You would think with all these houses it would bring more people in?

“Shops only last a few months. I think people need to research more, some shops aren’t going to work in Ramsey.”

One woman, who wished to remain anonymous, described Ramsey as a “relaxing place”, but it is better for people who want a “quiet life”. She said: “I wouldn’t scream about Ramsey, it’s just average.

“If you want a quiet life, then this is the place. But if you want somewhere that has a bit more happening and more on offer, this isn’t the place.”

The woman described the high street as “dying”. She added: “It pulls down the town. It’s made up of mostly barbers and vape shops, but then I think a lot of places are now.

“There is the odd nice café, and we do have big shops like B&M and Tesco, but that’s about it. The high street needs a good boost if they want more people to come here, but that is never going to happen.”

Despite some shops only opening for a few months at a time, Martin Law has proven how to run a long-running business in the town. He has run Crafty Ideas for around 35 years. On running his business in Ramsey, he said: “It’s ok, considering I get no help. The high street could be better.”

Martin believes he has made his business work as he “turns up everyday”. He added: “You can’t just show up one day and not turn up the next. If you support the people, they will support you. If you have time for people, then they are going to be there for you.

“It is difficult though when you are up against online. If someone came to me now and said they wanted to open a shop here, I would say don’t.”

Martin believes Huntingdonshire District Council don’t help local businesses in Ramsey. He added: “The people at HDC are not business people. They don’t know how to run a business or help with the issues of running a business. They seem to make decisions that are not good for Ramsey.”

A spokesperson for HDC said supporting towns such as Ramsey remains a “key priority” for the council. They added: “We are working with partners to strengthen the town centre and increase footfall.

“Through our Market Towns Programme, we are developing plans to enhance the Great Whyte area, including improvements to public spaces, a proposed timed pedestrianised area (subject to consultation), and potential retail pods to diversify the town centre offer and support independent businesses.

“We have already delivered improvements such as upgrades to Mews Close car park and supported enhancements to the Rivermill area, including better accessibility and environmental works. Our Economic Development team continues to support local businesses through initiatives like the Ramsey Business Booster, offering one-to-one advice, access to funding and wider networks to help businesses grow.

“We are also working to boost footfall through events, including festive activities in December 2025 and the recent Mother’s Day Market, which recorded the highest footfall day in March. In addition, Ramsey is promoted through the Discover Huntingdonshire platform to help attract more visitors. We will continue to work with residents, businesses and stakeholders to shape future improvements and support a more vibrant and resilient town centre.”