The Cambridgeshire village that locals love so much they wouldn’t consider living anywhere else

One person we spoke to said she can’t go anywhere in the village without seeing a friendly face

A pretty Cambridgeshire village is such a lovely place to live that some locals say they would never consider moving anywhere else. Comberton is a charming village around five miles from Cambridge, with access to the M11, A14, and A428.

The scenic village offers streets filled with pretty houses, a Costcutter and Co-op shop, The Three Horseshoes pub, and a newly-opened café called Eden Coffee House. It is a relatively large village with a population of about 2,400, according to Comberton Parish Council.

The slightly peculiar name dates from the Anglo-Saxon period and means “Cumbra’s Farm”. Comberton’s historic St Mary’s Church dates back 800 years, with some houses being built as early as the 14th century.

As part of our Exploring Cambridgeshire series, we visited the village and spoke to people about what it is like to live or work there.

The co-owner of Eden Coffee House, Hannah Clarke, 37, said: “We feel really blessed by the support we’ve had. We’ve only been open five weeks. It’s been really steady and loads of positive feedback.”

She described Comberton as a “growing” village with plenty of amenities. The coffee shop co-owner said that there is “a lot of housing being built”, but feels “actually we are able to bring amenities and community here”.

The 37-year-old said it was a “worry” opening somewhere new but claimed “nearly everyone has been so ‘yes, yes, we can walk to a coffee shop’”.

Katrina Grenfell, 23, who lives in Duxford but works in the café, said: “I didn’t realise there was such a need for community.” She added: “I think in this day and age, when a community, you think of an online connection, which can be a real connection, but I think people really crave going somewhere, having those rituals.”

Miss Grenfell said: “Every single time someone’s sitting in here, someone walks in, they’re like, ‘oh, I haven’t seen you, you know, for a while’. I’ve been quite shocked by how strong that community sense is.”

Miss Grenfell, a scout leader who grew up in Hardwick, said: “I can walk the whole length of the village and not see a single face I know.” Whereas in Comberton, she said: “I can drive or walk through the village and see a customer”.

James Waldmeyer has lived in the village nearly 16 years. He said he is “very happy” in Comberton and that he is “unlikely to move anywhere” else.

The 47-year-old has been looking for a bigger house within the village but said he hadn’t even considered moving elsewhere. He feels the village has what he needs and anything else is accessible as the village is “not far from civilisation”. He said he is “very happy” in his “little neighbourhood”.

Kevin Ashworth, 56, has lived in the villagefor about 20 years. Explaining the features within the village, he said: “It’s a good, friendly village. I’ve got the pub, I’ve got shops, a good service to Cambridge now every hour.” He said there is another one that runs every half hour with fewer stops.

Mr Ashworth said he feels he has everything he needs in Comberton. Describing the village, he said “it’s nice to live here”.

Siba Ratnam is the manager of Costcutter in Comberton. Although the 63-year-old lives outside of the village, he said he finds people “nice and friendly” working there.