Histon and Impington Village Society

Stimulating public interest in the history, care and preservation of Histon & Impington since 1979

1.Publications Group– Group leader:  Geoffrey Smallwood 01223 234258

This group has been formed to coordinate the production, marketing and sales of the Society’s publications. It would gladly welcome new members.

2.  History Group – Leader Eleanor Whitehead 01223 234502.

Inquiries

Archive – Eleanor Whitehead 01223 234502.

Memories – Project Geoffrey Smallwood 01223 234258

WWI associated projects – Geoffrey Small wood, Eleanor Whitehead or Jane Gilmour 01223 234176

Archive photographs and village memorabilia are collected by this group who meet three times a year to report on work done. Members pursue individual projects, record village events and changes of scene and publish booklets and books on local history. Other activities include displays, talks, assistance to interested parties and maintenance of a newspaper archive started in 1980. Archive contents list on email request through website.

Current Research Undertaken by Members

  1. Pepys Terrace. Completed
  2. Memories project. Ongoing.
  3. Two publications Histon on and off the rails and The Chivers story have been published and preparation of a book on Alice Paige is ongoing.
  4. A report on the work of the Histon and Impington Archaeology Group’s BIG DIG project has been published..
  5. Digitisation of 1572 Crosswell Field, Impington Terrier has been completed with the assistance of U3A.
  6. Digitisation of 1911 H&I Land Tax Records is ongoing.
  7. WW1 Red Cross Hospital and Veteran Rolls of Honour are completed and are hanging at Firs House Surgery, Station Road and the South Transept of Histon Church respectively. Copies of WW1 H&I Veteran Roll of Honour have sold out.
  8. Research updates prepared for ‘The Firs’, ‘St Andrew’s Church, Histon’ and ‘Cheers’ have been completed.
  9. H&I Veteran Voices of WW1 DVD presentations on 9th and 10th of November 2018 were a sell-out.
  10. On behalf of Histon and Impington Parish Council the Mill Lane Cemetery records have been transcribed. Unlike the Mill Lane Monumental Cemetery Survey undertaken in the 1990s, it will not be published. All inquiries to H&I Parish Council.
  11. A booklet based on a report compiled at the request of H&IVS in 2012 on features and properties of village interest or architectural merit was published in Feast Week 2019.
  12. A compilation of articles on local history topics was published for Feast Week 2020.

NEW MEMBERS VERY WELCOME Please contact Eleanor directly.

3. Projects Group. Contact

Early projects included the restoration of the wrought iron surround to the Blacksmith’s Grave, the circular George V Jubilee seat at School Hill (subsequently replaced by Histon Parish Council), the Histon Giant’s grave and the Pump on Histon Green. In July 2009, as part of the Society’s 30th anniversary celebrations, a plaque to commemorate the site of the former Impington Hall and its connection with Percheron Close was unveiled.
A further plaque was unveiled on Impington Lane commemorating William Unwin, Seedsman in 2012 as part of the Feast celebrations.

Under the leadership of the Friends of the Rec, Alan Eade and the H&I Enviro Volunteers, the agricultural pump on the Rec has been restored with an accompanying information board.

4.  Environmental Group     Until recently this Group concerned themselves with the preservation of open green spaces, the preservation and marking of Public Rights of Way and keeping a watching brief on Planning Applications as well as formulating responses, where appropriate. In conjunction with the Cambridgeshire County Council Rural Group, a Beating the Bounds leaflet was published, which was distributed to all local households. Public Footpath map-boards were designed and commissioned for Histon and Impington and set up in three prominent locations. The Group reforms as needed. It organised a successful 12 km Country Walk as part of the Diamond Jubilee Celebrations. At the request of the newly formed Histon and Impington Parish Council Planning Sub-committee, a document listing and describing properties of architectural and/or historical interest within the villages was compiled. Digital copies are available from our Secretary.

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