Copyright cambridge-news
Nestled in between Huntingdon and St Ives is a a village where ‘everyone knows everyone’. Once two separate villages, neighbouring Houghton and Wyton are now considered by many to be one place. And just like many villages in Cambridgeshire, their spellings are rather confusing. On the surface, you would think it is pronounced ‘Hof-ton’ and ‘Y-ton’, but it is actually pronounced ‘Ho-ton’ and ‘Wit-on’. Apart from its pronunciation, there is much charm to discover in the area with lots of places to go for walks and a “good school”. Charlotte Harrison has lived in Houghton and Wyton since she was two years old. She said it is a “really nice village”. She added: “The fact it’s like a community is really nice and everyone knows everyone. “It’s really friendly and we do lots of events where the community comes together. There are also lots of places to walk dogs.” Assistant parish clerk Claire Anderson said there were a lot of draws for her family to move here four years ago. She said: “I think we wanted to move here because we knew it had a good school. We wanted a small village school for our children. We also love Houghton Mill. “We [Claire and her husband] used to come here before and we loved it. It’s quite a special place to us. The village also has some beautiful walks. Everyone is really friendly and everyone is very helpful. They look after each other." The village is full of narrow streets which are filled with idyllic homes. The new and the old live side by side as thatched cottages face onto modern housing estates on the opposite side of the road. The older buildings have historical features, adding to the village's charm. Nestled within the village, you will find two pubs called The Three Jolly Butchers and The Three Horseshoes Inn. The Three Horseshoes Inn is temporarily closed, but The Three Jolly Butchers is still open for business. The pub dates back to 1622 and retains a “considerable charm” within the village, according to the pub website. It offers an extensive range of traditional pub food on its menu, as well as homemade Sunday roasts. Within the village centre there is its shop, which is owned by the community, a Post Office, tearoom, art gallery and also an antique shop. A centrepiece within the village is a statue of Potto Brown. Mr Brown lived in the village and was a miller and philanthropist, known in the village for his religious and charitable work. The village is also home to St Mary's Church in Mill Street. The church was built in the 13th century, with further building taking place in 1350. It had a tower and spire build at the end of the 14th century, and a new south porch added in 1664. The church, which has also been mentioned in the Domesday Book, provides a picturesque view within the village. One big draw for the village is National Trust-owned Houghton Mill. The 18th century mill is still working today and it attracts a lot of visitors. Surrounding the mill is Waterclose Meadows. The meadows sit along a riverside setting, making it a peaceful and tranquil place to walk. Also in the area is former RAF base RAF Wyton. Wyton airfield opened in 1916 and was used as a Royal Air Force site. Today, it is a UK Strategic Command station and home to the National Centre for Geospatial Intelligence (NCGI), which provides intelligence support to UK Armed Forces on operations globally. During the Second World War, it was primarily used as a bomber base. However, in 1942 it become home to the Pathfinder Force under the Command of Group Captain Don Bennett.
