Capturing Cambridge
  • search
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Queen Edith’s Way

Notes on the history of Queen Edith's Way, Cambridge

Queen Edith’s Way was originally known as Trumpington Drift (map of 1810). However, the 1883 plans of the conveyance of the Cavendish Estate describe it as The Cross Road.

plan2a_1883

It was reported in the local paper 2/10/1914 that Trumpington Drift was to be widened and strengthened for military purposes and will be known as Queen Edith’s Way.

In the 1935 Cambridge Directory a number of houses are listed on the north side of Queen Edith’s Way, between no.39 and Strangeways Road,  which had yet to be numbered. The actual locations of following houses has still be identified (Jan 2016):

Garthowen, Treganna, Sunway

The 1935 Directory identifies the following houses by name but not number on the north side of of the road between Strangeways Road and Cherry Hinton Road:

Netherton, Windower, Allandale, Shirley, Kempstonia, Faraway, The Haven, Josselyns

The 1935 Directory has these properties on the south side listed by name but not number from Netherfield House (next to Mowbray Road) to Lime Kiln Road.

S. Thomas, Netherhall Cottages, (pathway to chalk pits), High View, Branksome Dene, Bremerton, Drift House, The Cottage, Three Links, Alnwick, Hillside, Llamberies. Rudine, Salvia, Red Roof, Lyme Villa, The Rosary, Peacehaven.

In June 2008 local concern was reported at the number of planning applications lodged to demolish large residential homes and replace them with blocks of flats. It was feared that the character of the road would be lost.

In April 2009 the Cambridge News reported

Alarm as 32,000 caught speeding: a Cambridge road has been dubbed “Brands Hatch” after 32,000 motorists were clocked speeding in just one week… police found that 75 per cent of vehicles which used the road were speeding and , between 8am and 9am, more than 350 broke the 30mph limit.

In June 2016 a new 20mph limit was imposed.

For more information on the identity of Queen Edith herself read the article by Jeremy Lander:

http://www.frrarchitects.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Queen-Edith_-Jeremy-Lander.pdf

Sources: Cambridge News (Cambridgeshire Collection)

Joan Robertson moved with her husband Stan from 73 Glebe Road to Queen Edith’s Way in 1954. In 2016 she remembered the move and the appearance of the road and other houses:

Contribute

Do you have any information about the people or places in this article? If so, then please let us know using the Contact page or by emailing capturingcambridge@museumofcambridge.org.uk.

License

This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Dear Visitor,

 

Thank you for exploring historical Cambridgeshire! We hope you enjoy your visit.

 

Did you know that we are a small, independent Museum and that we rely on donations from people like you to survive?

 

If you love Capturing Cambridge, and you are able to, we’d appreciate your support today.

 

Every donation makes a world of difference.

 

Thank you,

The Museum of Cambridge