Hemingford Grey Meadow

History of Hemingford Grey Meadow

The Great Meadow by Bridget Smith (2007) describes the history of the Hemingford Grey Meadow in detail.

The Great Meadow lies on the south side of the Great Ouse opposite St Ives. Occasionally the meadow is flooded, protecting the town and village from the waters of the river. This periodic flooding ensures that the meadow is kept fertile; historically it was not only and important grazing area, but also provided a valuable harvest of hay.

In 1847 the western end of the meadow was cut off when the railway was built.

In the 18th cent the Meadow was used a racecourse. In 1863 celebrations for the wedding of the Prince of Wales were held there and there was another celebration when St Ives received its Borough status in 1874. In the early 20th cent joy rides in small aircraft took place here. In 1918 a small aircraft took off from the meadow but it the spire of St Ives church, killing the pilot. In World War II trenches were dug across the meadow to deter enemy places from landing.