Hemingford Grey
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Hemingford Grey is a village in the English county of Cambridgeshire
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[edit] Location
It is situated on the southern bank of the River Great Ouse in the county of Cambridgeshire and until 1965 it was in Huntingdonshire. Until 1974 it was in the short-lived county of Huntingdon and Peterborough). It adjoins Hemingford Abbots to the west and St Ives on the north of the river and the A14 trunk road passes through the parish about a mile south of the main settlement.
[edit] Urban centre
The centre of the village has an attractive mixture of buildings including thatched timber-framed cottages and the church with its unique truncated spire. Along the riverside path is the Norman Manor House 'The Manor', claimed to be the oldest inhabited house in the United Kingdom, where Lucy Boston the children's writer lived and which is open to the public by prior arrangement.
[edit] Development
Hemingford Grey grew considerably in the 19th century especially in the area of the London Road which is about a mile east of the village centre and nearer to St Ives. Here there has been some industrial development, a petrol station and the St Ives Motel. The village continued to grow between the wars when simple and attractive bungalows with good- sized gardens were built followed, in more recent years, by several small estate developments.
[edit] Agriculture
Farming is still the main land-use with large arable fields to the south and beautiful meadows on the low ground near the river. There is limited employment in the village but in recent years there has been a considerable increase in the number of people working from home. This has led to many services being available in the village.
[edit] Community
Hemingford Grey is a vibrant community with many and varied voluntary organisations providing recreation, education and sporting facilities for residents. Among note is the annual Hemingfords' Regatta, held jointly with the adjoining village of Hemingford Abbots, thought to be the oldest village regatta in the country.
