A view across Arbury Court, looking towards Arbury Road, in 1976. Arbury Court is part of the 'centre' of the original Arbury Estate in Cambridge. The Court, with its pub, supermarket, hardware store and post office, chip shop, newsagent, TV shop, greengrocer, hairdresser, chemist, supermarket and branch library, is part of the 'hub' of the estate. The historic Arbury district. The Arbury or Harborough (the names were variations on each other and interchangeable) Meadows and Furlongs covered land north of Arbury Road, and included a swathe of land south of the road. Arbury Road ran from Milton Road to the Histon/Cambridge Road until the late 1970s. The Manor Farm was formed in the years following the 1840 Chesterton Enclosures. Orchard Park (originally Arbury Park and, before that, Arbury Camp Farm) features the outline of part of the Arbury prehistoric settlement at Ring Fort Road. We've inserted the sites of Arbury Court, Arbury Town Park, the Guided Busway, and t...

A postcard from Miss Mabel Brett of the Manor Farm, Arbury Road, Cambridge, to her sister, Mrs Louisa Ashman at 7, Turf Terrace, Newmarket. Alfred Brett, their brother, had joined the Territorial Army and Mabel notes: 'I have put an X against Alf'. The card, postmarked 25 August, 1913, reads:  Dear Sister, Received letter quite safe. Hope you are all well as it leaves us all the same. You can expect Alf and me over to day [ sic ] week, weather permitting. Dad has got his corn up. Arthur is having his Holiday this week. Mother, Arthur and Lil went to Felixstowe last Wednesday. Quite swanko.   Love from sister Mabel. Will tell you more when I see you. xxxx Note, that although most of the stamp has been removed, it is tilted in the then fashionable way to indicate a kiss. And 'swanko'? That meant 'posh', 'showy'. Part two of Mrs Wiles's memories of an Arbury and Chesterton childhood from 1986. 'I remember sitting in the big kitchen at Manor Farm wi...

The War is over...  The third part of the 1981 book, born of the Arbury 1980 project. The building of 'The Arbury' begins.... Self-build houses in Essex Close and Brimley Road... For the Christian worshippers on the Arbury Estate - from an old army hut to the Good Shepherd Church! Community spirit was strong on the original Arbury Estate. Mrs Lark, who lived in the original King's Hedges Road, was concerned at the lack of community resources and joined forces with other Arbury people to campaign. Even so, it was a struggle, with the Arbury Adventure Playground (in the field near King's Hedges Road) being funded by local residents and the Arbury Town Park in Campkin Road being reduced in size from what the City Council had originally promised. Arbury did not gain a community centre until 1974. Fun at the Arbury Adventure Playground... I remember 'Tig Off Ground' very well indeed! The Arbury Adventure Playground goat in 1979! Raising money for the Arbury Adventur...