Croydon, Cambridgeshire

Croydon is a village and civil parish in South Cambridgeshire, England. It is south-west of Cambridge and immediately west of the A1198 road (the Roman Ermine Street). The population in 2001 was 221 people. The site of the deserted medieval village of Clopton is in Croydon parish, which was formerly known as Croydon-cum-Clopton.

History

The village's name was spelled Crauudene in the 1086 Domesday book - it is derived from the Old English crawe and denu, meaning 'valley of the crows'. -

In 1086, about 28 peasants lived at Croydon. The separate vills of Croydon and Clopton were joined in 1561 and Croydon's population may have increased to around 140 people early in the 17th century, but fell to 90 during the reign of Charles II. Open fields surrounding Croydon village were inclosed for pasture around 1640, but from the late 18th century arable farming recommenced.

Current-day Croydon grew up along a street which runs east-west along the ridge to the north of the parish. Some timber-framed houses dating from the late 17th or early 18th centuries still stand, though most of the cottages date...
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