A History of the Road Names in Milton
The Original Milton Roads
Cambridge Road/High Street/Ely Road -
the rather odd naming of the main road through Milton comes about because
of a series of diversions to the road at its northern end. High Street was
diverted in 1772 to make way for a new park for Milton Hall, which is why
it turns left at Pond Green. Its old route was restored in the early
sixties as Ely Road. There is more on this on the
Milton history page.
Pond Green - there used to be a pond at Pond Green (where the
village sign now stands). You can see it in pictures of Milton right up
until the 1930s.
Butt Lane - is shrouded in history. This
road over 200 years ago led only to the Roman road (Mere Way or Akeman
Street) which runs North from Cambridge along the Western boundary
of Milton parish and across the Fens towards Ely. Butt lane literally
'butted' on to the Mere Way and only after around 1800 did it continue
to Impington; during the time of the Romans, Butt Lane may well have
connected the Mere Way with the River Cam via Fen Road for the transport
of goods.
Fen Road/Church Lane -
the names of these roads should be obvious, but it's worth mentioning
that they are the oldest roads in Milton other than the high street
and Butt Lane.
Ad Hoc Post War Developments
Bene't Close - was built immediately after the War on land
adjacent to Bene't Farm which was last farmed by the Easy family two
decades ago before the Rowans development. Bene't is presumably
short for Benedict, as with Bene't Street in Cambridge.
Coles Road - is the backbone of the first large estate built
in the village and was named after the antiquarian the Rev. William Cole who
restored Milton House, Fen Road in 1768 and lived there until he died
in 1782.
Old School Lane - leads off Coles Road, partially developed
on land to the rear of the site of the old school in Fen Road.
Pryor Close - was named after the Pryor family
who lived at Milton Hall at the turn of the century.
Wilson Way - is named after a farming family connected
with Milton for several centuries.
Cherry Close - built on the site of an old cherry orchard.
Goding Way - a corruption of Goodin, the family farm which
once stood on this
site.
Knights Way - built on the site of the drive to Milton Hall
where the Knight family lived after they built the Hall in the late l8th
Century.
Lyndhurst Close - built on farm land behind Lyndhurst Farm house
on Butt Lane.
Hall End - was developed next to the site of the old school in
Fen Road and the name appears to be an earlier name for Fen Road
which ran along the southern boundary of the manorial estate of
Milton Hall.
Shirley Close - arose on land behind Shirley Lodge
(demolished 10 years ago) owned by Mrs. Shirley in the early
19th century.
Pearson Close/Court - take their the name of a well-known local
farming family.
Willow Crescent - named after Willow House, a farm which once
stood behind the Waggon & Horses. The farmhouse itself survives and is now
the Ambassador Lodge guest house. See also Woodman Way and Gunnell
Close below.
Winship Road - at the industrial estate is
named after the land owner.
Recreation Close - is simply sited by the recreation ground
in Coles Road.
The Rowans/Sycamores
The Rowans, Sycamores, Oaks, Elms and Walnut Close - were all
named by the developer after trees, rather unoriginally, especially since
the area was glasshouses, not woods before it was developed.
Faulkner Close - is named after the head teacher of the old
school in Fen Road in the 1930's.
James Carlton Court - was named in memory of the one
time organist at the church.
Humphries Way
Humphries Way - is named after Ken Humphries. Ken was not only
involved with the parish and district councils, but he was also a keen
local historian producing many reports on the history and archaeology of
the village and has two roads named after him - see also Ken's Way below.
David Bull Way - is named after a recent local farmer
and parish councillor who lived at Rectory Farm.
Starling Close - as Derek Booth put it "there was and is
a 'murmuring of Starlings' in the village, once a Jack Starling
kept a cycle shop".
Woodman Way - named after a botanist Dr Roland Marcus
Woodman who lived at Willow House before Willow Crescent was built.
Townsend Close - behind this name hides a story reflecting the
serious and lighter moments of village life as recorded by Ken Humphries,
clerk to the parish council in July 1973. George Townsend, at 80 fell
into Middleton pit (now filled in between the Community Centre and the
Country Park), and "was saved by the timely action of a villager [Sally Summerfield]
and her observant dog".
Froment Way - is named after another old Milton family.
Its Closes take the names of village families such as Mansfield,
Burling, Butcher (the blacksmith), Lander (past landlord
of the Waggon & Horses), Conder and Garner (High Street
post office and shops). Two head teachers of the old school in Fen Road
are remembered as Closes. One, Ballard was a master at the beginning
of the Century, the other Sutton was a mistress in the 1940's.
Finally Bulteel Close is named after Major John Bulteel DSO living
at Milton Hall in 1929.
Other Recent Developments
Coulson Close/Peter Goodin Close - are named after old trading
families in the village.
Ken's Way - is on the site of Ken Humphries old house.
See also Humphries Way above.
Walkling Way - is named in memory of Eric Walkling
nurseryman, and parish and district councillor for 42 years.
Edmund Close - takes the name of Messrs. Edmunds who operated
the Alexandra Nurseries on the area which is now the Rowans/Sycamores
until 1961 when Edmund House was founded.
Gunnell Close - the Gunnells were an important Milton farming
family in the 18th and 19th Centuries, who also lived at Willow House
and in houses in the High Street and Fen Road.
Fox's Close - is named after Sir Cyril Fox the one time eminent
local archaeologist and historian (note his book, 'The Archaeology of
Cambridgeshire', published C.U.P. l923). Sir Cyril lived at Red Gables
(also referred to in some references as "the Red House") opposite
Butt Lane and next to the The White Horse where new gabled houses
exist today.
Barnabas Court - Barnabas Shipp was at one time employed by the Parish
as a "roadman". In 1961 the parish council reported that he was voluntarily
sweeping and cleaning the bus shelter near the entrance to the sheltered
housing. He was then aged 90! He lived to be over 100 and at one time
there was a plan to name part of the Old School Lane development after
him, however he finally got his immortality in 1998 when the sheltered
housing development was named after him.
This page is based on largely on Derek Booth's articles
in Milton Village View in 1998 and early 1999,
with additional information gleaned from the last Milton conservation
zone survey, past parish minutes, and the memories of residents.
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