Bourn

Bourn is a small village and

Bourn has a Church of England primary school, a doctors' surgery, the Church of St Mary & St Helena, a golf club, a former Royal Air Force bomber airfield (RAF Station Bourn 1940–1945), today used for light aircraft, and an old windmill. Bourn Hall Clinic, the centre for infertility treatment founded in 1980 by IVF pioneers Patrick Steptoe and Professor Robert Edwards, who were responsible for the conception in 1978 of Louise Brown, the world's first IVF or test-tube baby, is also located here. Since its foundation the clinic has assisted in the conception of more than 10,000 babies.

A small stream called Bourn Brook runs through the village, eventually joining the River Cam.

History

The name Bourn is derived from the

By the 19th century settlement in Bourn parish was concentrated along the High Street near the church, though there were also streets and ancient closes in the areas of the village known as Caxton End and Crow End.[5]

The population had grown to 945 by 1851. This fell to 587 in 1931, during the Great Depression, but after World War II a large influx of squatters from London came to live on the disused airfield and the population was 1,053 in 1951.^[5] Some later occupied Bourn's first council housing estate, Hall Close.^[6]

RAF Bourn

Bourn Airfield was constructed for RAF Bomber Command in 1940 as a satellite airfield for nearby RAF Oakington.

Now the Rural Flying Corps uses part of the runway for light aircraft; small industrial developments occupy other areas of the site. On Bank Holidays, Bourn Market uses much of the old runways for stalls.^[7]

Governance

Bourn parish council has nine councillors.

Bourn parish ranges from 32 to 72 metres above sea level[2] and the soil is clay with a gault subsoil.^[12] In 2001, the area of the parish was 1,660 hectares.^[13]

Demography

At the time of the 2001 census, the population of Bourn parish was 1,764 people living in 713 households. 96.1% were White, 1.4% Asian or Asian British, 0.2% Black or Black British, and 1.2% 'other'. 68.6% described themselves as Christian and 29.9% said they had no religion or did not state one.^[13]

Landmarks

A war memorial to commemorate Bourn men who died in the

Bourn Windmill dates from at least 1636, when it was sold by John Cook. It is believed to be the second oldest surviving windmill in the UK after Pitstone Windmill in Buckinghamshire. In 1741, Richard Bishop was killed when he was trying to turn the mill in high winds and part of it blew down. The mill was sold in 1926 when it became outmoded by engines fuelled by paraffin. It has been owned by Cambridge Past, Present and Future (formerly known as the Cambridge Preservation Society) since 1932.

The body of the mill, the 'buck', contains all the machinery and is balanced on a 'post' supported by an oak trestle, which supports the entire weight of the mill, and bolted to four brick piers. Four sails and millstones in front of the post balance the double steps (which act as a thrust support when down) and the tail pole behind (which is used to turn the sails into the wind). It is called a 'Post Mill' because of its supporting post.

The sails have to face squarely into the wind so the buck, with the weight of all its machinery, has to be turned. First the talber (step lever) is pulled down and hooked into place to raise the steps, then the miller pushes the tail pole round and lastly lowers the steps again. The sails will turn without canvas in a strong wind but two 'common sails' (with close slats) can be 'clothed' by threading ringed canvasses on to central steel rods and roping them on to the sails. The other pair were fitted with 'automatic spring shutters' which opened releasing wind pressure when it blew too hard. Only two broken shutters remain of these.^[15]

The mill was repaired and restored in 2003 after a grant from

The present Bourn Hall is built on the site of a wooden castle that was burnt down during the Peasants' Revolt. A timber-framed house built early in the 16th century was added to in 1602 by the Hagar family in the form of a three-sided courtyard hall. Rainwater gutters at the front of Bourn Hall still have the initials of John and Francis Hagar.

The Hagar family left Bourn Hall in 1733, and the estate belonged to the

Bourn Hall was bought by Patrick Steptoe and Bob Edwards in 1980. It became a world-famous clinic for the treatment of infertility and is known as the Bourn Hall Clinic.

Wysing Arts Centre

Just outside the village to the west of Bourn is Wysing Arts Centre, a research and development centre for the visual arts. Wysing Arts operates a year-round programme of public exhibitions, events, schools and family activities, alongside artistic residencies and retreats.^[18]

Education

Bourn has had a history of education in the village since 1520. From 1819 boys were taught in the church tower and girls received a more limited education in a nearby cottage. The Church and the Hall combined to build a school in 1866, designed for 144 children. Within three years 81 children were attending, paying 2d, 3d or 6d for their schooling. This school was closed in 1958 and became the Village Hall, which has recently been extended and improved with grant aid and is a meeting place for village functions.

A new school was built in 1958 on the edge of the village, adjacent to open fields. It is within walking distance of most of the village. The school serves a large rural area of about 24 square miles (62 km²). It is designated a

Religious sites

Following the

• List of places in Cambridgeshire

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bourn.

• Bourn Village Website
• Bourn Hall Clinic for infertility Archived 12 January 2012 at the Wayback Machine
• Bourn Church of England Primary School
• Rural Flying Corps
• Bourn Golf club
• Black Thursday The story of a tragic night in the history of 97 Squadron and RAF Bourn