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Could you help the Messenger?

The Messenger Team is looking to recruit a volunteer email Inbox administrator. The person must be familiar with email and ideally have some basic knowledge of Word and Excel – although the latter is not essential.

The Inbox Administrator must be used to administration and be well organised and disciplined. To lighten the load and cover for holidays etc., the job is currently split between two people e.g. each person does the job alternate months, The workload varies through the month in a predictable manner, from hardly anything for about two weeks, up to about an hour a day for the day or two around copy date.

If you feel you could take on this role and contribute to your community magazine, please email us at staplefordmessenger@gmail.com. We would be pleased to give you more details and discuss further.

Posted Feb 17 2026

New dentist for Stapleford

A new private dental surgery is opening in Stapleford in the spring.

The clinic will be at 65 London Rd, Stapleford.

It is being opened by Dr Lara Phillips. She has lived in Great Shelford since she was seven years old.

"Great Shelford and Stapleford have always been important places for me, so my husband and I decided to set up a local, family run, independent dental practice," said Dr Phillips.

"We wanted to create a space where people could experience dentistry in a more thoughtful and comfortable way. Our aim is to provide care in an environment that feels calm and reassuring."

Posted Jan 1 2026

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Viking-era execution pit discovered at Wandlebury

The aftermath of a battle or execution from around the 9th century AD has been discovered at Wandlebury Country Park by Cambridge University archaeologists and students conducting a training dig.

The burial pit, measuring four metres by one metre, was unearthed just outside the hillfort ringwork to the south.

Initial radiocarbon work dates the skeleton in the pit to between 772 – 891 AD with 85% probability. It is likely to date from a time when the area was a “frontier zone” in the conflict between the Saxon-run kingdom of Mercia and the kingdom of East Anglia, which was conquered by the Vikings in around 870 AD (CE).

Unearthed during spring and summer 2025, the pit contained the remains of ten individuals based on the number of skulls, including at least one decapitation and a man well over six foot in stature – which was extremely tall for the time.

Unusually, the mass grave held a mix of complete and dismembered remains, including a cluster of skulls without clear accompanying bodies and a “stack of legs”, as well as four complete skeletons, some in positions suggesting they were tied up.

All appear to have been relatively young men flung into the pit without care, leading archaeologists to believe they found the wake of a skirmish or battle, or perhaps a mass execution – or a combination of both. The discovery was featured in a ‘Digging for Britain’ episode on the BBC.

The training excavation, led by Dr Oscar Aldred from the Cambridge Archaeological Unit (CAU), took place at Wandlebury Country Park, famous for its “ringwork”: a series of banks and ditches that mark an Iron Age hillfort constructed a millennium before the Viking era.*

Among the most intriguing aspects of the latest find are the complete remains of a man aged between 17 and 24, flung face down into the pit, who would have stood at around 6 foot 5 inches tall.**

His height may be down to a growth condition, according to archaeologists, who say he would have towered over others at a time when the average male height was around 5 foot 6 inches.

The man has a large oval hole in his skull, 3cm in diameter, suggesting he underwent trepanation: an ancient surgical procedure in which a hole is bored through a living human’s skull. The hole in the back left side of his skull has signs of healing.

Posted Feb 26 2026

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Distraction burglaries in Stapleford and Great Shelford

Police are urging residents to be vigilant following a series of distraction burglaries including two in Great Shelford and Stapleford.

At around 5.30pm on 19 September, two women knocked on the door of a property in Station Road, Great Shelford, and offered massages to help back, knee and leg pain, specifically to the elderly, disabled and vulnerable individuals.

One woman walked in through the front door into the front room and told the victim she was there to massage her. The woman was told by the victim to leave.

There has also been a similar incident in Stapleford on the same week-end.

Detective Sergeant Jonathan Lockwood, from the Southern Acquisitive Crime Team, said: “We’re encouraging residents to stay alert, especially when answering he door to unexpected callers.

“Distraction burglars often pretend to be officials or tradespeople to trick their way into your home. Always request identification and verify it with the relevant organisation before allowing anyone inside.

“If you’re uncertain, it’s best not to open the door. Report anything suspicious to us straight away by calling 101.”

Here are some simple steps you can take to help protect yourself:

Check who’s at the door using a viewer or spyhole.
If you do open the door, keep the security chain on.
Always ask for ID and confirm it with the company before letting anyone in.
Use a trusted phone number from a directory or official website – don’t rely on the number shown on their ID card, as it could be fake. For utility companies, contact their customer service team. Close the door while you make the call.
If you’re unsure, arrange for the visitor to return when someone else can be with you.
Posted September 28 2025

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Netting has been placed across the island in the middle of Dernford Reservoir to stop birds using it. Apparently it was part of the planning conditions for the reservoir so that birds wouldn't affect over-flying planes. Photo Julie Sylvester

Photo of the field fire in Great Shelford and Stapleford on August 20 by Matthew French

Houses evacuated due to field fire

A number of houses had to be evacuated after a large field fire in Stapleford and Great Shelford.

Up to 50 firefighters has to deal with the blaze on August 20, including crews from Hertfordshire and Suffolk.

Ten fire engines rushed to the scene near Gog Magog Way, Dukes Meadow and Mingle Lane between Haverhill Road and Hinton Way.

One local resident dsecribed the fire on Face book as "really frightening."

The fire spread quickly close to residential gardens.

Smoke affected local roads, including the M11 where drivers were asked to slow down.

People living nearby were advised to close their windows.

Firefighters arrived ar around 2pm to find a well-developed fire involving a tractor that spread to large area of field.

Firefighters worked incredibly hard to surround the fire and successfully managed to prevent it from causing any damage to properties.

"We are deeply grateful to the emergency services and local farmers for their rapid response," said a statement from Stapleford Parish Council.

"At our next Parish Council meeting on October 2 , we will be looking back at the situation and reviewing what we as a village could do to prevent any such fires happening in our local community."

The operation lasted a total of four hours.

The cause of the fire was accidental.

Posted August 26 2025

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Strawberry Fields now open

The first residents have moved into the Strawberry Fields retirement community in Stapleford.

The £96 million site was officially opened by TV presenter Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen on July 15.

Strawberry Fields includes a Club House with ‘Wild Thyme’ restaurant and bar, revive spa, treatment rooms and hair salon. There is a gym, pool, steam and sauna, dance studio as well as an activities room, members lounge and private dining.

The restaurant and bar are open to Stapleford residents while the Revive Gym has limited memberships available for villagers over 40.

The Revive gym membership is £65 per month or £120 for a couple.

The £96 million project will provide 147 one, two and three-bedroom contemporary apartments and bungalows. Seven residents have already moved in and 30 apartments have already been reserved.

Bennetts will hand over the remaining site in September/ October this year when the building is finished. The new countryside park managed by the Magog Trust should be ready in 2026/27.

The Club House has employed 30 staff to date. Builders on site have averaged 200 per day over the course of the build.

Laurence Llewelyn Bowen is Rangefords design curator. Media personality and television presenter Dr Dawn Harper known for co-presenting the Channel 4 television series Embarrassing Bodies is their health and wellbeing advisor.

Posted July 24 2025

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TV presenter Laurence Llewelyn Bowen cutting the ribbon at the grand opening of Strawberry Fields in Stapleford on July 15 2025.

Why SSYI needs your help

SSYI is a local Christian community youth charity that has been running for over 25 years, supporting young people in the villages of Great and Little Shelford, Stapleford, Sawston, Duxford and the surrounding area. Providing open access, targeted and activity based youth
clubs, 1:1 support, schools work and more for local young people.

2024-2025, SSYI has experienced another year of meaningful progress and positive impact. Having our own space in Great Shelford - The SSYI Youth Centre - allows us to run a really varied selection of activities. From cooking based alternative provision sessions and targeted
work, all the way to large open access youth clubs. This year, we've been able to take full advantage of our new minibus and trailer, bringing the football cage to local events like the Shelford Feast, the Little Shelford Family weekend and the Shelford Christmas Light Switch-
On which has been a great success. Throughout the year, we have continued to support a growing number of young people dealing with issues related to substance misuse, including alcohol and drugs, alongside an increase in mental health challenges among those we work
with. Youth provision is more important than ever.

One recent case study of our impact with a local young man Ethan* is a young person who lives in the Shelfords. He initially attended our Friday youth clubs, and now regularly attends our Deeper sessions run by Tilly, one of our Youth Workers.

Over the past couple of years, he has experienced tremendous personal growth. Initially shy and unsure, Ethan has grown in confidence and has become much more comfortable communicating with others. He has built some strong friendships through these sessions
and has joined us on several trips too. The supportive environment and community have helped him build a stronger sense of self. His newfound confidence has not only improved his interactions within the group but also in other areas of his life, allowing him to face
challenges with a positive mindset and a clearer sense of purpose. (*The name of this young person has been changed).

Our total impact across the Shelfords and beyond in 2024-2025:
 Over 300 young people regularly involved in our activities
 1576 hours of face to face delivery over 12 months
 100% of young people surveyed enjoy their time with SSYI
 Over 200 young people attending sessions in the Shelfords
 Over 100 residents of Great & Little Shelford involved in our activities

We need your help to continue our work in the Shelfords. We need your help in money or in time.

Funding for SSYI is a continuous challenge and currently costs over £140,000 per year to run. We get funding from our Parish Councils, Local Churches, the Village Feast and put a lot of effort into obtaining other Grant funds. One of our most reliable sources is regular private giving. We have only 22 supporters who give regularly from £10 per month but, there are over 15,000 adult residents in the Villages we serve
so it’s a tiny proportion who support us in this way. We need your help and want to encourage you to become a regular donor. In doing so you will get regular updates on our work and opportunities to meet our youth workers. To become a regular donor, contact our
Treasurer: John Greaves, 15 Cabbage Moor, Great Shelford, Cambridge CB22 5NB (jragreaves@yahoo.co.uk)

We are also looking for more volunteers, especially for the regular weekly sessions. If you can come along, even occasionally to help at our sessions or to help behind the café counter serving snacks in the Youth Centre that would really help, and enable us to maintain and
grow the number of sessions and reach more of those who value our provision. Interested? Please contact Zac Britton, our Lead Youth Worker zac.britton@ssyi.club

Posted May 30 2025

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New vet for Stapleford

Church Street Vets is a new, independent, small animal practice which opened in Stapleford in March 2025.

Clarendon Street Vets have expanded into Stapleford with a new branch in Church Street, Stapleford at the junction with London Road.

They are keen to take their current ethos of independent, friendly veterinary care to their newly refurbished surgery, which offers three consultation rooms, separate dog and cat hospitalisation and waiting areas, a fully equipped operating theatre and plenty of parking.

Their main surgery, Clarendon Street Veterinary Surgery, has looked after the pets of central Cambridge for over 60 years, and is very much a part of the local community. An increase in pet ownership in the past few years means they have outgrown their small but characterful premises and have made the exciting decision to open a branch surgery, serving the villages of South Cambridge.

Church Street Vets are having an open day on Saturday the 26th of April and would love to meet clients and pets, both old and new, and show off the new branch surgery.

The Open Day will feature practice tours, dog agility, animal encounters, ferret-racing, face-painting, quizzes, games and a raffle. There will also be stalls selling plants and second-hand books, and loads of cake, with all proceeds going to conservation charity ‘From the Brink’.

Timings to be confirmed so please keep an eye on the practice website. https://www.churchstreetvets.co.uk/

They are a really friendly team who would love to meet local pets and residents, so please do pop along and say hello.

For more information, or to register a pet, please visit www.churchstreetvets.co.uk or give them a call on 01223 776773.

Harriet, Patrick and all the Church Street Vets team.

Updated March 28 2025

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New history book features former Stapleford soldier

A former soldier from Stapleford is one of the main characters in a new book about VE day being published in May.

Some of Len Baynes amazing story is featured in the book "People's War" by John Willis which was published on May 1.

Len Baynes, known as ‘Snowy’, was born in London and joined the Territorials in 1938.

After the War, Len lived in Stapleford. He lost his leg in a car accident, a terrible blow for anyone but particularly a County Rugby player and builder.

"Just before the declaration of war, 19-year-old Len Baynes, 1st Battalion, Cambridgeshire Regiment, was posted to RAF Duxford, near Cambridge, to guard their precious array of new Spitfire fighter aircraft. Len was startlingly badly equipped," writes John Willis in the new book.

"We arrived on station with only the clothes we stood up in and our 1914-dated Short Enfield rifles. My ammo, as I recall, was stamped 1917. Before fighting the Luftwaffe, we had to find somewhere to doss down, as the RAF quartermaster, it seemed, was disinclined to share the airmen’s accommodation with common soldiers. In the end it was the padre who provided the solution, following the Barnardo dictum, ‘No-one turned away’, he allowed us to sleep on the floor of the church. The next day further research revealed a First World war weapons store somewhere or other. We were introduced to half-a-dozen grease-encased Lewis guns, and one tattered manual."

John Willis will be on Radio Cambridgeshire on 8 May discussing the book and Len.

Len Baynes, who died in 2016, published his own account of being a Japanese prisoner of war in Burma in 2013 when he was 94.

“The "Will To Live” sets out how he suffered through three years as a Japanese prisoner of war; years of brutality, starvation and sickness which at one point left Len, ravaged by malaria, weighing just four stone.

Throughout his ordeal, Len secretly kept a diary.

The Will To Live by Len Baynes is published by Pen and Sword, priced £6.99.

Posted April 23 2025

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Safety concerns over proposed Greenway

A proposed cycleway through Stapleford and Shelford could actually make cycling in the villages more dangerous according to a new report.

Local cycling campainers say the proposed Greenway "will make walking, cycling and driving more difficult for many."

You can read the campaigners blog here.

http://2g3s.staplefordvillage.org.uk/sawston-greenway-works-through-great-shelford-and-stapleford-vital-urgent-news/

You have until March 24 to complain about the proposals.

Any complaint should include the word object.

Posted March 17 2024

Strawberry Fields Retirement Village show homes open

The new showhomes at Strawberry Fields retirement village in Stapleford will be open for viewing from Saturday 1st February.

They are delighted to invite you to view the stunning new one, two and three-bedroom showhomes. Every detail has been carefully considered and reflects the high quality fixtures, fittings and finished you can expect to find throughout the village once completed.

Their new marketing suite will also be open, where you can discover how their highly coveted Rangeford lifestyle can benefit you.

To book your preferred time and date with our team please call 01223 902466 or email sales@rangefordstrawberryfields.co.uk

Posted Jan 3 2025

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Stapleford Messenger saved

The Stapleford Messenger local magazine has been saved.

The magazine could have been forced to shut because of a lack of volunteers.

Two volunteers have come forward to help with the production of the Messenger in 2025.

Frank Jacot, who died in September, was the Production Editor for the Messenger. That job entails receiving articles and pictures, dropping them into templates and generally tinkering until there is an acceptable magazine each month, and then sending it off electronically to the printers.

Update Nov 22 2024

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Northern Lights seen in Stapleford

The Northern Lights were spotted in Stapleford on Friday May 10th 2024.

These are some of the best photos we have seen of the unique event.

Have you got local photos of the big night? Share your Northern Lights photos with davidm1961@gmail.com
Posted May 13 2024

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Photos by Kathryn Schofield, Steve Henry and Roger French

Greenway to run through Stapleford and Great Shelford

The Sawston Greenway will provide safer and better route for people walking, cycling and, where appropriate, horse-riding between Sawston, Stapleford, Great Shelford and Addenbrooke’s/Biomedical Campus.

The Greater Cambridge Greenways will follow off-road paths, along quiet streets or provide improved facilities along busier roads to provide more people with safer, easier and more direct routes in and out of Cambridge.

Early works on the greenway include traffic-calming in Stapleford and widening of the DNA Path between Stapleford and the Cambridge Biomedical Campus.

Due to rising construction costs, they are pausing work on a proposed off-road link alongside the railway line from Shelford Station south to the Dernford Resevoir, which would have required major embankments to protect the railway.

The main route through Stapleford on Chaston Road, Hinton Way, Mingle Lane and on to A1301 will continue to be developed.

Great Cambridge Partnership is working with Stapleford and Great Shelford Parish Councils to host a community engagement event to show their plans for Mingle Lane and Church Street.

Find more details about the Sawston Greenway here.

Posted May 1 2024

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