The built environment of Harston includes around 700 houses and a range of commercial properties. The layout of the village is rooted in its history, reflecting both its strongly rural character and its position on a main route between Cambridge and London. It saw major growth of housing in the later 20th century as one of Cambridge’s ring of ‘necklace’ villages, and continues to be shaped by the infill development of recent years.
The areas of Harston described below share this history and have a common interest in how the village develops into the future. In terms of planning development, the current situation is that South Cambridgeshire’s Local Plan 2013 maintains the Green Belt drawn fairly tightly around the village’s existing built-up area, and keeps the green space on its boundaries. With just under 2000 residents, Harston is designated as a ‘Group Village’, which means that building or re-development on permitted plots should be limited to eight houses.
See Harston’s listed buildings.
Skip to: Button End | Haslingfield Road-Church Street-War Memorial | South Western Boundary | War Memorial to Newton | High Street | London Road | Queen’s Close and Meadow Way
Button End
Map
Housing is low density, individual in character and set in plots off the Button End road. The north end of Button End tapers into a country lane and leads to agricultural fields and footpaths that link up to Haslingfield and Hauxton. The River Cam or Rhee is on the western edge of this area, which is the boundary with the Parish of Haslingfield.
Significant buildings include:
- The Button End Industrial Estate (which is more commercial than industrial)
- Willow Farm
The village graveyard is at the southern end of Button End.
The whole area is entirely within the Green Belt, including the houses and Industrial Estate, but not including the houses from Haslingfield Road/Church Street to the graveyard.
Considerations for planning
- No new development in the Green Belt
- Replacement housing only; one-for-one, low-rise buildings on open plots of land
- Protect the rural views
- Contain the Industrial Estate within the current footprint.
Haslingfield Road and Church Street to the War Memorial
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The earliest settlements in Harston were in the area between the Parish Church and Harston House. Housing lines the southern side of Church Street whilst on the north side is Beech Farm and open fields. There is a development of housing going north from Church Street which is accessed from a footpath on the west and a lane on the east, both called “The Footpath”. The Footpath road also gives access to a number of allotments. The large houses, Rhee House, Harston Manor and Harston House, all have high-walled frontages.
There is in-fill housing between Church Street and Mill Road, accessed from Hurrell’s Row and Pightle Close. Harston Mill and the Sagentia offices mark the southern edge of this area.
Church Street is narrow which presents challenges for traffic and parking – especially for those using the Doctors’ Surgery and Church.
Significant buildings include:
- All Saints’ Church & graveyard
- Rhee House
- Harston Manor
- Beech Farm
- The Doctors’ surgery and dispensary
- Harston House
There is a small green area where Church Street and Royston Road meet, creating a triangle, on which can be found one of the village milestones, the village sign and artesian wells.
The land edge on the north side of Church Street next to Beech Farm and from Pantile round to The Three Horseshoes is designated by South Cambridgeshire District Council as “Important Countryside Frontage”. Both are also in the Green Belt area.
Considerations for planning
- No new developments in the Green Belt
- Protect rural views
- Protect the buildings of historic interest (All Saints’ Church, Harston Manor, Harston House) and their land
- Protect the allotments
- Protect the green triangle between Royston Road and Church Street
- Parking for the Doctors’ surgery is a problem.
South Western boundary
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The A10 Royston Road heads south west from the village. Most of the land adjoining this stretch of the A10 is agricultural and there are only two buildings south of Harston Mill; New Farm on the north side of the A10 and Manor Farm on the south side. Manor Farm sits on the boundary between Harston and Foxton.
There are very few buildings along this route and most of the land is agricultural. Everything south of Mill Road (including the Mill and Sagentia) is in the Green Belt.
Considerations for planning
- No new development in the Green Belt
- Protect the open fields
- Maintain the current edge of Harston’s development (ie from Mill Road)
- There is no safe crossing to the southern side of the A10 in this area.
From the War Memorial to Newton
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The area on the north side of Station Road comprises the village school’s playing fields and 1970s [?] extension and two 1970s estates, The Paddock and Lawrance Lea (n.b. The Lawrance family were the village blacksmiths). The north east and south east edges of the estates are bordered by open fields which are in the Green Belt.
The main building on the southern side of Station Road is Baggot Hall and Baggot Hall Farm which is within the Green Belt. The frontage opposite the school down to The Paddock is designated as Important Countryside Frontage. There is a small industrial area next to Station House at the level crossing which is also in the Green Belt.
Beyond the level crossing there are houses at the top of Harston Hill, including the ruin of the old windmill and the stables which lie on the edge of the parish boundary next to Newton.
Considerations for planning
- No new development in the Green Belt
- Protect the school’s open views on to Station Road
- Maintain the character of 1970s estates (two storey maximum, front and rear gardens, mixture of detached and semi detached, set back from the road, off-street parking)
- Maintain Station Road as tree-lined on the southern side
- Maintain the absence of street lighting up Newton Road
- Protect the old windmill
- There is no pavement or cycle way up Newton Road.
High Street
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The history of development in Harston is a spread of building from Church Street, moving along the High Street towards Cambridge.
Significant buildings on the High Street include:
- The Primary School’s old building (1877)
- The Pemberton Arms
- The Three Horseshoes
- The Village Hall
- The Coach House [?]
- Park House
Harston Baptist Church is also a significant building and is set back from the High Street, accessed down Chapel Lane. It has a graveyard attached.
The main housing developments have been on the South West side of the High Street and include: Orchard Close, The Limes, High Meadow, Manor Close, New Road, and Moorfield. Manor Close has pedestrian access to Queen’s Close. The Limes gives access to the Recreation Ground and Community Orchard.
There are several local services on the High Street including the BP Garage and three car showrooms (one closed in 2014) and the Village Stores and Post Office, hairdressers and florist.
Many houses are Victorian/Edwardian in character and on long plots which are set back from the road. There have been several in-fill developments which are in keeping with the style of housing along the High Street, albeit generally at a higher density.
There is no on-street parking on the A10 except outside the Village Shop.
Considerations for planning
- No new developments in the Green Belt
- Protect rural views
- Protect the buildings of historic interest (Village Hall, Village School, Baptist Church) and their land
- Increased access to the Recreation Ground and Community Orchard is desirable
- Increased pedestrian/cycle access between various estates and closes would improve community cohesion and reduce pedestrian traffic by the A10.
- Maintain the character of housing (two storey maximum, front and rear gardens, mixture of detached and semi detached, set back from the road)
- Traffic control is desirable.
- The current traffic calming measures are not effective.
London Road
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The main houses on London Road date from the post-war era and sit back from the road on long plots of land. There has been a recent trend of development behind some of the houses on the north side of London Road up to the village boundary – beyond which is Green Belt. These developments are largely hidden from view and so do not give an appearance of increased housing density.1
Considerations for planning
- No new developments in the Green Belt
- Protect rural views
- Protect the wide nature of the street
- The 40 mile an hour speed limit encourages fast driving down London Road
- Maintain the character of housing (two storey maximum, front and rear gardens, mixture of detached and semi detached, set back from the road).
Queen’s Close & Meadow Way
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Queen’s Close and Meadow Way comprise the biggest single estate in the village and fills in the land between London Road and the High Street – backing onto the Manor Close, New Road and Moorfield developments. There is pedestrian access between Queen’s Close and Manor Close. The houses on the southern edge of the estate have boundaries on the Green Belt. A particular feature of Queen’s Close is the large triangular grassed area in the middle. Not all houses have off-street parking.
Meadow Way has sheltered accommodation and a Community Room.
Considerations for planning
- No new developments in the Green Belt
- Protect rural views
- Protect the grassy triangle
- Maintain the character of housing (two storey maximum)
- Maintain the sheltered accommodation
- Maintain the Community Room.
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