Fen Ditton is a village and civil parish in South Cambridgeshire, about two and a half miles north-east of Cambridge city centre as the crow flies. It lies on the east bank of the River Cam, which forms the western edge of the parish. Its neighbouring parishes are Horningsea to the north, Stow cum Quy to the east and Teversham to the south-east, with Lode meeting it at its north-eastern tip and Milton across the river. The city of Cambridge lies to the south and west.
The 2021 Census recorded about 800 people living in the parish, a count taken before much of the Marleigh development was built. The parish council notes that the parish now also includes the Marleigh development off Newmarket Road, opposite the airport.
The Cambridge bumps races pass Fen Ditton on the Cam, with the village on the opposite bank from the towpath. The Cambridge University Combined Boat Clubs note that many bumps happen around Grassy Corner and Ditton Corner, and that the Plough pub in Fen Ditton is a popular vantage point, with a river crossing service for spectators and race officials. During the May Bumps the Recreation Ground on Church Street has been opened for spectator parking.
The link goes back a long way. The Victoria County History records that the rectory paddock was used for watching the May races in the late 19th century, and that in the 1890s the photographer Thomas Stearn photographed the river and the boat races from Fen Ditton's banks.
The name means the settlement by the ditch, after the Fleam Dyke, the ancient earthwork whose northern section runs through the southern half of the parish. By the late 13th century "Fen" had been added to distinguish it from Woodditton. Fen Ditton has no separate Domesday entry: in 1086 its population was recorded under Horningsea, and the boundary between the two parishes was only fixed in 1412.
Beorhtnoth, ealdorman of Essex, who died in 991, granted land at Fen Ditton to Ely abbey, and his widow gave the rest of his land there to the monks around 1002. In 1109 the manor passed to the newly created bishopric of Ely, which kept it for almost 500 years. The bishops' summer residence, later known as Biggin Abbey although it was never occupied by monks, stood north of the village, opposite what is now Baits Bite Lock. Edward II spent three weeks at Fen Ditton late in 1315. In 1600 the manor passed to the Crown, which sold it in 1605 to Thomas Willys.
For centuries the village depended on the river. Wharves at Fen Ditton served Stourbridge fair, and the Fen Ditton docks survived until 1845, when the opening of the railway to Cambridge ended their commercial use. In 1934 the south-western part of the parish, the Fen Ditton Fields housing estate, was transferred to the city of Cambridge. The parish population was 337 in 1801 and 657 in 1991.
The Victoria County History also records that in 1849 the rector tried to impose public penance for the slander of his wife. A crowd of 3,000 stopped the sentence being carried out, and it was reputedly the last time public penance was imposed in England.
The Fen Ditton Conservation Area was designated on 2 March 1973 and extended in 1991 to take in the river frontage as far as Baits Bite Lock. The council's 2006 appraisal describes an essentially linear village with two character areas: Green End, the site of the original settlement along the river, and the later medieval village running from High Ditch Road to the church. The church, the Old Rectory and the war memorial on its grass island form the focal point of the village.
The Parish Church of St Mary the Virgin is listed Grade II*. Historic England dates its north aisle to around 1300, with the nave arcades, clerestory, south aisle and south porch from the 15th century. It was restored in 1881 by J. L. Pearson. The chancel has monuments of the 1620s to the early 1700s to members of the Willys family, who held the manor through the 17th century and into the 18th.
Ditton Hall, south-west of the church, is listed Grade II*. It was built around 1635, possibly for the Willys family, and incorporates an early 15th-century range.
Biggin Abbey, outside the conservation area to the north, is also listed Grade II*, dating from the late 14th century with 17th-century additions. The Ancient Shepherds pub at 5 High Street is listed Grade II as an inn of the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
Fen Ditton Primary School on Horningsea Road takes children aged 4 to 11. It became an academy in 2018 and is part of the Anglian Learning trust. Ofsted last inspected the school in April 2022, and the full report is available on the Ofsted website.
Fen Ditton has no secondary school of its own. Its catchment secondary school has been Bottisham Village College. Catchment areas can change, so families should confirm current catchment with Cambridgeshire County Council admissions.
Check National Rail for current train times before you travel.
Fen Ditton's housing ranges from listed farmhouses of the 16th and 17th centuries on High Street and High Ditch Road to 20th-century infill, particularly along Green End.
HM Land Registry recorded 12 standard residential sales in Fen Ditton between October 2024 and June 2026. The median price was £415,650. Of those sales, 6 were detached houses, 3 semi-detached, 1 terraced and 2 flats or maisonettes, with prices ranging from £207,000 to £860,000. Because the mix of homes sold varies from year to year, these figures give a general picture rather than a precise valuation.
Thinking of moving to or from Fen Ditton? Book a free valuation or browse property for sale with our team.
Fen Ditton is about two and a half miles north-east of Cambridge city centre in a straight line, on the east bank of the River Cam.
Not in the village itself. Cambridge North station is about half a mile away in a straight line, across the river, with trains to London King's Cross, London Liverpool Street, Ely and Stansted Airport.
Yes. The Fen Ditton Conservation Area was designated in 1973 and extended in 1991. It covers the historic village, including the church, the Old Rectory, Ditton Hall and the river frontage.
Fen Ditton Primary School serves children aged 4 to 11. The catchment secondary school has been Bottisham Village College; please confirm current catchment with Cambridgeshire County Council.
