Dry Drayton is a village and civil parish in South Cambridgeshire, about five miles north-west of Cambridge city centre as the crow flies. The parish borders Bar Hill, Lolworth, Oakington and Westwick, Girton, Madingley, Hardwick, Caldecote and Childerley.
The 2021 Census recorded about 700 people living in the parish. The parish was once larger: in 1966 about 350 acres in its north-west corner were separated to form the new civil parish of Bar Hill.
In the south-east quarter of the village lies an area known as the Park. The Victoria County History records that Crowland Abbey's manor house probably stood on part of this 14-acre moated site from the 11th century. Rebels from the Isle of Ely burnt the manor in 1266, and the abbey built a new hall there in 1267 to 1268.
In the 16th century much of the manorial land in this part of the village was thrown together to make a park, leaving Park Street running along its north-west side as the main street. The manor house was rebuilt, probably in the 1560s, and remodelled again in the 1670s. The dukes of Bedford kept it as an occasional residence until the 1730s. It was supposedly demolished in 1817. Uneven ground still marks the site of the manorial buildings and garden earthworks, and the area was partly excavated in 1978 to 1979.
The village was probably named Dry Drayton to distinguish it from Fen Drayton, about five miles to the north-west, although it has occasionally suffered in droughts when all its springs ran dry. The Domesday Book of 1086 records 52 peasants in the vill. Crowland Abbey's estate here, assessed at 7½ hides in 1086, remained with the abbey until its surrender in 1539, and in 1543 the Crown sold it to Thomas Hutton.
In 1570 Thomas Hutton's son John chose Richard Greenham as rector. A zealous Sabbatarian who would not wear vestments, Greenham preached every Sunday, catechised the village youth twice a week and gave early morning weekday sermons for labourers, before leaving the parish in 1592.
The manorial estate later passed by marriage to the Russell family, dukes of Bedford, who sold it in 1795 to the rector, Dr Samuel Smith. The village population reached a peak of 497 in 1851.
The planned village of Bar Hill was laid out in the north-west of the parish on 350 acres of farmland sold by Chivers Ltd in 1959. Building of the first houses began in December 1965 and the first residents arrived in May 1967.
Historic England lists 15 buildings and structures in the parish. One is listed Grade II* and the rest are Grade II.
The Church of St Peter and St Paul on Park Street is listed Grade II*. Historic England describes a late 13th-century west tower, late 13th and 14th-century nave arcades, and substantial 19th-century restorations, including the rebuilding of the chancel in 1851 and the restoration of the west tower in 1874. Its walls are of pebble and fieldstones.
The Old Rectory on Old Rectory Drive is listed Grade II. Historic England dates it to 1830 to 1831 and describes it as gault brick with Ketton stone dressings. An icehouse of about 1830 associated with it is also listed Grade II.
The Black Horse at 35 Park Street is listed Grade II. Historic England describes it as a timber-framed, rendered cottage of the 17th or early 18th century, extended by one bay in the early 19th century.
Dry Drayton CofE (C) Primary School, and Pre-School, on Park Street, takes children aged 4 to 11, and its pre-school takes children from age 2. Ofsted last inspected the school in March 2023, and the full report is available on the Ofsted website.
Dry Drayton has no secondary school of its own. A 2014 South Cambridgeshire District Council study placed the village in the catchment area for Impington Village College. Catchment areas can change, so families should confirm current catchment with Cambridgeshire County Council admissions.
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Alongside a handful of listed older buildings, much of Dry Drayton's housing was built in the 20th century, including council houses off the Oakington road, infilling with houses and bungalows, and a line of more expensive houses built in the 1970s along the road south from the old Rectory.
HM Land Registry recorded 24 standard residential sales in Dry Drayton between October 2024 and August 2026. The median price was £653,750. Of those sales, 18 were detached houses and 6 semi-detached, with prices ranging from £345,000 to £968,000. 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 Dry Drayton? Book a free valuation or browse property for sale with our team.
Dry Drayton is about five miles north-west of Cambridge city centre in a straight line.
No. The nearest stations are Cambridge and Cambridge North, each about six miles away, both with direct trains to London King's Cross and London Liverpool Street.
Yes. The Black Horse on Park Street serves food, and the building itself is listed Grade II.
Dry Drayton CofE (C) Primary School, and Pre-School, serves children aged 4 to 11, with a pre-school from age 2. A 2014 district council study placed the village in the catchment for Impington Village College; please confirm current catchment with Cambridgeshire County Council.
