Barrington is a village and civil parish in South Cambridgeshire, about six miles south-west of Cambridge city centre as the crow flies. It sits between Haslingfield and Orwell, with the River Cam (known locally as the Rhee) forming the southern edge of the parish. Across the river lie Shepreth and Foxton, which both have railway stations.
The 2021 Census recorded about 1,200 people living in the parish. The village is best known for its long green, its thatched and timber-framed cottages, and its parish church, all of which sit within the Barrington Conservation Area.
The village was laid out along a long, narrow green. Historic surveys describe it as more than half a mile long, covering about 22 acres when it was measured in 1968, with All Saints' Church at its eastern end. It is often said to be one of the longest village greens in England. Two cottages on the green are dated 1657. In 1914 local opposition defeated a parish council scheme to limit grazing on the green, though a similar scheme was adopted in 1917.
Barrington has been settled for well over a thousand years. The Domesday Book of 1086 records 49 peasant households, five servi (unfree labourers) and three mills in the parish.
The local chalk has shaped the village's working life. Clunch, a hard chalk building stone, was quarried here from an early date and used extensively at Trinity College, Cambridge. In the later 19th century coprolites (fossil phosphate used as fertiliser) were dug from the clay, alongside brick and cement making. By 1968 the cement works could produce 500,000 tons a year and employed more than 300 people.
The cement works closed in 2008. Redrow bought the site in 2018, when the plans were for up to 220 new homes, 40% of them affordable, together with public open space and walking and cycling routes to the village and Foxton station.
Much of the village lies within the Barrington Conservation Area. The council's 2022 appraisal counts 39 listed buildings inside its boundary, including more than 30 timber-framed houses. Painted render and longstraw thatch are the most common finishes, with clunch and brick used for plinths and walls.
All Saints' Church is listed Grade I. Built of clunch and fieldstone, its chancel, nave and aisles date mainly from the 13th century, with the clerestory and nave roof rebuilt in the 14th century.
The Royal Oak on West Green is a thatched, timber-framed pub listed Grade II*. Alongside the church, the conservation area appraisal identifies it as one of the village's two true landmarks.
For larger shops, healthcare and leisure, most residents look to Cambridge.
Barrington CofE VC Primary School takes children aged 4 to 11. Ofsted last inspected the school in June 2026 under its new report card system, and the full report card is available on the Ofsted website.
Barrington has no secondary school of its own. Its catchment secondary school has been Melbourn Village College. Catchment areas can change, so families should confirm current arrangements with Cambridgeshire County Council admissions.
Check National Rail for current train times before you travel.
Barrington's housing ranges from listed thatched and timber-framed cottages around the green to more modern family homes.
HM Land Registry recorded 37 standard residential sales in Barrington between October 2024 and July 2026. The median price was £500,000. Of those sales, 21 were detached houses, 10 semi-detached and 6 terraced, with prices ranging from £170,000 to £1,860,000. 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 Barrington? Book a free valuation or browse property for sale with our team.
Barrington is about six miles south-west of Cambridge city centre in a straight line.
Not in the village itself. Shepreth station is about a mile away and Foxton station just over a mile, both with direct trains to Cambridge and London King's Cross.
Yes. Most of the historic village, including the green, the church and the Royal Oak, lies within the Barrington Conservation Area. Its most recent appraisal was adopted in January 2022.
Barrington CofE VC Primary School serves children aged 4 to 11. The catchment secondary school has been Melbourn Village College; please confirm current catchment with Cambridgeshire County Council.
