Shepreth

Coordinates: 52°06′44″N 0°01′57″E / 52.1122°N 0.0325°E / 52.1122; 0.0325

Shepreth is a village and civil parish in South Cambridgeshire, lying halfway between Cambridge and Royston.

History

The parish of Shepreth is roughly-rectangular and covers 1318 acres. It is bounded by the River Cam to the north, which separates it from Barrington, Foxton brook to the east, across which lies Foxton, and Melbourn brook to the west, separating it from Meldreth and Melbourn. The field boundaries to the south border the parish of Fowlmere.

Stone Age weapons and tools have been found in the parish, and the land, formerly marshy, could thus have housed a lakeside settlement. Evidence of Roman habitation has been found on the drier ground in the northeast corner of the parish. Two medieval moated sites in the village are scheduled as ancient monuments.

Listed as Esceprid in the Domesday Book the name "Shepreth" means "sheep stream", and was used as a resting place where sheep could be washed on their route to Cambridge. The Sheep Bridge was still in use in 1626.