Council Facilities

The Parish Council owns a number of facilities and resources within the Parish, and has responsibilities for the upkeep of some others. Here is a description of these:

Allotments

The parish has one set of allotments, size 0.75 hectares. These are situated south-west of Cambridge Road. They privately owned and managed by an Allotments Committee. There is a currently a waiting list for plots. Please contact the Clerk for details of the administrator.

The Recreation Ground

Situated at the end of Queens Way, the Recreation Ground provides open space for the village, and includes the Sports Pavilion, the Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA), a Play Area, and two hard Tennis Courts as well as a good size car park. The Recreation Ground itself covers 2.91 hectares, a good part of which is maintained as a football pitch.

Please note that dogs are not allowed on any part of the Recreation ground and surrounding area apart from a marked dog-walking path from the car park down to and alongside the Oakington Brook.

The Sports Pavilion

The Sports Pavilion, (otherwise known as “Oakington Pavilion” or just “The Pavilion”) comprises a large hall used for indoor sports or other functions, and a small meeting room, along with kitchen and toilet facilities. There are changing facilities for sports on the surrounding pitches. Pavilion use is managed and booked through the Pavilion Committee (see the Oakington Pavilion Section under the Local Information section of this website).

The MUGA

The MUGA is a fenced hard-surfaced area designed for activities such as 5-a-side football. It has floodlighting for use in the evenings, and goal posts and netting. For access details please contact the Pavilion Committee.

Next to it is a basketball hoop, but not a complete court.

The Play Area

The Play Area has a good number of pieces of play equipment for children of all ages up to 12. There is a cable slide suitable for slightly older children. Supervision of children is the responsibility of parents or carers at all times.

The Tennis Courts

The Tennis Courts are managed and booked through the Oakington and Westwick Tennis Club, please see their access details in the Local Directory section. Membership of the Tennis Club is required, but temporary membership can be arranged.

The Railway Line

Next to the Tennis Courts is a small section of railway line. This used to be part of the St Ives to Cambridge line that used to run along the current track of the Guided Busway, about 400 metres to the east of the Recreation Ground. This section was acquired to help remember when Oakington had a railway service! For further details of the line and Oakington Station please see here.

The Community Orchards

Orchard Accessed via the path alongside the Pavilion, the Community Orchard holds about 50 assorted fruit trees. For further details please see here

The orchard on Mill Road was planted by volunteers in 2012 to create an attractive resource for the village.For further details please see here

The Cemetery

The Oakington and Westwick Cemetery can also be accessed from the Car Park. It is a small and quiet cemetery that has been in use in the village for about 50 years since the St Andrews Churchyard became full. A set of rules and tariffs can be found here . Please contact the Clerk for further information.

The Village Green

Situated at the junction of Water Lane and the High Street is a small Village Green. It contains the Village Sign, and a public bench. The village sign commemorates a number of the historical aspects of the area and sits on a plinth containing part of the old Oakington Mill. The area was at one time a pond used for watering passing livestock but was filled in when the need for this passed.

The Martyrs’ Graves

Next to St Andrew’s Churchyard and approached by a path alongside the Churchyard are the three “Martyr’s Graves”.

These are the graves of three 17th century vicars who between them were largely responsible for the establishment of various non-Conformist churches in Cambridgeshire at that time. The Reverend Francis Holcroft and Reverend Joseph Oddey were known as the “Apostles of Cambridgeshire” and were succeeded in their aims and work by the Reverend Henry Osland.

The three were dismissed from their livings, persecuted and imprisoned for their beliefs and actions, which included refusing to take Charles II’s 1662 Oath of Allegiance to the Anglican Church. While imprisoned in Cambridge Castle, a sympathetic warder would sometimes let them out to preach and work in secret. The Reverend Holcroft in particular seems to have established many churches in south Cambridgeshire while supposed to be in prison.

The epitaphs on their graves although now obscure read approximately as follows:

Reverend Holcroft: “Here lyeth the body of Mr Francis Holcroft, Minister of the Gospil, who died January 6th 1692 and in the 50 ninth yeare of his age. Daniel 12th v:3 and they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament and they that turne many to righteousness as the stares for ever and ever.”

Reverend Oddey: “Here lyeth buryed the body of Mr Joseph Oddey, Minister of the Gospell, desesed the third of May 1687. Mark the perfect man, and behould the upright for the end of that man is peace.”

Reverend Osland: “Here lyeth the body of Mr Henry Osland, Minister of the Gospel, who after 17 years faithfull dispensation of the same in Ye Church gathred at Willingham and Cottenham ended this life November Ye 19th Anno Dom. 1711, in Ye 43 year of his age.”

Short life histories of the three have been compiled by the late Mr Ralph Warboys and can be viewed on a notice affixed to the fence surrounding the graves.

Do pay the site a visit if in the area (but be careful to mind your head when entering through the gate to the site).

Although officially in the care of the United Reform Church, in practice maintenance of the Martyr’s Grave site is performed jointly by the Parish Council and various local church groups. Please report to the Parish Council any issues that need attention.