Bar Hill facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bar Hill |
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 Multi-denominational church |
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 Bar Hill
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| Population | 4,032 (2011 Census) |
| OS grid reference | TL3863 |
| Civil parish |
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| District |
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| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | CAMBRIDGE |
| Postcode district | CB23 |
| Dialling code | 01954 |
| Police | Cambridgeshire |
| Fire | Cambridgeshire |
| Ambulance | East of England |
| EU Parliament | East of England |
| UK Parliament |
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Bar Hill is a special village in England. It was built on purpose, meaning it was planned from scratch. About 4,000 people live there.
The village is located about 4 miles (7 km) northwest of Cambridge. It sits near the A14 road. It's also just east of the Prime Meridian, an imaginary line that divides the Earth.
Contents
History of Bar Hill
Before Bar Hill was built, this area was just a farm called Bar Farm. The farm got its name from a "toll bar." This was like a gate on the old Roman Road nearby. You had to pay a small fee to pass through it. The old farmhouse and the toll gate building are still in the village today.
Planning the Village
In the late 1950s, there weren't enough homes in South Cambridgeshire. So, people started planning a new village. In 1959, a large piece of land (350 acres) was bought.
The idea was to create a self-contained community. This means it would have everything its residents needed. They planned for about 1,200 homes. These homes would be on "closes," which are short roads with no way out, inside a main ring road.
Building Bar Hill
Building work started in 1965. The first people moved into their new homes in May 1967. The original company building the village sold the project in 1968. Building then stopped for 18 months.
In the same year, a shopping mall opened in the village center. It had 14 shops, including a supermarket. A primary school also opened for the children.
Growth and Development
Bar Hill grew quickly in the 1970s. A pub, a church, and a hotel with a golf course were built. By 1975, 1,673 people lived in 599 homes.
The first supermarket closed in 1976. But a very large Tesco store opened in 1977. It had a huge car park. A village hall was finished in 1979. The village kept expanding in the 1980s.
The last house of the original plan was finished in 1989. This was 23 years after building started. The village population was over 5,000 people by then.
In 2014, Bar Hill experienced heavy rain. Over 100mm of rain fell in about 30 minutes. This caused many parts of the village to flood.
Life in Bar Hill
Bar Hill has many facilities for its residents. There's a shopping mall with a big Tesco Extra supermarket. You can also find a library, which includes a post office.
The village has a primary school and a church. The church was rebuilt in 1991 and welcomes people from different faiths. There's also a pub called The Fox.
Recreation and Community
For outdoor fun, Bar Hill has two main playgrounds. These are located near the Village Green. There are also smaller play areas around the village.
You can find an enclosed Astro football pitch and two tennis courts. A skate park was built but later taken down. However, residents are working to build a new one.
The village also has an 18-hole golf course and a hotel. There are two large fields. Locals call one "The village green." These fields are used for sports and village events, like the annual village fête.
Bar Hill was first built with a ring road around it. But as it grew, new areas were added outside this road. An example is the "Gleneagles" development, which overlooks the golf course.
Village Organizations
The Bar Hill Residents' Association has supported the village since 1967. They publish a magazine called the Bar Hill News. It comes out almost every month.
In 2021, a new group started called the Bar Hill Community Association. This charity aims to support the village. They now produce the Bar Hill News magazine.
A local historian, Roger Hall, wrote a book about the village's history. It's called "Bar Hill - A Social History 1949 to 2001." After he passed away, his historical records were given to the Bar Hill Community Association.
In 2017, Bar Hill benefited from a big road project. This was the A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon Improvement Scheme. It was completed in 2020.
As of 2024, the village hotel is temporarily providing accommodation for people who have recently arrived in England.
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Tesco Extra supermarket
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The village church
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The village hall and a field
Getting Around Bar Hill
The main way to get to Bar Hill by road is via the B1050. This road connects to Junction 25 of the A14. The A1307 road also meets here.
There is a cycle path called The Drift. It connects Bar Hill to Dry Drayton. You can also find other paths that lead to nearby villages like Lolworth and Longstanton.
See also
In Spanish: Bar Hill para niños
