The abandoned Cambridgeshire village that dates back to the 13th century

Over the years, there have been many villages in Cambridgeshire that have been lost in time. Although these places were occupied centuries ago, some of them have left little to no physical trace of their existence.

However, there are some historical records of the settlements that allow us to understand more about them. This includes where they once were, how many people lived there and why they were deserted.

Howes is a prime example of a settlement in the county that no longer exists. The village is an abandoned medieval area and its history is believed to stretch back to the 13th century.

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The hamlet of Howes was located on Huntingdon Road between Girton and Cambridge. It's thought that occupation of the settlement began somewhere between 1150 and 1210, with no more than eight or 10 houses at any one time.

It was recorded by 1219 when it had some surrounding arable land. It was inhabited for a number of years, with crofts and closes extended into Impington, Chesterton, and Cambridge.

Its name, which means 'barrow', might have been gained from the several Romano-British burial mounds in the area. One of these was uncovered during construction of the Huntingdon Road turnpike all the way back in 1745.

Archaeologists believe that the settlement continued to increase in size until the mid to late 14th century. It began its decline from the early to mid 15th century.

By 1600, there was no record of the village and the site was seemingly abandoned shortly after. Nowadays, much of the settlement lies underneath Huntingdon Road, with the name itself living on in nearby areas such as the Howes Close sports ground and Howes Place development.

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