Meldreth Matters, April 2022

Last Month’s Cover Photograph Last month’s cover photograph (right) prompted a couple of responses from readers. The first was from Bethan Smith, who pointed out that the photograph shows Meldreth Road, Shepreth.

(North End, Meldreth is in the background.)

The second was from John Elbourn, who called me to say that the photograph brought back very distinct memories of a day in 1940 when he was 11 years old.

John explained that during the Battle of Britain, a bomb landed near the bridge shown in the photograph, rendering the road impassable. His grandfather's traction engine was used to repair the road. John told me that following this incident, the brick wall of the bridge over Guilden Brook, shown in the photograph, was rebuilt in 1940 or 1941.

John’s memory is confirmed by Geoff Rayner in his book, “One Hurricane, One Raid”. Geoff wrote: On 31st August 1940 at about 08.30 hours between 120 and 140 High Explosive Bombs were dropped in two more or less continuous lines at fairly regular intervals of about 50 yards; the distance between the two lines varied from coincidence to about 100 yards.

They started on Manor Farm, Fowlmere … One bomb fell on the western grass verge about 100 yards south of the Fowlmere turn. The side of the road was damaged, but one-way traffic was always practicable. The road was reopened fully by Saturday evening. There was a house within 50 yards of the point where the bomb fell, which suffered no damage. The line of bombs continued across stubble to the Hitchin-Cambridge railway, close to the Cam Blue Lias Cement Works, about half way between Meldreth and Shepreth stations.

4