Cambridge District Scout Archive
On 5th June 1935 Cambridge District split into four Districts. It had been working as three sub districts for a year before the split. The apparently late addition of West Cambridge moved some groups from Cambridge and South Cambridge. North Cambridge was renamed East Cambridge and then quickly became Mid Cambridgeshire.
The records of South Cambridge, later Granta, have not come down to the current Cambridge District Scout Archives. Some peripheral information has been gathered from The Scouter and around the very early years of the division. Records of County activity has provided some later information.
The following Groups have been identified as initially belonging South Cambridge – two being allocated to the late addition of West Cambridge in 1935 – the point at which the three administrative Sub divisions of ‘Cambridge’ were split into four Districts. West Cambridge was the ‘new’ area. The bottom three were restarted shortly afterwards.
Within a few years some names altered. Abington was Abington, Babraham & Hildersham from first registration but often shortened. Below 1935 list is from a District camp and may not be complete.
| 1935 | Previously | 1939 | 1946 | |
| Abington, Babraham & Hildersham | 25th Cambridge | South Cambridgeshire | ||
| Foxton and District | 40th Cambridge | South Cambridgeshire | X | |
| Pampisford | 47th Cambridge | South Cambridgeshire | ||
| Papworth | 50th Cambridge | West Cambridgeshire | ||
| Whittlesford Sea Scouts | 51st Cambridge | South Cambridgeshire | X | X |
| Harston and Haslingfied | 56th Cambridge | South Cambridgeshire | ||
| Harston | X | |||
| Great Shelford | 61st Cambridge | South Cambridgeshire | X | |
| Sawston | 52nd Cambridge | South Cambridgeshire | ||
| Balsham | 1st Cambridge District | South Cambridgeshire | ||
| Duxford | 3rd Cambridge District | South Cambridgeshire | ||
| Duxford & Hinx | X | |||
| Hinxton | X | |||
| Melbourn and Meldreth | 4th Cambridge District | South Cambridgeshire | X | X |
| Barton | 17th Cambridge District | West Cambridgeshire | ||
| Shelford & Stapleford | X | |||
| Grantchester | X | |||
| Thriplow | X | |||
| Foxton | X | |||
| Linton | 1935 | X | X | |
| West Wratting | 1935 1937 | X |
The records concerning this new District have not been retained in Cambridge District Archives. Peripheral mentions do exist. West Wratting and Linton started in the first year of operation 1935. Sawston is mentioned in 1935 but no later records have yet been located. Barton, which moved to the late additional District West Cambridge, closed after the ill health and resignation of their GSL Miss Bickerstaff.
South Cambridgeshire became Granta in 1974 at the time when the large Cambridge District split once again into the initially purely administrative districts of Cambridge North, Cambridge South and Cambridge Crafts Hill. They cited other boundary changes at this time. The Census of 1974 listed
| 1st Abington | |
| Chesterford | |
| 1st Harston | |
| Linton | |
| Melbourne and Meldreth | |
| 1st Sawston | |
| Shelford and Stapleford | |
| 1st Whittlesford | |
| South Cambridge VSU |
with 262 Cubs, 144 scouts, 22 Ventures and 61 Scouters and Instructors = 489. Duxford were active in 1968 swimming gala – it is not known why they are missing from the census below. Shelford was listed as ‘Shelford in the 1968 Gals and Shelford and Stapleford in the 1969 Gala. It may have been a space saving measure.
Grantchester was in existence in 1972 and re-registered in March 1973, the leaders resigning in 1977 as there was ‘now lots to do in the parish’. It is not clear why it is not in the 1974 Census above. Reg as 40510 with a green scarf and an owl badge on the back., emblem of supporter Lord Grantchester. They met in the Youth hut, Stapleford Road Grantchester and were 21 Cubs and 3 Scouts in 1973. The new District badge was for sale at 6.5p.
Mid ’70s Essex made moves to re-integrate Chesterford, which along with Hadstock is in the County of Essex. They apparently did so without initially discussing their approach with the Group. The move was not successful.
In 1998 the following Groups participated in the Granta District camp. The number of Cubs attending is only an indication of overall numbers (the final total was 160) and the list may not include all the Groups then in existence.
| Abington | |
| Babraham | 15 |
| Barrington | 12/15 |
| Fowlmere | 20 |
| Melbourn | 22 |
| Orwell | 15 |
| Sawston | 20 |
| Shelford and Stapleford | 15/20 |
| Whittlesford (two packs) | 15 + 15/20 |
In 1999 one further Group is listed as attending District camp.
| Balsham |
JWR Archivist May 2020
Cambridge District Scout Archive 