A lot has been going on both before and since ‘lockdown.’ It has been said many times how lucky we are to live in the countryside and be able to enjoy the benefits especially during the strange times we are presently experiencing. As well as the changing seasons, there are continuous changes within the village and the map of 2017 has changed as well.

Between the roads to Linton Road and Hildersham we have Pear Tree Gardens, a new housing estate under construction.. On the 1617 map the road to Hildersham was shown as Peare Tree Waye. Was there and will there be pear trees growing once again?

However, as farming methods in this area meant it was relatively undisturbed, that was until in September 2019, when prior to buildings work commencing on this site, a survey was conducted when excavations revealed evidence of Roman occupation with a hoard of 600 coins being found, as well as a roadway of Roman age behind houses on the Cambridge Road. An even earlier find revealed an Iron Age occupation in the form of a round house and flint workings.

Other artefacts discovered were 2 human burials of different eras, animal bones, pottery and broken tiles. Copper coins of low denomination minted in Germany and France. A bronze buckle, possibly from a horse harness and a fragment of of a bracelet also bronze were found.

Local residents were invited to join the team on site to see for themselves the work going on which proved fascinating and adds to the story of Balsham.

The KNS site, formerly the site of the village Blacksmith retains an association with yesteryear with the newly built homes called Farrier’s Yard.

We now have Dairy Way, a smaller housing development where Plumb’s Dairy once stood. The Dairy has relocated to Linton, where the home deliveries of milk and other commodities continues, and has been welcomed during the ‘ lock'down’.