Litlington, Cambridgeshire

The parish of Litlington covers in a thin north–south rectangular shape. Its southern border runs along the county border with Hertfordshire on the Icknield Way that now follows the A505. Its northern border with Abington Pigotts follows a stream, and its western and eastern boundary with Steeple Morden and Bassingbourn follow field boundaries. The ancient track Ashwell Street runs through the parish just south of the village, and the parish has been occupied continuously for over 2000 years. A Roman villa probably dating from the 2nd century AD and containing 30 rooms was discovered just west of the village in 1829 and was excavated in 1881, 1913 and 2010. The name "Litlington" means "farmstead of the family or followers of a man called Lytel". Sir William de Notton, a leading politician and judge who died in 1365 held the manor of Litlington in the mid-fourteenth century. ==Church==

The parish church of St Catherine consists of a chancel with vestry, aisled and clerestoried nave with south porch and west tower. The earliest parts of the church, including the base of the tower, date from the 13th century. The tower itself is mostly 14th century, and once had a short spire. The church was extensively refurbished at the start of the 19th century, and with the addition of a gallery increased its capacity to around 500. ==Village life==

Litlington's one remaining public house, The Crown, which opened in the late 19th century, has now closed. Other former pubs include the Robin Hood and Little John, recorded in the early 19th century and closing around 1910. It was named after a local legend that an arrow fired by Robin Hood at the village's chalkpit had grown into a thorn tree. The Seven Stars also opened in the late 19th century. The Horse and Groom, in the south west corner of the parish, straddling the border with Steeple Morden, was open in the late 18th century to serve travellers on the turnpike. It closed towards the end of the 20th century. ==Time Team==

"There's A Villa Here Somewhere" was an episode of Time Team first transmitted on 7 November 2010. "A quiet Cambridgeshire village gets the full Time Team treatment as Tony and the digging team hunt for the missing remains of what is believed to be one of Britain's biggest Roman villas, and a walled roman cemetery." The dig was focused around a copse to the south-west of Anvil Avenue. ==References==