Six Mile Bottom

There are those of you who will believe that I stopped to take this photo simply so that I could use the name of the place as the subject line. I am not going to comment on that view. The place name is real and it's an important turning point on the route from the A11 to the site of the old RAF Stradishall; I've been there on the last two Thursdays so I'm getting the hang of it. This time I was shown round the education department and vocational training workshops at both sites which was very interesting and I also had a meeting with some or the education staff and a resident. 

After I came out I also had a look at the old runway, which is now a nature reserve and a large solar farm, and went to the RAF memorial which is outside the old officers accommodation - now a training centre for the prison service.

This is is old railway station at Six Mile Bottom. It was opened in 1848 and the station buildings were added to at times during the growth of rail traffic. The line runs from Cambridge to Newmarket although it was originally Newmarket to Great Chesterford and the station served the local farms so a cattle dock was built next to one of the platforms. The line was used to carry race horses to and from Newmarket before the growth of road transport. The station closed in 1966 and the line was reduced to single track but it's still in use. The station is a private residence.

I suppose you are still stuck on the name aren't you?

It is six miles from the start of Newmarket racecourse and it is in the bottom of a slight valley - though this is East Anglia and it is generally flatter than a very flat thing so it's not what the rest of the world might think of as a valley - except friends in the Netherlands.

Note: Blipped on Friday because the phone and PC were having a bit of a domestic and the phone wouldn't hand the photos over for looking at and editing and stuff. It's all sorted now I think.