Cambridgeshire Postcodes — England (ENG)

Cambridgeshire

Located in Eastern England, Cambridgeshire is bordered by Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the north-east, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to the west. The county seat is located in Cambridge. Modern Cambridgeshire was established in 1974 as a result of the merger of two administrative counties following the implementation of the Local Government Act of 1972. These counties were Cambridgeshire and Isle of Ely, which included the historic county of Cambridgeshire (including the Isle of Ely), and Huntingdon and Peterborough, which included the historic county of Huntingdonshire and the Soke of Peterborough, which was formerly a part of Northamptonshire. Silicon Fen is primarily located within the county of Cambridgeshire.

Cambridgeshire is now governed by two different councils: the county council (known as Cambridgeshire County Council) and the city council (known as Peterborough City Council) of Peterborough, which has existed as its own authority since 1998. Cambridge City Council, East Cambridgeshire District Council, Fenland District Council, Huntingdonshire District Council, and South Cambridgeshire District Council are the five district councils in the non-metropolitan county. The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, however, has brought the county back together since 2017.

Flag Fen, in Fengate, Cambridgeshire, is notable as the site of one of the earliest-known Neolithic permanent communities in the United Kingdom, second only to Balbridie, in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The Must Farm quarry near Whittlesey has been called "Britain's Pompeii" because of the remarkably well-preserved Bronze Age buildings discovered there. Large numbers of artifacts from the Stone Age, Bronze Age, and Iron Age have been unearthed in East Cambridgeshire. Isleham was the most prolific location for discoveries. Beginning in the fifth century, the area was populated by Anglo-Saxons. Five of the seven bones tested were either migrants themselves or derived from migrants from the continent; one was a native Briton; and one had both continental and native heritage, suggesting mixing. The skeletons were discovered in Anglo-Saxon era tombs in Hinxton and Oakington.

Cambridgeshire and the Isle of Ely were formed in 1965 by the merger of these two administrative counties.

To the west, Huntingdonshire and the Soke of Peterborough amalgamated in 1965 to become the county of Huntingdon and Peterborough, which united with its neighbor in 1972 under the Local Government Act (the latter previously a part of Northamptonshire with its own county council). Since Cambridge was the county seat, it was given the name Cambridgeshire.  Peterborough, as a unitary authority region, has been independently governed since 1998. It shares ceremonial roles with Cambridgeshire, such as the Lieutenancy, and operational roles, such as the police and fire departments, with the county. The conservation organization Plantlife unofficially declared the pasqueflower to be the county flower of Cambridgeshire in 2002.  The Cambridgeshire Regiment, located in the county, participated in the Boer War in South Africa, World War I, and World War II with the moniker "Fen Tigers." For the RAF Bomber Command, RAF Fighter Command, and the allied USAAF, the county was an ideal location for airport construction during World War II because of its flat terrain and its proximity to the continent. Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial, located in Madingley, is a testament to the friendship and cooperation that existed between the two countries. To my knowledge, this is the only cemetery in England where American servicemen from World War II are laid to rest. 

One can be called a "Tyke" from Yorkshire or a "Yellowbelly" from Lincolnshire, among the many other county-specific nicknames used in England. Cambridgeshire natives have been referred to in the past by the monikers "Cambridgeshire Came and "Cambridgeshire Crane," after the wildfowl that used to thrive in the region's Fens. In the Fens, locals are sometimes referred to as "Fen Tigers," a derogatory term for the region's inhabitants. 

Although it shares the same maritime temperate climate as the rest of the United Kingdom, Cambridgeshire is drier than the national average due to its low altitude and easterly location. The prevailing southwesterly winds have already deposited moisture on higher ground further to the west. Cambridgeshire's inland location and proximity to continental Europe cause the moderating maritime influence to be less strong, leading to cooler-than-average winter temperatures compared to the rest of England. Due to the relatively mild winters and the occasional snowfall that is brought by the easterly winds from the North Sea, snowfall is slightly more common than in western areas. Less cloud cover in the summer allows for temperatures that are on par with or slightly above average. About ten days a year, the temperature hits 25 degrees Celsius (77 degrees Fahrenheit), making it about as warm as parts of Kent and East Anglia.

Economic Analysis and Working Group plc is headquartered in Huntingdon. Multiple RAF bases can be found between Huntingdon and St. Ives. When falling into disuse after the United States Air Force left, RAF Alconbury, located three miles north of Huntingdon, is undergoing a makeover to become the nerve center for RAF/USAFE intelligence operations, with the former bases of Upwood and Molesworth being closed. The majority of Cambridgeshire is still used for farming. Silicon Fen is a cluster of electronics, computer, and biotechnology firms located in close proximity to Cambridge. The headquarters of ARM Limited can be found in the Cherry Hinton neighborhood. The county's sole remaining port is the inland Port of Wisbech on the River Nene.