| Swaffham Prior | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Swaffham Prior Location within Cambridgeshire | |
| Area | 7.62 sq mi (19.7 km2) [1] |
| Population | 841 (2011Census)[2] |
| • Density | 110/sq mi (42/km2) |
| OS grid reference | TL567639 |
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | CAMBRIDGE |
| Postcode district | CB25 |
| Dialling code | 01638 |
Swaffham Prior is a small village in East Cambridgeshire, England.
Lying 5 miles west of Newmarket, and two miles south west of Burwell, the village is often paired with its neighbour Swaffham Bulbeck, and are collectively referred to as 'The Swaffhams'. Swaffham Prior was often known as Great Swaffham in past centuries. It should not be confused with the town of Swaffham in Norfolk.
The village is the first in the United Kingdom to use a rural heating network.[3] The 1.7-megawatt system uses a combination of solar panels, heat pumps, underground storage and electric boilers. It delivers heat via a network of heavily insulated pipes under the streets. Homes that connect to it can tap into the heat via existing radiators and hot water appliances without changing equipment.
The installation of the £12 million system was made possible by a £3 million government grant and a local government loan along with resident payments via household bills spread over 60 years. [4]
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- ^ Cite error: The named reference
CCCcensuswas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Key Figures for 2011 Census: Key Statistics. Area: Swaffham Prior (Parish)". ONS. 2013. Retrieved 2 February 2013.
- ^ "About Swaffham Prior's Heat Network". Cambridgeshire County Council. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
- ^ Holton, Kate; Thomas, Natalie; McKay, Hannah (6 December 2023). "Vast village heat pump tests one route to net zero for rural Britain". Reuters. Retrieved 7 December 2023.