Since Sir Francis Pemberton bought the 1,000-acre estate in 1675, the Pemberton family have been at the heart of Trumpington. The Estate has gone through many changes over the years, but the family remain constant, with the same aim: to enhance the landscape and secure it for future generations.
Sir Francis Pemberton, by Thomas Athow — Harvard Law School Library, public domain
1675
Sir Francis Pemberton, Lord Chief Justice of England, purchases the Trumpington estate — one thousand acres for one thousand golden guineas. The original receipt still sits in the family archives today.
Early 1700's
The Pembertons build a three-storey red brick house at the heart of the estate. Trumpington Hall remains the family home today.
1715
The Pemberton family take up permanent residence at Trumpington, having originally come from Pemberton in Lancashire.
Early 1900's
The heart of Trumpington village is still home to three working farms. Farming, then as now, is the foundation of the estate.
1935
Sir Francis Pemberton begins farming at Trumpington — laying the groundwork for the modern operation.
1939–45
During the Second World War, Trumpington Hall is turned into a Red Cross hospital. It is home to nearly 1,400 injured soldiers under the care of Viola Pemberton.
1957
Bringing together generations of experience on the estate, Trumpington Farm Company is established as the modern farming arm of the business.
1970's onwards
Over the following decades, the estate diversifies steadily — adding residential and commercial property, amenity services, fishing syndicates, environmental stewardship and, more recently, renewables.
2012
The estate is awarded the Cambridgeshire Diamond Jubilee Wood by the Woodland Trust. Sixty acres of new native woodland are planted at Cantelupe Farm over the next year. The same year, we are awarded the GWCT East Anglian Grey Partridge Award and the East of England Agricultural Society Award for Countryside Management.
2025
The estate is reimagined as The Trumpington Group: a Family Office comprising a finance, property, development, conservation and leisure business spanning around 8,000 acres of farmed land, a substantial property portfolio, and a leading role in the future development of the Cambridge southern fringe and the Cambridge Biomedical Campus.