Cambridge academics think that the older part (Bronze Age/Saxon) of the village of Bassingbourn is the stretch of North End that includes Guilden Gate. This is because of the regularity of the divisions, the fact that they all go right back to the "back side" path and were totally surrounded by water.

The Bassingbourn parish register shows a Baptism on Nov 12 1562 of William Guilden, a Burial on March 16 1603 of Symond Gyldinge, (an old man!) and a burial on Nov 25, 1613 of a Gilding, widow. We had thought the land was connected to the Guild of the Holy Trinity who produced a Mystery Play in 1511, but perhaps as the Guild was disbanded in 1540's that's a red herring and the land was named after a family?

Certainly by the early 17th century the land had become know as Guilden's Grove and was attracting a Land Tax of 5s! The Saggers familly were living and working in Bassingbourn and the neigbouring 'Bleak Farm' and various other plots of land in North End were farmed by the familly at this time. Edward Saggers bought the 'Guilden Gate' field sometime in the 18th century and it has been in the family ever since.