Chesterton to Quayside River Walk, Cambridge (4 miles)

Today’s walk is one of my Sunday morning favourites, not least because half way we get to have croque madames in Cafe Rouge!  Although today was dry and bright it is a great walk to do if you want to get out but it has been wet - you are on pathways all the time.  The route is well used by walkers, runners and cyclists both for leisure and commuting into and out of the Cambridge.

If you want a longer walk then you can start further up the river at Milton or even Fen Ditton (see my previous walk from Clayhithe)

For this specific route though we park in Water Street in Chesterton but anywhere in Chesterton is fine, just make your way to the Green Dragon pub and cross the road and go over the bridge.

River Cam from the Green Dragon Bridge

Once over the river you are now on Stourbridge Common.  Take the path to the right and follow it along the river.  Really that’s all you need to know - river on your right on the way and on your left coming back but there are a few markers along the way:

Once you leave Stourbridge Common walk along Riverside and past the bridge and alongside the tall brick chimney of the Cambridge Museum of Technology.  Follow Riverside on and under Elizabeth Way bridge.

Cambridge Museum of Technology

You are now on Midsummer Common.  Again follow the river through the common with the University boat houses on the other bank.  There will not be many days that there are not rowers out but Sunday mornings it is almost guaranteed!

Carry on past the back of Midsummer House restaurant and the Fort St George pub and under Victoria Avenue bridge.

The other side of the bridge is now Jesus Green.  Go on past the open air swimming pool to the lock.  Keep going keeping the river on your right until you reach the wooden boardwalk of Quayside.

Jesus Green, Cambridge

Walk along Quayside with Magdalene College on the other bank.  In peak times the punt touts operate from this area, don’t be afraid to firmly say no if you don’t want a punt!  Equally it is a lovely trip onwards through the colleges and along a part of the river you can’t normally see unless you belong to the university.  Don’t be afraid to haggle on the price either!

Personally we normally go left at Magdalene Street and just along a few yards for brunch and those croque madames!

The return route is just back the way you came but this morning we did a slight detour turning right up Magdalene Street and over the river.  Cross at the crossroads and walk up towards Castle Hill.  Once at Cambridgeshire County Council’s Shire Hall take the gap in the wall on your right and through the car park to the Castle Mound.  It’s just a short climb up the mound to take in the view across Cambridge.

Cambridge University Library from Castle Mound

Return back down Castle Hill, across the crossroads but now turn left and walk along Chesterton Lane and then Chesterton Road until you reach a metal bridge on your right crossing the river over the weir.  Turn left once on the other bank and return along the tow path with the river on your left until you reach the Green Dragon bridge.  Cross here to return to your car.

Our route was: 4 miles

See the route on mapometer.com

Terrain: Flat (slight incline if you detour to Castle Hill, sharper incline if you climb the mound). Tarmac path all the way except for small section of wooden staging at Quayside.  Cattle grids and pedestrian swing gates. 

Habitats: River, common land, park, urban.
Facilities: Public toilets on Midsummer Common (off route) or at the lock on Jesus Green and Quayside (on route).

Green Dragon pub at start, Fort St George on route, various cafes and restaurants along Quayside and Magdalene Street.

Note:  Stourbridge and Midsummer Common often have cattle grazing although they are well used to passers-by.

Holkham & Wells Circular, Norfolk (4.6 miles)

Holkham is a village on the north Norfolk coast and has a magnificent beach stretching for miles.  This walk takes in the beach east to Wells-next-the-Sea and returns back through pine woods.  The walk is part of the Norfolk Coastal Path which stretches from Hunstanton to Cromer.  The walk can be undertaken in many stages and is shadowed by the Coasthopper bus service so you can always walk and bus back if you want to go further.

Holkam is also home to Holkham Hall and Estate which we also visited briefly.  If you pay for the day when parking near the beach this can be used in the park also.  Check website for opening times and other prices.

We were lucky when we visited the beach as the tide was low.  Having seen the tide line I would recommend checking the tide times and walking at low tide to appreciate the beach at its best.

Parking is available in Lady Anne’s Drive, opposite The Victoria, in Holkham.

Holkham beach

After parking go through the gates and follow the pathway in front to the beach viewing area.  Take the boardwalk to the right until you reach a bench.  Go down the boardwalk onto the beach basin.

Walk straight ahead and turn right in front of the sand dunes.  The sand on Holkham beach is beautifully soft but for ease of walking we prefer to go right down to the shore line - obviously how far this will be will depend on the tide.

Follow the beach for about 2 miles until you see the beach huts of Wells on your right.  If the tide allows, walk in front of the small dunes headland and then turn up the beach following the boat channel which will then be on your left.  

Beach huts at Wells-next-the-Sea

At the top of the beach head for the boardwalk under the lifeguard and go up the sloped roadway.  Once at the top of the slope you will see Wells harbour and the long straight pathway that runs alongside and heads to the town in the distance.  

If you aren’t detouring to visit the town, take a right down the steps, stopping at The Beach Cafe for refreshments if you wish (toilets are opposite the cafe).  For the return journey take the path that runs alongside the righthand side of the car park.  Go through the gateway and take the left track into the nature reserve.

Follow the wide sandy track along the edge of the pinewoods for about a mile and a half until you reach Lady Anne’s Drive again.

Wells harbour looking towards the town

Our route was: 4.55 miles
See the route on mapometer.com
Terrain: mostly flat, sand, sandy paths,
Habitat: beach, dunes, pine woods
Facilities: Toilets and beach cafe at Wells.  Further toilets and Stables cafe at Holkham Estate (parking charges apply if not included in your beach parking).  Note:  Good to see gluten free options available in both cafes

Quy Fen, Lode, Cambridgeshire (4.8 miles)

This walk starts at Lode in Cambridgeshire.  Parking in the National Trust Anglesey Abbey car park is recommended and free.  There are refreshments and toilets available just inside the Visitor centre (if you are not NT members you don’t have to pay to just go this far in) but check opening times.

The route is part of The Quy Fen walks and we followed the map available as part of the leaflet available to download.  However, we did go wrong and missed out a section that would have taken us to Quy and back in along Quy Water.  I have given both routes below - the one we should have taken and the one we actually walked.  There are lots of alternative pathways around and across the Quy Fen so you could walk much less and a little more than us.  We will take the OS map next time though!

Park at the far end of the main car park and head to a yellow marker post in the corner where the main car park meets the grass overflow car park.  Follow the path that runs the length of the overflow car park.  Take a left, then right behind the tennis court and past the allotments and houses.  Go over the water and just past the mill on your left but take the marked pathway on your right and keep straight ahead.  

Mill Lane, Lode

Follow the track along the field and into a small wood.  Turn right and then once out of the wood turn left.  Follow this bridleway and then take the turning on the right.  Keep going to the bottom of the bridleway and continue on as it becomes a meadow.  Take a diagonal across the meadow, you will pass a pond on your right.  Go over the small bridge at the end and enter Quy Fen.

Quy Fen, Lode

Follow the grass track diagonally left across the meadow and through the gate.  Take the small path ahead of you and come out with a larger rectangle pond on your left.

You have two alternatives here.  A. take the track alongside the long length of the pond, underneath the pylons take a track on your left then eventually left again back under the pylons or B. go straight on at the pond through a copse until you come out in a large meadow.  Take a diagonal grass track across the meadow to a gate in the top left hand corner (it is round a bend in the field so you can’t see it as you enter).  Eventually both these options should bring you out at a bridleway signposted to Quy which will take you past Allicy Farm.  Once past the farm carry on to the left.  

This is where we went wrong.  When you reach a fork - we took a left track back towards Lode and through Quy Fen the way we came when we should have gone right to Quy which would have added about a mile to the walk.  The instructions below are for the Quy option.

Going right at the fork the bridleway will make a right turn, follow this towards Station Road, veering off to the left just before to cut out the roadway.  Make a sharp left hand turn at Quy Water and walk back towards Lode along the waterway.  Follow the water all the way back to Quy Mill, going around the back and turning left back alongside the allotments, across in front of the tennis court and back through Anglesey Abbey car park.

Quy Mill, Lode

Our route was: 4.77 miles
See the route on mapometer.com
The Quy route was: 5.66 miles
See the route on mapometer.com
Terrain: Flat, grass tracks, bridleways - could be muddy in wet weather
Habitat: Waterways, meadows, woodland, farmland, ponds - livestock may be grazing.  Dogs allowed but must be kept under control.
Facilities: Toilets and refreshments at Anglesey Abbey during opening times.

Houghton - St Ives - The Hemingfords - Houghton, Cambridgeshire (4.5 miles)

This walk starts in the village of Houghton at Houghton Mill, goes through St Ives and onto Hemingford Grey, Hemingford Abbots and back to Houghton.  Parts of the walk are on the Ouse Valley Way. 

The car park is free (for National Trust members).  We attempted this walk once before (without a map or instructions!) but went wrong somewhere and ended up walking around Houghton Meadows - which are nice but not where we were aiming for!  Anyway, the instructions below are taken from the National Trust website and were pretty good.  We stopped in St Ives at The River Tea Rooms for refreshments but there are numerous shops cafes and pubs on route in St Ives and and the National Trust cafe at Houghton Mill.

I can’t say it was the most exciting walk we’ve done, it didn't go along the river as much as we thought it would but it’s a fairly easy 5/6 miles.  

It was a dry warm day but you should be aware that some sections of the walk are prone to flooding in wet weather.

Houghton Mill

Houghton Mill is open to the public (check website for opening times) and if you want a nice view take a quick detour along the caravan site field to the river bank and look back towards the mill.

Take the path diagonally across Houghton Mill car park and through the kissing gate and turn right into the narrow path called Love Lane.

Turn right onto Thicket Road and follow it straight on until it becomes a path.
This path is tarmac right the way to St Ives.  Half way down you come to ‘The Thicket’ which is an short alternative pathway up into woodland if you wish.  If not just carry on along the tarmac pathway.

Continue on this path alongside the river to St Ives to come out opposite All Saints' Parish Church. Holt Island Nature Reserve is over the bridge on your right (Holt Island was closed and appears only to be open weekends and Bank Holidays) and the Norris Museum is just ahead.

St Ives, Cambridgeshire

Walk along The Broadway to the Victoria Memorial and take the right branch along Merryland.

Take the first right hand turn down Bridge Street, St. Ives just before you get to Market Hill and go over the bridge.
The River  Tea Rooms are down a small passageway on the right just before you cross the bridge.

Turn right through The Dolphin car park and out onto Hemingford Meadow. Walk across the meadow, following the path diagonally left.  Keep to this path until you reach a stile at the far side This is now a metal gate. 

Follow Meadow Lane until it bends sharply left and a track comes in from the right.

Take a small path straight ahead that comes out on a road. Follow the path ahead until you reach another road.

Turn right at the road to Hemingford Grey church.
Turn abruptly left alongside the graveyard to follow a path along the riverbank. 

Hemingford Meadows

Follow the path keeping the river on your right to the far end of the High Street then turn right to continue along the riverbank.

The path crosses two meadows then leads alongside a mobile home park into Hemingford Abbots.

Turn right along the road until you reach the Axe and Compass pub.

Take the next road on the right after the pub (this isn’t immediately after the pub but about  100m down the road) beside the post box and follow this over the Black Bridge. 

Cross Hemingford Meadow to a lock and follow the path back to Houghton Mill.

Our route was: 5.47 miles
See the route on mapometer.com
Terrain: Flat (if miss out The Thicket), tarmac and grass paths
Habitat: Meadow, River, Woodland, Urban
Facilities: Cafe and toilets at Houghton Mill (check website for opening times), Refreshments in St Ives, Axe & Compass Pub in Hemingford Abbots

Anglesey Abbey, Cambridgeshire (2.5 miles)

Anglesey Abbey is a National Trust property near Lode in Cambridgeshire.  As well as the house and mill, there are extensive gardens, walks, a woodland discovery trail, hide, meadows, a river and a pond.  It is famous for snow drops in the early Spring and can get extremely busy at that time and during specific events over the school holiday period.  Parking is free but there is an entrance cost if you are not a NT member.  

There are many ways to wander around the gardens and parkland of Anglesey Abbey but the route we often take goes around the edge and takes in a little of all the habitats.  

Anglesey Abbey

Once through the visitors centre entrance go straight on, turn right and then take a small path on your left.  Follow this path through a small woodland area until you come to the end and bear right.  

Go over the avenue of trees and through a small gateway.  Follow the path to the left again until you reach the end.  Cross over again and bear right slightly until you reach the entrance to the wildlife discovery area.  

Go over the small bridge and stay left, walk past the tree house and through the pathway lined with logs.  Keep going into the wood and when given an option stay left until you end up going around the back of the wood and start to return down the other side.  Take a quick detour here to your right to visit the hide but be sure to return to the same pathway.  Continue along until you reach the end of the discovery trail, past the sightings blackboard and over another bridge.  

Turn left and follow the track down back towards the house.  Go past the house and croquet lawn and turn left down the side of the house.  Go straight across and follow this pathway through a gateway.  Follow the path as it winds its way towards the river.  Go right along the river towards the mill.  

Autumn in the Anglesey Abbey gardens

Turn right at the mill and follow the pathway.  Keep following the path through the silver birch garden and carry on through gardens until it brings you back out at the visitor centre.

Our route was: 2.47 miles
See the route on mapometer.com
Terrain: Flat, mixture of gravel paths, grass and bare paths
Habitat: Gardens, meadows, river, woodland
Facilities: Free parking. Toilets, shop and restaurant in the visitor centre, toilets by the house, Eco-toilet in the discovery woodland section.
Why not have a look at my other photos from Anglesey Abbey and also those from their winter lights display

Rampton Fields, Woods and Giant's Hill (1.25 miles)

This is our go-to walk for a quick burst of fresh air and exercise.  There is parking available at Rampton village hall.  The route can get very muddy in the winter and after heavy rain so wellies are advisable then and the ground is uneven in some parts.

From the hall cross the road and turn right.  There is a small pathway on your left leading to All Saint's church.  Follow this pathway, stopping to visit the church if you want - it is one of only two thatched churches in Cambridgeshire - then carry on the grass path to the right of the church and through the gate.

Once in the field turn left and walk to the top of the field and through the gate at the end.  Take the track that runs at the edge of this field towards the woodland area at the top.

Once in the woodland follow the pathway ahead of you as it takes you around the back of the woods.

Rampton wood walk

Once you come to a junction you have two options.  Either go right past the bench then turn left and follow the field; or carry on through the woodland and leave the wood by the small slope and turn right.  Follow this track to the edge of the field alongside a small ditch.  (If you wish to extend your walk to Cottenham go over the wooden bridge turning left to walk along the bank of The Cut.)

Follow the edge of this field until you reach a metal gate and a kissing gate.  Go through the gate and turn right going over the field to another set of gates.  Here you again have two options - if you want to visit Giant’s Hill, the site of a medieval castle, follow the field around to the left and go through the gateway.  Leave the hill by the small gap in the hedge which takes you out onto the main road.  Take a right and walk back to the car park.  If not then walk diagonally across the field and through the gate way onto the road, turn right and walk back to the car park.  The map shows this route.

Rampton woods

Our route was: 1.25 miles
See the route on mapometer.com
Terrain: Flat grass or bare paths uneven in places
Habitat: Meadow, farmland, woodland, pond (Giant's Hill)
Facilities: The Black Horse pub

Southwold to Walberswick, Suffolk (6.3 miles)

Although we have been to Southwold many times we’ve never been to Walberswick so we thought we’d do one of the popular walks in this area.  I had found various versions of it online and thought I had it all planned out but we did get lost - twice at least!  The map shows the version we ended up doing - we went wrong somewhere in the Walberswick nature reserve and never did walk through the reed beds as I had anticipated!  As we weren’t sure where we were, or how far we would have to go to eventually get back to the village, you’ll see we ended up doubling back while we could still see the church.  We stopped for lunch in The Anchor - a bit of a shame they don’t just do sandwiches but the fishcake and chips were lovely.  We both really liked pretty Walberswick, a contrast to the madness of Southwold at this time of year, so we will go back to get lost some more!

Although there is parking in various places around Southwold, we parked in a free car park on Ferry Road and because we needed a toilet stop and had just past one we went left towards Southwold first.  We then cut down a footpath that runs along side the road and comes out at the Harbour.  If you don’t need a toilet detour (and don’t worry we later found some at the Harbour - near the caravan site - anyway!) then take a right out of the car park and walk up to the end of Ferry Road.  

The ferry crossing from Southwold to Walberswick

Turn right down the harbour wall.  Here you will find the ferry if you wish to cross this way (the ferry operates in the summer only and closes for lunch). However, we walked alongside the River Blythe with its boats and fish shacks, passing The Harbour Inn, until we reached a metal bridge to cross over to Walberswick.  

Once over the bridge we carried straight on up a well-trodden track.  This will eventually become a tarmac surface.  We followed this until we came to the village.  Here instead of going into the village we followed the bridle way and then a pathway to the right going into the nature reserve.  It was around here, an open access area, we became unsure of which direction we were heading and how far it was going to be.  We followed a path through some heathland until we came to a bench in the corner on the left where we took stock and seeing that it was nearly lunch time decided to return back to the village. 

Once back on the road we followed Church Lane past St Andrew’s church and ruins turning left onto The Street.  We walked right down this road (no footpath) until we reached The Anchor on the right hand side where we stopped for lunch.

St Andrew's Church and ruins, Walberswick

After refreshments, we crossed the road and turned left past a few shops and the green and walked down Ferry Road.  At the car park we went left across the grass to get back to the ferry.  As this was closed for lunch we went left along the bank of the river until we reached the bridge.  Rather than walking down along the river again we took the bridle way on the right.  It runs alongside the harbour roadway and joins up with the Suffolk Coastal path we took in the morning.  We however, rejoined the harbour roadway at The Harbour Inn, and walked back to the car along the Ferry Road.

Our route was: 6.33 miles
See the route on mapometer.com 
Terrain: Flat
Habitat: Marshland, Heathland, Reed beds, Coastal, Harbour, River, Estuary, Village
Facilities: Toilets along Ferry Road and at the caravan park in Southwold, various shops, cafes, pubs in town.  The Harbour Inn Southwold side of the river.  The Anchor and The Bell in Walberswick village along with various cafes, tea rooms and shops.  Ferry crossing (summer months only, check opening hours)

Why not have a look at the rest of my photos from this walk, and also from previous visits to Southwold.

The River Cam from Clayhithe, Cambridgeshire (3.5 miles)

Today I just needed a stroll for some fresh air.  N had been out this morning playing golf and he wasn’t really up for a long walk too far away.  We decided to go along the river starting at Clayhithe which is between Horningsea and Waterbeach.  Although it can get busy at times with joggers and cyclists also sharing the towpath, it is a lovely stretch of the river.  We have seen herons, swans, moorhens and cormorants, dragonflies, damselflies and butterflies.  

The River Cam at Clayhithe

There are parking spaces for a few cars by the entrance to the towpath (opposite The Bridge pub); in the pub (check first and only polite to purchase a drink and/or meal first) or at weekends there will probably be space in the station car park (fee payable).  

This walk is a little different to the others I have written about in that the mileage you do is really up to you.  Once you get on to the towpath, just follow it as far as you want.  If you stay with the river you can't really go wrong.  The length of The Cam from Clayhithe to Quayside in the centre of Cambridge is about 6 miles so, remembering you have to walk back to the car, you can walk anything from 1 mile to 12.  

The River Cam, Horningsea

Today we walked just under 3.5 miles round trip.  This took us almost to Bait’s Bite Lock (1.9 miles).  You can carry on past the lock and under the A14 to the Green Dragon Bridge in Chesterton (4 miles).  If you want to keep going then cross the bridge and follow the path along Stourbridge Common, past Riverside, under the Elizabeth Way bridge, along Midsummer Common, Jesus Green and onto Quayside (6 miles).  As the first refreshment stop after The Bridge at the start is not until The Green Dragon pub (4 miles) I recommend taking supplies if you are doing anything further than Bait's Bite Lock.  (Also see this route from The Green Dragon pub into Quayside and back)

Quayside, Cambridge

Our route was: 3.47 miles (this time!)
See the route on mapometer.com
Terrain: Flat, gravel towpath and tarmac
Habitat: River, Urban, Meadow, Park
Facilities: The Bridge pub, Clayhithe; The Green Dragon pub; various restaurants, bars etc on Quayside.

Newnham to Cambridge City Loop (2.2 miles)

This walk starts at Lammas Land Car Park, which is accessed from Newnham Road traffic lights junction, and heads into Cambridge, along the backs of the colleges, through to King's Parade and the mill pond before heading back along The River Cam.  It is a great mix of rural and urban and we think it is best early on a Sunday morning.  The car park can get full very quickly on a nice day!

It is worth a quick detour into the Paradise Nature Reserve before you leave Newnham.  This is one of my favourite parts of the river, a peaceful section through a small wood.  Also if you are a visitor to Cambridge there are lots places you can wander off route to visit the colleges, shops, markets and galleries.

Swan in Paradise NR, Newnham

1. From the car park take a small gateway into the reserve and follow the track in a loop through the wood and along by the river before coming out again in the car park.
2. Carry on towards the play area and pool but take a right across a small bridge.  Follow the path immediately to your left through Sheep’s Green alongside a small waterway.  Carry on until you reach the road (Fen Causeway).  
3. Cross the road at the pedestrian crossing and carry on along the pathway until you reach a pond.  Walk past the restaurants and turn right.  Go past The Granta pub and cross straight over the crossroads at the lights.  
4. Follow the path along Queen’s Road until you reach the entrance to King's College.  Take the sandy track that runs along 'The Backs' (King’s College Chapel should be on your right).  
5. You can then go through either Clare College, if it is open, this is chargeable during the summer but often not during the winter months, and then bear left into Trinity Lane then right down St Mary’s Passage.  Or go up to the next entrance (Garrett Hostel Lane) which is a right of way.  This will also bring you out on Trinity Lane but this time turn right and then left into St Mary’s Passage.
6. Once out of St Mary’s Passage turn right onto King’s Parade.  Follow this road past The Senate House and King’s College on your right and Gt. St. Mary’s church on your left.  There are lots of cafes, restaurant’s and pubs on this route, especially the Cambridge end but, if we have walked in the morning, we often stop off at The Copper Kettle opposite King’s for a sausage sandwich before making our way back!
7. At the end of King’s Parade swing right into Silver Street and follow the road before cutting through Laundress Lane, behind The Anchor pub.  At the end of the lane go right down to the mill pond.  
8. Cross the river and then follow the river to the left past the punts and weir.  The Double Tree Hotel should be on your left on the opposite bank.  Walk alongside the river all the way back to the roadway (Fen Causeway), cross the road and continue to walk with the river back towards Lammas Land.  Take the small bridge on your right back to the car park.

King's College Chapel

Our route was: 2.18 miles
See the route on mapometer.com
Terrain: Flat, mostly tarmac paths apart from the nature reserve.
Habitat: Woodland, river, meadow, urban
Facilities: Lammas Land end has toilets and a kiosk (summer only).  Cambridge end has numerous cafes, restaurants, pubs and shops.  

Swavesey Lake & Great Ouse, Cambridgeshire (3.75 miles)

This walk is around the Swavesey part of the larger RSPB Fen Drayton Lakes reserve. *Please be aware that this area often floods after heavy rain and if in doubt please check the website.  Walking shoes or trainers are advisable.

Swavesey is a village to the north of Cambridgeshire with easy access from the A14.  Parking is available at the RSPB entrance as you leave the A14 but for this walk it is recommended you park on Market Street in the centre of the village.  Feeling the need to do an extra mile or so, we did take a different route once which takes you back to the river and lakes and home some of the way you came.  That variation is below also.

Nesting swans

After leaving the car turn right on the High Street and then cross the road to Taylor’s Lane.  Follow the lane down to the right, past a cemetery and a small nature reserve on your left.  Carry straight on down a loose tarmac track.  

Cross the guided busway and carry on bearing left with the track and with a lake on your right.  

Take the gateway on your right and follow the stream until you come to a small bridge on your left.  Go over the bridge.  You should now have a large lake on your left and then the stream and the original lake on your right.  Follow this path until you come to a fork.  

For this walk take the path to the right, go over the small weir bridge and follow the trail.  You now have the River Ouse to your left.  Stay on this track until you reach a gateway and take the track on your right.  

Follow this straight pathway right down to the bottom and turn right.  This track should take you back over the guided busway then onto Middle Fen Drove.  Carry on until you come out into the village again.  Turn right past the village pond and onto the High Street, go around the bend and you will be back at the car park.

Our route was: 2.54 miles
See the route on mapometer.com

Teasels

The slightly longer detour on this route is after 2 miles and before you make the second crossing of the guided busway.  Take a small track on your right that runs alongside a small stream.  Follow this to the end and you will be back at the second small bridge.  Retracing your earlier steps, cross the bridge and turn left, following the stream back to the first bridge, go over this and walk back along to the gateway.  Turning left follow the track back over the guided busway and along back to Taylor’s Lane.  Cross the High Street at the end of Taylor’s Lane and the car park is on the right.

Our route was: 3.75 miles
See the route on mapometer.com
Terrain: flat, grass tracks, loose tarmac *can be muddy in wet weather and can flood after prolonged heavy rain.
Habitat: lakes, river, meadows, fields.
Facilities: The village shop and The White Horse Inn are located next to the car park.

Rampton Droves, Cambridgeshire (3.6 miles)

Rampton is a small village to the north of Cambridge and at the edge of The Fens.  The area is flat with numerous droves and tracks criss-crossing the surrounding farmland. Choose a day with light winds as there isn't much protection from blustery weather!  Park at the village hall.

Start with your back to the village hall and cross the road and turn right.  Carry on this path, taking a quick detour up the small pathway on your left to visit the parish church - one of only two in Cambridgeshire to have a thatched roof.  

All Saint's Church, Rampton

Once back from the church carry on walking out of the village until you come to a white bridge over Cottenham Lode (known locally as The Cut).  

Cross over to the other side of the road and take the grass track, keeping The Cut on your left.  Follow the track for about a mile as it hugs the water.  Eventually the lode makes a sharp left, but take the right hand track away from the water.  Keep on this track until you reach Reynold’s Drove on your left.  Watch out around here for red kites and buzzards.  Follow the loose tarmac pathway until you reach a bridge on your right and go over the bridge. 

Yellow hammer 

The track now reverts back to grass.  Carry straight on, bearing left and then right onto more of a farm track (this can be quite muddy in wet weather).  Go past the small pond on your left and follow until you reach the main road.

Take a right onto the main road and walk along the verge if possible (no path on this section) until you reach Rampton village.  Once into the village follow the footpath along the High Street, past The Black Horse pub on your left, past the small village green then the pond on your right until you are back at the village hall.

Our route was: 3.6 miles
See the route on Mapometer.com
Terrain: Flat. Grass and farm tracks, loose tarmac, road, path (can be muddy in wet weather)
Habitat: Waterways, farmland, meadowland.

Facilities: Parking at Village Hall; refreshments at The Black Horse Public House

West Stow County Park, Suffolk (2.8 miles)

West Stow Country Park is situated in Suffolk, between Mildenhall and Bury St Edmunds and is part of the larger ‘Thetford Forest’ area.  The park is also home to West Stow Anglo Saxon Village.  

The country park has lots of available footpaths and routes you can take, with some areas being free to roam.  Dogs are allowed but please note the information markers as you go around about keeping them on leads.  We walked in August in fine weather although it had rained the day before.  The grass is long in places.  We wore long trousers and walking shoes.  The car park is gated and locked at night although access to the footpaths is possible on foot from outside the main complex.  Please check the website for opening times of the car park and other facilities.

Small tortoiseshell 

The route we took this time included a double back along the River Lark to check for otters and kingfishers!  For this walk we also missed out the woodland section at the back of the cafe and visitor centre, although we have taken this route previously - great in autumn for fungi walks!  There are signposts and information boards dotted around the trails.

Our first ever sighting of a kingfisher!

1. Parking the car walk back to the entrance barrier and take the path on the right.  Follow the grass trail keeping the road on your left, past the children’s play area on your right, carry on until you reach the end and turn right onto a loose tarmac road.  Take this road towards the Pump House and then keep right.  
2. Follow the grass path round to the right until you come across a small pathway on your left which takes you over a little bridge.  Follow the path towards the river.  Once at the river you should have the weir on your left (no entry here).  This is where we once missed an otter by a few minutes so keep your eyes peeled!  
3. The path runs along side this very pretty section of the River Lark.  Follow the river until you come to a gate.  Once through the gate you have a choice of routes, we took the left hand route, staying with the river on our left.  
4. Eventually you will loose sight of The Lark as the path follows the curve of the lake Once past a car park (often used by fishermen) on the left, keep right until you reach a sandy area.  Again you have a choice of routes, either stay right and keep with the lake or take the gate at the top and follow our route to the right through the Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) Brecklands area until you reach another gate.  On this occasion we went right but if you want to take the woodland part of the walk go straight on.  
5. Going right takes you back to the lakes.  We then went left keeping the lake on our right, past a wooden platform until we were back to the footpath junction and the river.   The left hand turn will take you back towards the meadow but, as I mentioned before, we decided to have another look along the river for the elusive otters (not found but did see our first kingfisher!)  We went right down to the end and could have carried on back the way we came past the Pump House and back to the car park but you may notice that half way down the river walk is a turning into the woodland.  We went back to that turning and followed this path through a short section of woodland, bearing right at the end and then left which took us back to the main centre.

Damselfly

Our route was: 2.76 miles 
See the route on Mapometer.com
Terrain: Flat, mostly grass paths.  *Can be very muddy in wet weather
Habitat: Woodland, lakes, river, meadows, heathland
Facilities: Toilets, Cafe, Visitor Centre, Shop, Children’s Play Area, Picnic areas, Anglo-Saxon Village, Car Park

Why not have a look at the rest of my photos from this walk and from an earlier autumnal walk at West Stow