Ickworth - Off The Beaten Track (5-6 miles)

Ickworth house and park belongs to the National Trust.  It is free to walk in the extensive grounds.

This route is taken from the website (Off the Beaten Track walk).  I have copied and pasted their instructions as they were pretty good. We ended up walking a bit more due to the field in the section 8 being overgrown (hubby had shorts on and didn't relish being bitten!) and no diagonal path being obvious so we went carried on rather than turning left and followed the wood around the field until we reached the stile .

We also stopped off at the Walled Garden to see the spectacular wild flower meadows. I think from some of the seed heads we might have been a week or two late for the peak but it was still stunning nonetheless.

Wild flowers in the Walled Garden, Ickworth

Lunch was at the restaurant. Slightly disappointing after great previous visits. They have changed the menu and it is not table service any more which means big queues at the counter and a long wait for our food, which seemed overpriced now compared to other NT places we visit.

Route:

1. From the Porter’s Lodge visitor centre take the path opposite towards the Albana Wood, follow the path going through two 5 bar gates. Just after going through the second gate take the path to the right at the small ‘Albana Wood’ stone. Stay on this path until you reach the large green Trim Trail sign, then turn right following the trim trail.

2. As the trim trail goes down a left hand slope and you reach a junction, turn right off the trim trail and leave the woods into an open field. Follow the path down the side of the field with the trees on your right and cross the brook on the wooden bridge.

Sheep at Ickworth

3. Once across the brook, turn right on to the wide track, and shortly through a 5-bar gate. Follow this track until you reach the next 5 bar gate where you will see a cottage beyond the gate and a bridge to your right. Do not go through the gate but turn left and walk up the hill until you intersect the main track and turn left towards Dairy Wood Cottage.

Dairy Wood, Ickworth

4. As you approach the cottage, turn left across the grass and go through the gate in the corner of the field into Dairy Wood. Stay on this track and don’t take any turns or junctions. You will exit the wood briefly and keep on the track as it re-enters near the edge of the wood. The next paragraph covers the loop into Twist and Horsepool wood, so if you wish you could carry straight on, missing out step 5 and re-joining the walk just a few metres further on at the start of step 6.

5. Very soon after you have re-entered the wood look for a barely discernable track/fork to your right. Follow this track which has a ditch on your left as you go gently up hill. Just before you exit the wood cross the ditch to your left and follow the track through the woods. Take the right fork when you intercept another path and you will eventually meander next to some stagnant ponds to your left (great habitat). Keep going until you reach the main path cross roads; turn left for a short distance and left again on a ‘main path’ effectively doubling back into the same woods. Keep on this path until you exit the woods.

Dairy Wood, Ickworth

6. As the path leaves the wood, you will see a clear path between the cropped fields going downhill. Follow the path between the fields to the wide track at the bottom and then turn right. Stay on the wide track for a while. Shortly after passing the ‘White House’ on your right you come to a cross roads. Go straight across the cross roads (stone bridge to your left/cattle grid to your right) following the grass track.

Ickworth Park

7. With the Walled Garden and Canal lake on your left, turn right through the gate approximately at the centre line of the gardens (opposite the summer house), and head up the hill towards the wood-line of Lownde Wood. On reaching the wood, turn left and walk along the front of the wood with the Canal and gardens at the bottom of the slope and to your left.

8. After approximately one third of a mile, you will reach the meeting of a number of fences and gates; go through the gate into the field beyond and then immediately left into the adjacent field. Go diagonally across this field to the opposite corner and cross over the stile onto the path and turn left back towards the walled garden.

Ickworth Park

9. Follow this track until you reach the Walled Garden and turn right keeping the wall of the garden to your left.

The Walled Garden, Ickworth

10. At the end of the Walled Garden take the main road past the church and back up towards the Rotunda and gardens. Go through the 5-bar gate turning immediately right, and enter the Italianate gardens. Enter the West Wing via the orangery and stagger to the restaurant where you definitely deserve a cake or pudding or two.

The official route on the Ickworth website is 5 miles
Our route was 6.25 miles
See the route on mapometer
Terrain: Grass and dirt tracks mostly, moderate climbs in places. Latch gates, kissing gate. Can be muddy in places in wet weather.
Habitats: Meadows, fields (animals grazing), woodland, lakes.
Facilities: Toilets and cafe at Porter's Lodge entrance and at the Rotunda. Rotunda toilets can also be accessed at the back.  Toilets also near the church.

Ickworth (South Pleasure Grounds) (4 miles)

Ickworth house and park belongs to the National Trust.  It is free to walk in the extensive grounds.

This route is taken from the website (South Pleasure Grounds walk).  I have copied and pasted their instructions as they were pretty good and added the odd note where I thought helpful.

1. Starting at the Porter's Lodge visitor reception take the path (on the right) towards the Walled Garden (and the church). You will pass a small pond on your right.

St Mary's Church, Ickworth

2. Just past the church, go straight ahead by turning off the hard road onto the grass path that leads
to the left of the Walled Garden. Go through the five bar gate and immediately bear left on the grass
path veering away from the brick wall. Within a couple of minutes you'll see our bird hide on your right.

3. Continue along this path past the bird hide (do not take the right fork when you come to it, just carry on), cross over the wooden foot bridge (and walk along wooden walkway) and take the right
hand fork in the path, climbing a short series of steps bringing you to the Fairy Lake.

Fairy Lake, Ickworth

4. Turn right at the Fairy Lake and continue along the footpath (pass The Round House) and take the second right turn marked Katharine's Wood.

5. In Katharine's Wood continue to the end of this path until you reach a cottage called Ivy Cottage.
Turn right at the cottage and follow this path until you get to the beginning of Lownde Wood. (Pause here to take in the view of the estate and the Rotunda)

Views of the park and rotunda

6. Enter Lownde Wood on the patch (the middle path) between the Lownde Wood and red footpath way marker.

7. In Lownde Wood follow the path which firstly bears right and then bears left. (Keep going!) On your left you will pass an observation post before coming to a clearing break. Cross over the clearing (keep the observation post on your left shoulder do not turn right - the path isn't well used or marked) and enter to wood again. On your right hand side you will come to a metal fence, continue on the path to a Y junction and take the right grassy footpath.

8. At the crossroads turn left and you will cross a small wooden bridge. Follow the dirt track which will
lead you to a small brick bridge at the corner of the field. Keep following the path, passing a rusty,
corrugated and ruined metal cabin on your right.

9. At the next junction turn right and follow the path until you reach a T junction where you'll see an
observation post. Turn right and go through the gate into the field.

10. As soon as you're through the gate turn right and follow the wood line for a short time keeping it to
your right, until you can see the Rotunda in the distance ahead of you.

11. Leave the wood line and head across the field towards the Rotunda passing laid down tree trunks
and passing through a gate on your way. You're heading for a kissing gate (in the distance at the bottom right hand corner of the field) which is lined up with the centre of the Walled Garden just beyond it.

12. Go through the kissing gate and turn left. Walk by the side of the Canal Lake and cross over the
decorative (wooden) foot bridge at the end of the lake.

13. Having crossed the foot bridge, keep the Walled Garden to your right and continue up the slope
to the hardened footpath. Turn right and retrace your steps on this path past the Church and back
towards your start point.

Our route was 3.9 miles
See the route on mapometer.com
Terrain: Flat, grass and dirt tracks mostly, moderate climb at the end. Latch gates, kissing gate, some steps.  Can be muddy in places in wet weather.
Habitats: Meadows, fields (animals grazing), woodland, lakes.
Facilities: Toilets and cafe at Porter's Lodge entrance and at the Rotunda. Rotunda toilets can also be accessed at the back.  Toilets also near the church.

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.

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