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.

Coton Nature Reserve, Cambridgeshire (4 miles)

Coton Nature Reserve is fairly new, about 10 years old in fact, and covers over 300 acres of farmland including arguable one of the best views of Cambridge – something of an achievement in this flat part of the country!

The reserve has lots of walking possibilities and the reserve map plots a few routes.  We wanted something a bit longer so combined a few of them taking in most of the reserve.  There are also possibilities for longer walks continuing outside the reserve on footpaths.

We parked up in the Martin Car Park, just off junction 12 of the M11.

Coton Nature Reserve

Route:

Take the gateway round the pond on the right to a concrete track and head away from the entrance road.

When you come to a gap in the hedge on the right follow this track round the field (following the orange walk on the reserve map), along the motorway edge and when you come to a small bridge on your left go over.

Carry on straight ahead until you come to a gateway and go out crossing the road.  Go into the next field, turning left and along the track that takes you up a slope.

Rifle Range

As you go up you should see a rifle range in front of you.  (There is a footpath that goes to Barton that crosses the range but if the red flag is flying you must not cross.)  Turn right at the signpost hut and continue up Red Meadow Hill.

At the top turn right and walk along until you come to some steps, take the steps and go through the gate to the top of the hill.  Here you can see across to Cambridge picking out Kings College Chapel, the University Library tower and St John’s Chapel along with the chimney of the Museum of Technology.  It is said that on a very clear day you can see Ely Cathedral.

Views towards Cambridge from Red Meadow Hill

At the top of the hill go left through the gate and turn right and walk back down along the side of the field.  At the bottom bear left and cross the bridge and turn left onto the permissive footpath of Rectory Farm. 

View towards Coton coming down Red Meadow Hill

Follow the track and turn right at the end, walking along the edge of a small woodland area.  At the end of this track turn right again at the signpost and walk along the field going straight on at the end and then right into a woodland.  Follow the narrow path through the trees until you come out back onto the field and turn left. (You can miss out the wood here and continue alongside the field)

Follow the track to the end and then right until you reach a gate on your left. Go through the gate into Manor Field crossing straight ahead. Go past the water recycling centre and out of the gate at the end.

Continue on until you reach the road, crossing here carefully. Go into the next field and walk straight on until you come to Clarke’s Bridge. Cross the bridge and go through the gates.  Walk a few steps and take the gateway on your left.

You are now following the pink walk on the reserve map.  Walk ahead and take the gate on your right into Rowan’s Field.  You can either go straight ahead here towards the cream house or go left around the young woodland.  Either way go past the house and right along side the field.  The recreation ground will be on your left through the hedge.

At the end of the hedge turn right and walk down the concrete track.  Go through the gateway at the end and bear right through the gap in the trees and then left. 

Follow the path bearing left until you meet the concrete track again.

Turn right and walk back towards the car park.

Our route was 4 miles

See the route on mapometer

Terrain – Mostly easy going on grass tracks. Slope and steps up to Red Meadow Hill. Gates and bridges. Some muddy areas. Could be animals grazing.

Habitat – Small pond, farmland, stream. Meadows.

Facilities – Car park, no toilets or refreshments. ThePlough at Coton.

Hatfield Forest, Essex (3.5 miles)

Needing to drop our daughter off for an early flight to Rome from Stansted Airport we thought we’d make the most of the early start and explore Hatfield Forest just a few miles away.

Hatfield was once a medieval royal hunting forest now owned by the National Trust.  This large site has numerous possibilities for walks but as it was our first visit I downloaded a 3.5 mile route from the website.   Needless to say despite the instructions and a map we got lost and ended up doubling back and going off track enough to add a further 2 miles to the walk!

Although we visited in February and most of the trees are deciduous and bare it was a cold and frosty morning and the parkland looked beautiful in the early rising sunshine.

Early sunshine at Hatfield Forest

There are lots of deer in the forest and we were lucky enough to see quite a few, although mostly in the trees and they always saw us before we saw them!

Deer at Hatfield Forest

Don’t be put off by the forest’s close proximity to the airport runway.  The planes are only really visible for the first third of the walk and although I noticed the noise initially after about half an hour I forgot about it completely.  It is an interesting contrast of nature and machine when they fly over as you are watching a herd of deer.

Hatfield Forest is close to Stansted Airport

We parked in the first car park which is free if you are a NT member.  There is another car park further into the forest but as we were early this was not open. According to the website the second car park is often shut if the weather has been wet.

Hatfield Forest

The National Trust website gives the directions for the walk we were intending to do.  We went wrong somewhere around point 5-6 and ended up coming back through Street Coppice and out looking across at point 4 again. We went back the way we came walking straight through the woods and 'rides' until we got to point 7. The forest is kept as natural looking as possible so there are very few markers to help!

Deer in Hatfield Forest

Our route should have been: 3.5 miles

Our route was 5.5 miles

See the route on NT website

Terrain: Mostly flat, grass paths and woodland. Boardwalk and gravel drive in places. Parts can get very muddy in the winter or wet weather. Boots advised! Dogs are allowed but must be kept on a lead if livestock are present.

Habitats: Meadows, grassland, woodland, lake, wetlands

Facilities: Car parking (front car park is 24 hr. Parking is free for NT otherwise chargeable); toilets (24hr), shop and cafe (check website for opening times) near the lake. Pubs in Takeley.

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.

Fen Drayton Lakes (Elney Lake route) (3.6 miles)

This is part of a RSPB reserve and we have been here before but took a different route.  It also links up to the Swavesey Lakes walk.  This time we arrived early on a spring misty morning.  Actually once there is was more like fog and for most of the walk we couldn’t see much at all but keep your eyes peeled as it is full of wildlife.

  

Swan on Drayton Lagoon

It is about a 2 mile drive down to the reserve car park from the road but it is open 24-7 and parking is free.  The lakes are popular with bird watchers, dog walkers and fishermen.

Once at the car park go through the gate at the end and take a left, walk along the meadow, past a small lake on your left and through the gate in front of you.  This brings you out the large Drayton Lagoon in front and a sign post.  For this walk we went left on the walk that circles Elney Lake but there are lots of variations and maps are available to download on the website.

Follow the track alongside Drayton Lagoon on your right and a small waterway on your left until you reach the guided bus-way.  Cross the bus-way (buses have right of way and can travel fast so cross carefully) and carry straight on.  Elney Lake is now on your right and the first viewing area.  Keep ahead until you come to a public footpath on the right.  Go through the gate and follow this long straight track past some more viewing areas.  The track takes a left turn then a right around the top of the lake.  Half way down here you now have Moore Lake on your left and Elney on the right although you do loose sight of Elney for a bit.  There is a viewing shelter on your left giving great views over Moore Lake so do pause here before carrying on until you reach the guided bus-way again. 

Cormorant on Moore Lake

You can take a right here along the track but we carried on over and with Drayton Lagoon now on our right we kept going until we reached the River Great Ouse and turned right.  Follow this lovely river along, over a small bridge (again you have the option here of going right along a small waterway back to the car if wanted).   Carry on along the river until you see the Ferry Boat Inn on the other bank.  The track bears right here.  Continue straight on until you are back at the car park.

Fen Drayton Lakes Reserve

Our route was 3.6 miles

See the route on mapometer.com

Terrain: Flat, mostly grass tracks, latch gates.  Note: this area can be muddy and flood in very wet weather. 

Habitats: River, lakes, grassland

Facilities: No toilets or refreshments.  Nearest at Cambridge Services on A14.