Rampton - Westwick Circular (6.5 miles)

This walk is a pleasant, and flat, 6+ miles starting in the village of Rampton, going along the guided busway and then through farm land in Westwick to Cottenham Lode, known locally as The Cut before returning to Rampton again.  Parts of the walk are through pasture, arable land and a farmyard so please respect the property, keep dogs on leads near livestock, stick to marked paths and close all gates behind you.  It goes without saying also that parts of this walk can be muddy, especially through the farm.

Starting at The Black Horse pub in Rampton cross over the road and turn right at the edge of the green, then turn right again and walk up King Street.

Guided Busway

Follow King Street right to the end and turn left along Cuckoo Lane.  Walk past some stables on your right and a scrap yard on your left and take the track on the right called Reynold’s Drove.  Follow the track past a bridge on your right, continue until you reach the crossing with the guided busway and take a left along a wide tarmac path.

Follow this straight smooth path, watch out for cyclists using the pathway too, until you eventually reach a crossing with the main road – look out for the painting of a Blue-tit on the house on your left.

At the main road go left towards the tiny hamlet of Westwick and cross over the road entering into the field through the gate. (There is the option here to shorten the walk by about ¾ mile: do not enter the field but follow the road out of Westwick until you reach Lambs Cross Farm).

Fields, Westwick

Once in the field follow the natural path straight on to the end then around to the left. Go through the gate and turn immediately left onto a bridleway.  Follow the path around the edge of the field, continue following the field edge until you can see the main road in front of you, continue along the track to the right running alongside the road until you reach a concrete parking area.

Cross the main road towards the sign for Lambs Cross Farm and follow the track towards the farm house.  Continue past the farm house and through the yard.

Lambs Cross Farm, Westwick

Go through a gateway (bear in mind this is a working farm so please stay on the path and allow for farm vehicles). Follow the track ahead as it slopes upwards. Continue on past fields until eventually you come to a bridge.

Cottenham Lode (The Cut)

Go over the bridge and keeping the water (Cottenham Lode, or The Cut) on your right continue on until you reach another bridge and the main road.  Cross the road and turn left and continue into Rampton.  Go past the green on your left until you are back at The Black Horse pub.

Our route was 6.4 miles

See the route on mapometer (6.1 miles)

Terrain: Flat, tarmac, grass. Can be muddy. Some gates.

Habitats: Villages, busway, meadow, farm yard and arable, river.

Facilities: The Black Horse public house, Rampton. No public toilets on route.
DOWNLOAD the step-by-step route

Rampton to Cottenham Circular via Cottenham Church and Archie's Way (6 miles)

This walk takes parts of other shorter walks between Rampton and Cottenham with a couple of additions to add on some miles. As with lots of these walks if you check the map you can combine and/or remove some sections depending on requirements.

Starting at The Black Horse Pub in Rampton walk towards the village green and carry on out of the village, past the Village Hall on your right and the church on your left. 

When you reach a white bridge take the footpath on the left alongside the water.  On the map this is marked as Cottenham Lode but you may hear locals refer to it as The Cut.  Follow the grass footpath as it bears right and continue onwards with Cottenham church in front of you.  When you reach a roadway and another bridge cross over the road and continue through the gate that is ahead of you.

Cottenham Church visible from Cottenham Lode (The Cut)

Follow the footpath keeping the water on your right, go through two metal gateways until you reach a road.  Turn right and follow the road past a white house on your left.  Carefully cross over the main road to the path on the other side and continue right towards Cottenham, stopping at a bench in the churchyard on your left for a rest if you wish.

The dark fertile fen soil alongside Cottenham Lode (The Cut)

With the church behind you continue on down the High Street.  You will pass The Jolly Millers pub on the left.  When you reach a small grass area at a mini roundabout take the right hand turn down Broad Lane.  Follow the road past houses and then after the industrial units take the right hand turn.  If you go into the new housing estate you have gone too far.

Continue down the track past a small nature reserve on your right and then a farm on your left.  You will now reach the second of the bridges you saw earlier and you have the option of turning left and going back along The Cut the way you came (this will reduce the walk by about a mile or so) or continuing onwards down Great North Fen Drove, the narrow concrete roadway ahead.  The rest of these instructions take this second route.

Follow the Drove past a small farmhouse and continue on when the road becomes a grass bridleway.  This is Archie’s Way.  Continue over the small bridge and follow the grass path as it bears right and then left.  Continue straight on and then bear right.  When you reach a concrete track turn left.

Continue along the road as it bears left and then carry straight on until you come to some houses and then bungalows.  Eventually you will reach Rampton High Street again, turn right and the Black Horse Pub is on your right.

Our route was 6 miles

See the route on mapometer

Terrain: Flat, grass footpaths or concrete/tarmac, can be uneven in places and muddy when wet. Some gates.

Habitat: Rural, farmland, waterways, village
Facilities: Black Horse pub Rampton, Jolly Millers pub Cottenham. Other shops and pubs in Cottenham (off route)

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

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