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)

Swavesey Lake and River Walk Loops (5.2 miles)

This is another of the walks around the RSPB reserve in Swavesey and Fen Ditton.  Part of this route is detailed here as a shorter walk.

We once again started in the car park but you can pick the route up from the guided busway or Swavesey village.

1. Starting in the car park take the gateway ahead and then take a gateway on your right.  Follow the track passing a lake on your right.  When you reach the signpost go through the gate on your right.

2. Follow the bank past the hide with the lake on your right and the river Great Ouse on your left. 

Ferry Mere, Swavesey

3. Eventually you will come to a small lock with a bridge. Go over the bridge and carry on forward down the riverbank.  Again follow the bank keeping the river on your left.  On your left you should see two churches – the spire belongs to Over church and the square tower to Swavesey. 

River Great Ouse towards Over

4. When you find the bank bearing right and the river left continue on and go over a weir and turn right.

River Great Ouse

5. Continue along this bank until you get to a small thicket. We rested for a while here as there is a convenient fallen tree.   After the tree turn right leaving the tall spire of Over church behind.  Continue through a small woodland until you come out in a field and cross over towards the roadway.

6. Once through the gate turn right and walk along the roadway until you reach the guided busway and turn right before crossing the busway.

7. Walk along the busyway with Swavesey church (The Priory) on your left.  Continue on until you reach a small crossing on the track.  Cross over the track and go down slightly before taking a footpath through a gate on your left.

Swavesey Church (The Priory)

8. Follow this path keeping the stream on your left and the meadow on your right.

Continue on until you reach a wider channel.  Climb up to the bank and turn right.  Walk along a short distance until you reach the small lock that you crossed in point 3. Cross the lock and turn left.

9. Follow the bank to the end and go through the gate. Bear slightly right and go down the slope, bearing right at the end, go through the gate.  You will now have a large lake on your right and the busway beyond the hedge on your left.  There are picnic tables along here if you wish to stop.

10. Continue on this track until you reach a busway crossing at the corner of the lake.  Take the track on the right that runs alongside the lake.  Continue until you reach the end and take the gap on the left back to the car park.

Our route was 5.2 miles

See the route on mapometer

Terrain: Flat grassy paths. Can get very muddy in places and some areas prone to flooding. 

Habitats: Meadows, river, lakes.

Facilities: No toilets or other facilities on site. Close to guided busway stops.

Whittlesford - Sawston Loop (2.8 miles)

This is an easy little circular walk with plenty of options to extend out into either village if you wish.

I started on The Lawn in Whittlesford but of course it can be started anywhere on the route.

There are two road (Sawston by-pass) and two rail crossings and care should be taken at these points.

Starting at the pavilion on The Lawn take the road past some bungalows until you come to a path on your left.  Following the path go through the churchyard.

At the end of the churchyard take a right turn.  This is a designated cycle route so keep an eye out for cyclists.  Follow the path until you reach the river (Granta) on your right and eventually come to a blue bridge.

Looking back toward Whittlesford from the cycle bridge over the River Granta

Cross the bridge and continue, bearing left on a track and then right as you reach the railway crossing. Cross the railway then bear right and cross the road at the designated crossing then carry on straight into Sawston.

Carry on until you come to a fork in the road and here bear right down Mill Lane.  Continue on.  You will pass a fire station on your right and some allotments and a rec.  Continue on until you come out in the centre of the village.

Turn right and follow the main road.  Continue on past shops and pubs until you reach a footpath sign on your right.  Take the narrow footpath and follow until you once again reach the by-pass and the railway again.  Cross both.

Once over the railway continue straight on crossing a white iron bridge.  Follow the path past some fields and a pill box on your right.  Continue on the roadway up a small slope and then on the path past the primary school.

Continue until you reach The Lawn again and turn right following this road back to the pavilion.

My route was 2.8 miles

See the route on mapometer

Terrain: Easy flat, mostly tarmac.

Habitat: fields, woodland, river, urban

Facilities: Shops, pubs and restaurants in Sawston (on route), shop and pub in Whittlesford (off route)

Chesterton - Clayhithe Loop, Cambridge (9 miles)

I have written about some of this route before but we were looking to walk a bit further so decided to walk the towpath from Chesterton to Clayhithe bridge and then come back via Horningsea and Fen Ditton following some of the Fen Rivers Way.  This trail in its entirety runs 50 miles between Cambridge and Kings Lynn in Norfolk.

Knowing this part of Cambridge very well we set off early to try and avoid the towpath at its busiest.  During the week this is a popular commute into town for cyclists and at weekends runners, walkers and the rowing coaches on their bikes use it.  At peak times you can spend more time checking behind you or moving to one side than you do walking!  We got there on a February Sunday morning about 8.15 and there were rowers already on the water.

For this walk we drove and parked up on Water Street in Chesterton, near the Green Dragon pub.

Route:

Follow Water Street NW until you come to the river and the towpath.

Continue along the towpath passing under the railway bridge.

Looking back towards the rail bridge

Follow the river as it bears left.  You will pass Fen Ditton on the other bank.

Continue on walking beneath the A14 road bridge.  Note here the name painted on the side of the bridge – it has become a bit of a ‘tradition’ for the name of the college who are Head of the River at The Bumps (local rowing races) to be painted on the ‘Motorway’ bridge.

The so-called 'Motorway' bridge

After this bridge you will come to Baits Bite Lock.  This is about ¼ of the way and if you want to cut the walk in half you can cross to the other bank here.

Looking towards Baits Bite Lock

This point onwards is a much quieter section of the river and we stopped along here on an old bench for a quick snack and drink. 

Continue on until you reach Clayhithe bridge.  Take the path up to the road.  There is a pub on the other side if you wish to stop for refreshments.  If continuing on toward Ely, the Fen River Way on this bank takes a slight detour inland to the left or you can cross to the other bank.  We crossed the bridge on the same side of the road. 

View back down the river from the Clayhithe bridge

The official Fen Rivers Way South also detours inland here, you need to cross the road and walk behind the farm.  As it was a Sunday and not busy we decided to walk towards Horningsea along the road.  There is a path on the left for a few yards but then it is advisable to cross the road walking to face the traffic and stepping up onto the verge if a car approaches.  As the road bears left you can cross again at a large farmhouse and walk on the footpath that cuts the corner. 

After the farm cross the road again and walk until you come to a gap in the hedge and a signpost on your right (Fen Rivers Way).  Go through the gate and cross the meadow on a left diagonal and go through another gate. 

The track now crosses a cultivated field marked with sticks.  It was very muddy when we went! 

Once across the field go over a small bridge and into a meadow and then a field.   Cross this and go through the gate way and out onto the road.

Walking the Fen Rivers Way towards Horningsea

There were horses grazing here but they weren't concerned with us.

Go right along the footpath and into Horningsea village.  There are a few pubs along the street but we were too early for these to be open so we carried on until we reached Scotsdales, a garden centre where we stopped for brunch and to use the toilet.

Continue on the path opposite the garden centre until just out of the village.  There will be a footpath sign on your right. 

The Fen Rivers Way

Follow this path straight down the edge of the field, crossing a small bridge and continue along the track until you come to a house.  Take the pathway signposted on your left and follow this behind the houses and through a small woodland area.

Once through the woodland go through the gateway and you should be back on the river bank with the A14 bridge in front of you.  

The 'Motorway' bridge from the other bank

Follow the river bank until you go through a gate to Fen Ditton village.  Take the track to your left and then a pathway signposted on your right. 

Follow the track alongside another field and then onto the recreation ground.  The map shows the trail following a diagonal path across the rec to the left of the pavilion but there was a football match going on so we skirted around the right of the pitch and then down the side of the pavilion coming out on a roadway.  The goal keeper had just been sent off and there were deep and heated discussions about who should replace him!

Follow the road to the end and bear left.   Follow this road until you come to the church on your right.  Take a right immediately after the church and continue on down the track, bearing left and through a gate to the meadows.

Fen Ditton church

Make your way down the meadow to the river bearing left.  Follow the river to the left, crossing a small bridge and then going under the railway bridge onto Stourbridge Common.  Follow the pathway until you come to a footbridge over the River on your right.

Stourbridge Common 

Cross the bridge and with the Green Dragon pub in front of you make your way back to where you have parked.

Our route was: 9 miles
See the route on mapometer
Terrain: Easy to moderate (due to mud), gravel towpath, farmland, grass meadows (can be wet), some tarmac.
Habitat: River, village, fields, meadows
Facilities: No public toilets on route. Green Dragon pub at start and end. Pub at Clayhithe. Pubs and garden centre in Horningsea. Pubs in Fen Ditton.

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.

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.

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.