Cherry Hinton Brook / Coldham's Brook

The idea for this walk came from the entry for "Cambridge - A place of springs, cliffs and lakes" by seeing the Cherry Hinton Chalk Pits (cliffs) and then following part of the route of Cherry Hinton Brook along Snakey Path (lakes).

The source for Cherry Hinton Brook is a fresh, spring pool close to the Chalk Pits at the southern end of Cherry Hinton; this provided the reason for settlement of a cottage industry laundering for the Cambridge Colleges - at one time there were a couple of water mills along its route. After seeing the source, we visit Cherry Hinton Hall and follow the urban stream as it skirts the park area here; the Hall is now owned by Cambridge Council and is currently home to Oaks International School. Cherry Hinton Hall park is well known as it provides the site for the annual Cambridge Folk Festival. We follow the route along Snakey Path; the stream flows beside two old chalk pits filled to form private fishing lakes on one side and Saint Bede's School on the other. We reach Brooks Road via Burnside and then turn off behind houses and a large Sainsbury's to reach Coldham's Lane. Here, the stream is culverted under the busy Barnwell Road which we cross and re-join via a small entrance onto the back end of Coldham's Common.

The stream is renamed Coldham's Brook at this point; it is a joy to walk this south eastern part of Coldham's Common as it seems so far from civilisation - there is scrub, woodland and unimproved grassland here. Skirting round and across, we reach a close mown area with football pitches (for English, Gaelic and American football); the urban area to the north is known as Abbey and, indeed, Cambridge United have their home here at the Abbey Stadium. We follow the path of the stream with the football stadium on one side with Barnwell Lake (now a fishery) on the other.

We reach Newmarket Road, the A1134, and cross; it will soon be possible to follow the stream all the way to the River Cam along what will be known as the Chisholm Trail, but for the time being we have to divert via a small industrial estate and housing to reach Stourbridge Common. Before doing so, we see the Leper Chapel of Saint Mary Magdalene (13th century, Grade 1 listed and managed by Cambridge Past, Present and Future); in 1211, King John granted an annual fair to be held on Stourbridge Common behind it in order to support the work of the leper hospital - this grew to become the largest medieval fair in Europe.

We walk across and around Stourbridge Common and see where the Coldham's Brook joins the River Cam; Ditton Meadows is on the other side of the stream. A great walk.Leia mais