Part 1; Pope's Corner to Clayhithe

Pope's Corner is the confluence of the River Cam and the River Great Ouse (see that trip for posts before reaching, and after leaving, Pope's Corner).  Heading south from here, I soon reach Dimmock's Cote Bridge and then pass a pumping station and pill box en route to Upware; this is where Reach Lode begins (this links the the village of Reach with the Cam) - Upware is known for its aptly named "Five Miles from Anywhere, No Hurry" inn which backs down to the Cam.

The footpath passes Swaffham Bulbeck Lode, where there is another lock and pumping station (this lode links the hamlet of Commercial End with the Cam), and then ir reaches Shrubb's Marina boat moorings.  A little further on, I reach Bottisham Lock (No. 3 on the navigable portion of the River Cam) and  the pumping station and flood gates at the end of Bottisham Lode (this links the village of Lode with the Cam).

Waterbeach is further down river; this is now designated as a "new town," and, as I follow the track, we enjoy a view of the boats mooring there.  A little further on I reach the bridge over the Cam at Clayhithe and enjoy the view of the Conservator's House from The Bridge public house; this is the residence of the foreman of the Conservators of the River Cam, the navigation authority for the River Cam in Cambridgeshire.  

Cambridge had been a major inland port as a result of its position on the navigable River Cam for centuries, but this position changed with the draining of the Fens and the Conservators were established to elicit tolls at sluices and locks along the Cam.Read more