7. Earith to Holywell

Starting from Hermitage Marina, situated close to Earith Bridge, the Ouse Valley Way goes into the village of Earith after crossing two artificial diversion channels of the River Great Ouse, the Old Bedford River and the New Bedford River; these leave the river on a course to Denver Sluice near Downham Market, where they re-join the Great Ouse in its tidal part (see earlier post in this trip).  After walking through the village, the path re-joins the Ouse and passes along the edge of Berry Fen before reaching Brownshill Staunch and Sluice.

The Ouse Valley Way continues past the Pike and Eel at Needingworth and then cuts across, away from the river, to Holywell; Needingworth and Holywell villages are actually one mile apart (by road) and are known collectively as Holywell-cum-Needingworth.  Holywell is a Saxon ring village, one of only three in Cambridgeshire, and is well known locally for its beautifully located pub, The Old Ferry Boat Inn. The holy water well from which the village takes its name is located in front of St John the Baptist Church, and has been refurbished and repaired many times over the years; the "well" is in fact a stone structure built over a natural spring which emerges here.Read more