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Cambridgeshire; South District
  • Andrew's Travels

Cambridgeshire; South District

Visits to, and walks around, the Cambridgeshire South District of Cambridgeshire En savoir plus
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  • Début du voyage
    9 mars 2021
    Andrew's TravelsCambridgeshire; South DistrictVoyageur
    Shepreth riverside walk
    Shepreth L-moorAll Saints Church, BarringtonCottages along Barrington village greenThe Royal Oak, BarringtonVillage pond, Barrington

    Shepreth L-Moor and Barrington Village

    9 mars 2021, Angleterre ⋅ ⛅ 5 °C

    This is a walk we have done several times over the years and it has never disappointed.

    We start just before Barrington and walk the permissive path across meadowland close to the River Cam, turning off at some woodland to follow Guilden Brook; there is some waterlogging and the path has been blocked in places by fallen trees on this occasion, but it is still splendid. We reach the outskirts of Meldreth and head towards Shepreth, turning of at the Shepreth L-Moor. So called because of its shape, the site is a nature reserve and comprises unploughed grassland with many wet areas and is very attractive. After crossing the L-moor, we turn off towards the All Saints Church, cross the churchyard and walk up the High Street as far as The Plough at Shepreth; this is an active pub selling real ale, has large gardens and is a music venue as well. We cross a stile and then a small bridge before walking up a lane next to the River Shep; we pass the outskirts of the Shepreth Wildlife Park - this is small zoo and wildlife conservation charity with various creatures ranging from hedgehogs to owls, meerkats and a lynx (we have not been for a very long time).

    From here we cross the railway line (Cambridge to Kings Cross) and follow the footpath across fields to the small village of Barrington; small, yes, but with a village green covering 30 acres and more than half a mile (800 m) long - it is supposedly the longest in England. It is a beautiful place on a day like today - we see the Grade I listed All Saints Church, walk along the length of the village green admiring the picture postcard cottages dotted along it and pass The Royal Oak pub. Many years ago when I first visited here, the landlady was a real character and wore extremely strong, dark make-up - great days. At the end of the green there is, of course, a village pond.

    A lovely walk, with the added bonus of glorious weather today.    En savoir plus

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  • Andrew's TravelsCambridgeshire; South DistrictVoyageur

    Fowlmere Circular; part 1 - Fowlmere

    3 avril 2021, Angleterre ⋅ ☁️ 6 °C

    We start this walk in Fowlmere; this is one of the southernmost villages in Cambridgeshire, just beyond Thriplow, and we explore it a little before setting off. The village has a scheduled ancient monument - a ringwork known as "The Round Moat" - which is the remains of an early Saxon settlement dating from around the 9th century; the ringwork comprises a roughly oval stronghold, fortified by an earthen bank and an external ditch. Not far from here is the 12th century Church of St Mary and a short walk up the High Street brings us to the War Memorial and the water pump.

    We leave the village on the turning towards Manor Farm and Fowlmere Airfield; the airfield originated in 1918 when it was used by the RAF for training and then became a satellite for RAF Duxford before being turned over to the United States Army Air Force (USAAF) fighter command. It is now home to the British Aerobatic Academy and the Modern Air flying club. We see the war memorial and espy some planes before continuing on the walk to reach Fowlmere RSPB Nature Reserve, also called Fowlmere Watercress Beds; our route takes us along part of the nature trail that is there. It is very beautiful here; the reedbeds and pools are fed by natural chalk springs and a chalk stream originates in, and runs through, the reserve - this is known locally as the River Shep and it flows north through Shepreth to join the River Rhee (also called the River Cam) at Barrington.

    We follow the stream to the A10 and cross over to start the next part of this excellent walk.    En savoir plus

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  • Andrew's TravelsCambridgeshire; South DistrictVoyageur

    Fowlmere Circular; part 2 - Foxton

    3 avril 2021, Angleterre ⋅ ☁️ 7 °C

    We cross the A10 at Shepreth Mill and follow the course of the River Shep; we turn at the road we eventually meet and have a good view of the Shepreth All Saints Church. From here we walk up the High Street as far as The Plough and cross a stile and then a small bridge before walking up a lane next to the River Shep; we turn off before Shepreth Wildlife Park, doubling back to take the footpath to Foxton. We reach a large, private lake close to the A10 - we never knew the lake was there as it is hidden from the road.

    Crossing back over the A10 we walk into Foxton, passing daffodils and reach the small, triangular village green; there are several attractive houses around it and an interesting shelter on it. We walk up the High Street to see Foxton Dovecot and Meadow, a 300 year old building with a small conservation area around it. A very short distance from here is the Church of St Laurence.

    We double back to the Green and pass through Foxton Wood on our way back to Fowlmere. A really interesting day out.    En savoir plus

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  • Andrew's TravelsCambridgeshire; South DistrictVoyageur
    Fulbourn Manor
    The moat at Dunmowe's ManorFulbourn Fen and Nature ReserveChurch of St Vigor's with All Saints / Fulbourn War MemorialFulbourn WindmillThe Victoria Building, Fulbourn Hospital

    Fulbourn

    6 août 2021, Angleterre ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    Fulbourn lies about 5 miles southeast of the centre of Cambridge and is the next village after Cherry Hinton. With the Cambridge city boundaries to the west, the land north and east of the village is flat, drained fen whereas in the south and southwest the Gog Magog Hills rise up and to the east there is a wooded area, including a nature reserve (Fulbourn Fen), and Fleam Dyke – an ancient defensive earthwork (see post).

    In Norman times, Fulbourn was recognised as having five manors but only Fulbourn Manor remains today. A bit of a walk away is Hall Orchard, the site of an Anglo-Saxon moated manor known as Dunmowes which survives as an earthwork; it has a water-filled moat when suitable conditions exist - not today though, as I walked around the length of the bottom of the moat. After that, Fulbourn Fen nature reserve was an interesting walk back to the village.

    Back in Fulbourn, there is the Church of St Vigor's with All Saints. A dedication of two churches is highly unusual; at some stage in its early history, Fulbourn became two separate parishes, each with its own church, All Saints and St Vigor’s - All Saint's church was only a few feet away, apparently, and was ruined in May 1766 and the two churches became one. Not far from the church is the war memorial.

    Leaving Fulbourn on the road to Cherry Hinton, you drive past Fulbourn Windmill (on low chalk hills looking out to the very flat Fens) and then Fulbourn Hospital (a former Victorian age pauper lunatic asylum, but now providing proper mental health care and appropriate therapy).    En savoir plus

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  • Andrew's TravelsCambridgeshire; South DistrictVoyageur
    Melbourn; Village sign / Local fire brigade?
    Melbourn; All Saints ChurchMelbourn pubs; The Black Horse / The DolphinMelbourn; Sheene MillMelwood Nature ReserveMeldreth; The British QueenMeldreth; Old mill / Meridian markerMeldreth; Holy Trinity Church

    Melbourn and Meldreth Circular

    13 septembre 2022, Angleterre ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    We start this walk at the Dunsbridge Turnpike, just off the A10, and outside the Green Man pub; the turnpike was a toll gate along the old Cambridge to Royston road and was in use 1793 - 1872.  We walk south along the River Shep and then turn off along the edge of the Kingsway Golf Centre before heading down the Cambridge Road to Melbourn.

    Melbourn is a large village in the far south-west of Cambridgeshire and on the edge of the River Mel.  All Saints Church is in the centre; only a couple of pubs remain in Melbourn now from its heyday of 11 inns in 1865.  We walk past Sheene Mill, a former 16th century mill house on the river and now an upmarket restaurant and wedding venue (we have been to friends' weddings there).  Our route takes us along the bank of the River Mel, past the edge of Melbourne Village College playing fields and then under the A10 and over (or under) the railway line that links Cambridge to Royston and then Kings Cross in London.

    The course of the River Mel is through the small Melwood Nature Reserve on the outskirts of Meldreth; this is a much smaller village than Melbourn.  We pass the gardens of the British Queen pub and carry on past an old mill (now part of a much larger house). A diversion into the village to Fenny Lane takes us to see the Prime Meridian marker here; this is where longitude is defined as 0° and the village happens to lie directly on this (it was unveiled on 4 December 1999 to celebrate the millennium). We double back and pass the Holy Trinity Church and join the road to Shepreth.

    We cut through Shepreth L-Moor (see earlier post) and then follow the path to Frog End down to the A10 and cross over back to the Dunsbridge Turnpike.     En savoir plus

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  • Andrew's TravelsCambridgeshire; South DistrictVoyageur
    The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
    The Hare and HoundsHarlton Clunch PitBarrington Chalk PitBarrington Chalk PitViews of Barrington Chalk Pit en route to BarringtonThe Whole WayView from the top of The Whole WayLimes Farm, Harlton

    Harlton Circular

    12 février 2023, Angleterre

    Harlton is a small village 5 miles southwest of Cambridge, just off the A603.  We pass an attractive church, the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and the public house; the Hare and Hounds is a community owned thatched village pub that is popular in the area - so much so that the Devils Dyke Morris Men there during the Summer.

    We leave the village and walk up a ridge to Harlton Clunch pit; clunch is the traditional local term for a hardened chalk and there is a cluster of clunch pits dug into the sides of the low chalk ridges bordering the upper Cam valley and along the Fen edge towards the Suffolk border.  The village was an important source of this building material for many centuries, and clunch was sourced from here to build Cambridge Castle in 1295; the pit is now a wooded recreational area.  

    We leave the clunch pit and join an ancient track, the Mare Way, which runs along a raised ridge dividing it from Barrington.  There are good views of the Barrington Chalk Pit; this is now a disused quarry area that was originally worked for chalk and clay for cement production.  It is a geological Site of Special Scientific Interest as it is the only surviving exposure of the Cretaceous Cambridge Greensand; the quarry is currently being utilised for landfill and rehabilitation and for disposal of spoil transported by rail from High Speed 2 construction sites.  

    After a while, we turn left and head south in the direction of Barrington and enjoy views of the quarry area as we reach Wilsmere Down Farm.  We carry on into Barrington and then double back north on another footpath, eventually turning on to the Whole Way. After a while, we turn right on to the Mare Way again and then left towards Limes Farm and Harlton.     En savoir plus

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  • Andrew's TravelsCambridgeshire; South DistrictVoyageur
    Wimpole Hall; Front view / Rear view
    Inside Wimpole Hall; The Yellow Drawing Room / Dining RoomWimple Hall Garden; Parterre viewed from inside / Outside the HallWimpole Estate Parkland; Chinese Bridge / View of Wimpole's FollyWimpole's Folly, a false Gothic TowerSt Andrew's ChurchWimploe Hall Stable blockWalled Garden / Home FarmHome Farm; Sheep / Shire Horse

    Wimpole Estate

    25 avril 2023, Angleterre ⋅ ⛅ 7 °C

    We have recently joined the National Trust and our first use of our passes is to a locally owned NT property; the Wimpole Estate, comprising a listed 17th century Georgian mansion (Wimpole Hall) with its associated gardens, parkland and working farm (Home Farm). 

    We visit Wimpole Hall first and are able to see part of the interior (see picture captions).  We then look round the gardens; these include a formal grand avenue which heads south (and is visible from the top of Royston Heath, several miles away), whereas the parkland on the north side and behind the house were "naturalised" (by Capability Brown).  Here, we walk north towards Wimpole's Folly (a false Gothic Tower, 1768) and loop back via part of the multi-user trail to see other estate buildings - St Andrew's Church and the stable block.  We then look around the Walled Garden and Home Farm (home to rare breeds, including Shire horses, pigs, sheep, cows, and goats).

    The Wimpole Estate is a lovely place to visit, walk, and explore during different times of the year - we'll be back.    En savoir plus

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  • Andrew's TravelsCambridgeshire; South DistrictVoyageur
    Cambourne; Morrisons supermarket and flight themed sculpture
    Cambourne; The Monkfield Arms / Cambourne ChurchCambourne Nature Reserve; Great Cambourne / Lower CambourneCambourne Nature Reserve; Lake EwartLower Cambourne; Whomping Willow Lake (for Harry Potter fans)Bourn MillEltisleyEltisley, Church of St Pandionia and St John the Baptist; Lychgate / ChurchCaxton; Church of St AndrewCaxton Gibbet

    Cambourne and neighbouring villages

    20 mars 2024, Angleterre ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    Cambourne is the largest town within the South Cambridgeshire district, comprising the villages of Lower, Great, Upper, and West Cambourne.  It is a new town, and construction began in June 1998 on what was previously the land of Monkfield Farm, with Upper Cambourne completed in 2016. In January 2017, outline planning consent was granted for a further 2,350 homes to the west of Lower Cambourne.  The name of the community was created from the names of Cambridge, the nearest city, and Bourn, a nearby village; the local area is interesting, with some good walks - this post is a compilation from two of them.

    We start off from Cambourne, up to the local nature reserve and pass by couple of small lakes (see picture captions) enroute towards Bourn, but not into the village itself; we visit the local landmark that is Bourn Mill, which dates from 1636 and has been recently restored (thanks to the Cambridge Past, Present and Future organisation).  Another nearby village is Eltisley, which has a large village green and an interesting church with a lychgate (a covered gateway found at the entrance to a traditional English or English-style churchyard).  We then walk to Cambourne via the village of Caxton; note that Caxton Gibbet (now a replica of the original) is a long way outside of Caxton itself, on small knoll on Ermine Street (now the A1198) - the original was reputed to be a gruesome example of the cage variation of the gibbet, into which live victims were allegedly placed until they died from starvation, dehydration or exposure!

    It has been an interesting couple of walks, and there is more to the Cambourne area than I originally thought.    En savoir plus

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  • Andrew's TravelsCambridgeshire; South DistrictVoyageur
    Toft; Village Sign / Parish Church of St Andrew
    Toft; Old well next to the church - originally for the cottages oppositeToft; Millenium Beacon on footpath to CombertonComberton; Village Sign / Parish Church of St MaryComberton; War Memorial - a resting head sculptureHardwick; Village Sign / St Mary's ChurchHardwick; Original Water Pumps - one near the church, the other off Pump LaneHardwick; The Blue LionEn route back to Toft; View of Caldecote Church / Strip Lynchets, a feature of ancient field systems

    Toft, Comberton and Hardwick

    15 mai 2024, Angleterre ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    These three villages were visited during a 12 mile walk with the Cambridge Rambling Club.

    Toft is a small village 6 miles west of Cambridge.  We walk east across part of the Cambridge Meridian Golf Club, which has the Prime Meridian running through the 14th fairway, and reach the southern part of Comberton.  This is a much larger community than Toft, having the local village college and various other amenities.  Our route is through part of the village northwards before we cut across to Hardwick.

    Hardwick is historically very old and is now another large village approx. 6 miles west of Cambridge and 4 miles east of Cambourne (see previous post in Cambridgeshire; South District); it has a large housing estate area north of the centre, but the older area is attractive and interesting.  From Hardwick, we walk west and then south along the edge of Hardwick Wood (rather wet and muddy) before crossing back to Toft.

    A good day out (despite some rai) and some interesting views (details are on pictures).    En savoir plus

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  • Andrew's TravelsCambridgeshire; South DistrictVoyageur
    Dry Drayton; St Peter and St Paul's Church
    Dry Drayton; St Peter and St Paul's ChurchChilderley HallChilderley Hall; the Mill building / car used for weddingsKnapwell; All Saints ChurchElsworth; Church of the Holy TrinityElsworth; the Rev. W. Awdry lived hereApproaching BoxworthBoxworth: Church of St Peter

    Villages around Bar Hill

    4 septembre 2024, Angleterre ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    Bar Hill is a large purpose-built accommodation village outside Cambridge and along the A14; it grew rapidly in the 1970's and now has about 4,000 people living there. It is a good place to start circular walks in the surrounding countryside - this post is a combination of photos taken on several walks in the locality, but the whole circular walk can be done in one.

    We walk south down a pedestrian path known as "The Drift" towards Dry Drayton; this is a small village with a nice church that has a brass rubbing on the floor.  From here, we follow the path and then turn west towards the small rural village of Childerley; this is an isolated place dominated by Childerley Hall, now used for wedding venues, etc.  The path now takes us to Knapwell Woods, where we divert off to see the All Saints Church in the hamlet of Knapwell.  From here, we head northwest to Elsworth; this village is noted for its former resident the Rev W Awdry, a former vicar of Elsworth church, who is best known for writing the Railway Series of children's books, of which Thomas the Tank Engine is the best known.  Then it back east to pass through the village of Boxworth, notable for its church - an ancient edifice of flint and stone in the decorated style.  Then it is back to Bar Hill.    En savoir plus

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  • Andrew's TravelsCambridgeshire; South DistrictVoyageur
    One of the administrative offices
    The Flagpole; View on entering / View with the Reflecting PoolThe first grave that was laidView of the cemeteryView of the cemetery from the chapelThe Wall of the Missing; representative statues of servicemenThe Memorial Building and the Reflecting PoolThe Memorial BuildingThe altar and the chapel / The Memorial Building ceiling

    Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial

    8 septembre 2024, Angleterre ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    Although it is open most days and bank holidays, we visit the Cambridge American Cemetery today as part of the Open Cambridge events in order to have a guided tour.  

    Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial is a World War II American military war grave cemetery, lying just outside of north-west Cambridge near Madingley; the cemetery, dedicated in 1956, contains 3,811 American war dead and is administered by the American Battle Monuments Commission.  It is situated on land on the north slope of Madingley Hill given by the University of Cambridge to the American military forces for use as a temporary cemetery during World War II.  After the war, the Cambridge site was chosen as America's permanent World War II cemetery and war memorial in the UK; the cemetery contains 3,809 headstones, with the remains of 3,811 servicemen, and the memorial comprises a museum room and a small chapel.

    We had an excellent tour guide who provided lots of interesting background information, which greatly enhanced the visit to this site (see picture captions for details); a visit when in Cambridge is highly recommended.    En savoir plus

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  • Andrew's TravelsCambridgeshire; South DistrictVoyageur
    1Northstowe
    Northstowe (taken earlier in the year)Northstowe (taken earlier in the year)Northstowe (taken earlier in the year)Rampton; Village Sign / Village greenRampton; All Saints Church - one of two thatched Churches in CambridgeshireMedieval wall paintingNave roofThe decorated Tomb of a D'Isle in Crusader clothingGiant's Hill; the earthwork remains of a motte and bailey castle - still partly surrounded by a moatView towards NorthstoweWestwick HallRAF Oakington pillboxOakington; Village signSt Andrew's ChurchOakington Martyrs Gravestones; a memorial to non- conformist ProtestantismLongstanton; St Michael's Church, with the holy well in the foregroundSt Michael's Church; the second thatched Church in CambridgeshireEn route back to Northstowe; one of the eight cantilevered pillboxes around RAF Oakington

    Northstowe and neighbouring villages

    2 avril, Angleterre ⋅ ☀️ 12 °C

    Northstowe is a new town in Cambridgeshire; the site covers Oakington Barracks on the former RAF Oakington, a World War II airfield.  Northstowe is now a civil parish formed from Longstanton and Oakington and Westwick in April 2021; building first started in the early 2015, is ongoing, and forecast to have 24,400 residents in 10,000 homes long term. There are many new houses, but not many amenities, and, on the outskirts, there are small lakes

    It is convenient to start a circular walk from here from the Longstanton Park and Ride site here, and I do so with the Cambridge Rambling Club Wed A group.  We set off and walk close to the Park and Ride and one of the several small lakes here before turning off towards Rampton. The village is situated on the edge of The Fens and was well populated in Roman times before vanishing and reappearing in the Anglo-Saxon period.  The attractive Church of All Saints is one of a very few English churches with a thatched roof and one of only two in Cambridgeshire.  After stopping here, we pass the earthwork remains of a castle, known as Giant's Hill, are located to the east of the village by the church; construction started about 1140, but it was never completed.

    We now head south towards the parish of Oakington and Westwick, passing Westwick Hall, before diverting to Histon (to be covered in a future FP post). Later on, we rejoin the route and carry on to Oakington.  In 1940, a Royal Air Force bomber airfield, RAF Oakington, was constructed at Oakington covering 540 acres and this is reflected in the village sign; the site of the barracks is in the process of forming part of Northstowe.  In the 17th century, Oakington was considered to be a "hot-bed of religious dissent"; behind the churchyard of St Andrew's Church, there is a private burial ground containing the graves of three vicars who helped establish the non-conformist movement and various non-conformist churches in Cambridgeshire. Ejected from their livings, persecuted and imprisoned for propagating their faith during their lives, they became known as the 'Oakington Martyrs' in death.

    We carry on to the outskirts of Longstanton; the village was transformed by the opening of RAF Oakington in 1940, resulting in the building of three new housing estates in the village and a trebling of the population.  We passed St Michael's Church, situated towards the south of the village, built around 1230 and the second rare example of a church with a thatched roof in Cambridgeshire; it is now a Grade II listed building.

    We then follow the paths back to the Park and Ride, passing a cantilevered pillbox that was part of the RAF Oakington site, before seeing a bit more of Northstowe; it has been an interesting 12.4 mile walk.    En savoir plus

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