Ely to Littleport
Posted by Stuart BellFrom: Ely city centre.
Distance: 12 miles.
Summary: Busy, windy roads but some good views.
Click here to fly over this route in Google Earth
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One stop north on the trainline from Ely is the large village of Littleport. The cycle ride up to there and back along beside the River Great Ouse is one of my staples — though it can get quite windy as you’re cycling across quite exposed land.
In detail:
- Cycle north out of Ely along the Lynn Road. Although there are a number of roundabouts and changes of road name, this busy 5-6 mile road leads all the way to Littleport.
- Two miles after you have left Ely behind, you will pass a small reservoir on the left-hand side of the road (point A on the map). Looking across to the right, you can just about make out the raised banks of the River Great Ouse about half a mile away. This cycle ride takes you back along the other side of the Ouse, but there are no roads crossing this area of land anywhere between Ely and Littleport.
- On your left, just after the reservoir, is an amazingly narrow, rickety bridge leading to the Wood Fen Pumping Station:
- Continue down the road into Littleport. As you reach the village boundary, it becomes very apparent that most local settlements are built on natural hills — a remnant of the time only a couple of centuries ago when crossing the Fens necessitated use of a boat.
- Once you reach the T-junction at the centre of the village, take a right down the imaginatively-named Main Street. Continue straight on, down the pretty winding roads, and you’ll travel over a level crossing and past the Black Horse pub on the left (point B).
- The road now crosses the River Great Ouse, and it’s a good place to stop and admire the view. There are also normally a number of boats moored outside the pub.
- Once you’ve crossed the river, turn right back towards Ely along Branch Bank. This a typical fenland road, with the high river bank towering over you on the right-hand side. A consequence of draining the land in this area of the country is that the farmland has sunk downwards, and the rivers have increased in height — as a result the rivers tend to be unnervingly higher than the land:
- This road is much quieter than the one along the outward route and is almost entirely straight. At one point though the road bends sharply towards the left to begin a climb over the River Lark (point C). Look along the banks of this river — there are often cattle grazing by the waterside:
- After about three miles of cycling alongside the riverbank, the road forms a T-junction with the Prickwillow/Ely Road. Turn right here, and this will take you down the final mile back to Ely, via the hamlet of Queen Adelaide.
This is an excellent short cycle ride for a sunny day, but if there’s a southerly wind, I’d strongly suggest doing it in reverse: going out along Branch Bank and back down the Lynn Road.
April 18th, 2006 at 5:55 pm
This is a lovely route. I shall state from the outset in these comments that I don’t have a bike (I can’t ride a bike!), so I’m one of those nasty polluting car drivers you encounter on such tours. But I live just off the route and whenever I need to go to Littleport, I generally go up through Chettisham and come back via Queen Adelaide. If you time the journey right, you can get gorgeous sunsets.
April 21st, 2006 at 12:40 am
Wow. This is great. If I were a cyclist, it would be even better. But I’m not a cyclist. I dont even own a bike. Well, I did once but it got stolen. Now I just walk everywhere. Still, one day I hope to get a bike. When I do, I may try this route. It seems like a nice route. A pretty route. Lots of green things and little birds and other animals. Very nice. Kind of makes me want to get a bike. Yes, damn it, I want a bike. Can someone get me a bike? Maybe I should check ebay. They have cheap bikes. I could get a bike and try this route. YES! YES! THATS WHAT IM GOING TO DO! THANKYOU STUART, THANKYOU!!!
April 21st, 2006 at 1:26 pm
This might make a nicer running route, especially the bit along the river, since when you are running you don’t have to stick to the road and can go up on the towpath. Also should point out that the Cambridge University Boat Club (CUBC) train along this stretch of the river regularly from September to March, so you should be able to spot them especially weekend mornings.
April 24th, 2006 at 12:07 pm
I pass the CUBC light blue minibus on my journey to work most mornings; this is indeed favourite training ground for them. Long straight stretches of river, fairly quiet, no other rowers to bother them. Although from recent performance, perhaps they should be concentrating on the bends?
September 11th, 2006 at 8:58 pm
My girlfriend and I cycled this route on Saturday (in reverse as recommended due to a southerly wind). Overall it was a nice bike ride but it was a shame that you could not see the river on Branch Bank due to the high river bank. We made a small error in Littleport due to the one way system. The T junction is more like a crossroad which was a bit confusing, but the wrong turn was quickly rectified. Enjoyed some food in the Lamb Hotel and a wander around Ely afterwards. Great website - Thanks for the route.