From: Central Cambridge.

Distance: 17 miles round trip.

Summary: Meridian line views of Cambridgeshire.

The map on the left is interactive — you can zoom in, move it around, see a satellite view, etc.

* * * *

In 1999, when communities across the country were preparing their millennium celebrations, those on the Meridian line were considered to have special significance. Many of these towns and villages built fire beacons to welcome in the new year. As the highest point for many miles around, and situated on exactly zero degrees of longitude, Orwell is the only south Cambridgeshire village to be home to one of these millennium beacons. However the village’s significance goes much further—to the 13th century—as I found out recently…

This was an enjoyable ride (though mostly along a busy road) to a rather unusual place. Watch out for the (relatively short) steep hill towards the end, but whatever you do, don’t forget to look back, as you’ll have a fantastic view over Cambridge with the radio telescopes of Lords Bridge in the foreground. Here’s my recommended route:

• Starting at the tall Catholic church on Hills Road (position A on the map), cycle down Lensfield Road, passing the Chemistry department on your left. As you reach the bottom of the road, move out towards the right slightly, so that you can turn left and then immediately right into the Fen Causeway, passing the Engineering Department on your right-hand side.
• Just after the pedestrian crossing that stretches diagonally across the road, you can either continue straight on and then turn left, or take a short-cut down the cycle path towards your left. Either way, you’re aiming for Barton Road (position B on the map).



• On Barton Road, you can cycle on the cycleway on the right-hand pavement, and I recommend doing so. The road continues for 1.5 miles, until you reach the first of two roundabouts with the M11. Take especial care here, but you’re aiming to continue straight ahead, into the village of Barton itself. In doing so, you’ll pass first the Haggis Farm Polo Club on your right (position C on the map), and then a military rifle range, also on your right. If the red flag is flying, then be prepared for the sound of gunshots!
• Finally come off the pavement back onto the road when you reach the White Horse Inn, in Barton—shortly before passing a turn-off towards Haslingfield.
• You’re now on the Wimpole/Cambridge Road (the A603), and this will take you all the way into Orwell. Continue ahead for 3.5 miles, when you’ll pass the Wheatsheaf pub on your left. Large fields open out on either side of the road, with a suspiciously steep-looking hill a mile ahead of you. Hills are good in this context, as you’ll get an excellent view from the top, so carry straight on undeterred! In fact, I recommend pulling over near the top of the slope, and looking back into Cambridge, with the Merlin telescope looming impressively in front.
• Then you can free-wheel down the other side of the hill, taking the first left at the bottom into Fishers Lane (position D on the map). Continue into the village, stopping just outside the church — I recommend locking your bike against the barrier just after the churchyard.

* * * *

You’ve arrived—it’s time to take a look around! I recommend climbing up the steps just beside the church, marked towards the ‘Hillside’. These take you first to a small field with a bench, so you can collapse in an exhausted heap and admire the spectacular view.

But then carry on to the very top of the hill, through a gate and to the bizarrely-named, but fascinating Orwell ‘Clunch Pit’. A site of special scientific interest, the pit dates from the 13th century, when clunch (a very soft, chalky limestone) was used to build local structures including parts of Ely Cathedral.

These days, the pit remains in much the same state as it has for centuries, and is the home to a thriving multitude of animals and plants: such as kestrels, wild carrots, the fantastically Potteresque ‘quaking grass’, and occasionally some rare varieties of sheep.

You’ll find a helpful information board explaining the history of the area— but, once you’ve read this, take a walk around the edge. Looming in the far corner is the millennium beacon — it must have looked really spectacular, flaming high above the Cambridgeshire countryside.

Before heading back, it’s worth taking a look around the rest of Orwell too—it’s a pretty village, with some impressive thatched cottages. Opposite the church is a street named Town Green Road. A little way down there on the right, is a newly developed nature area called Chapel Orchard, which was teeming with rabbits when I had an amble around.

If you try this route out, do let me know how you get on!

I’ve just got back from a cycle ride to an interesting little village, just outside of Cambridge. Until I write up the route, take a look at this landmark from today’s destination. Where in Cambridgeshire do you think I went today, and what’s the mystery object?

From: Cambridge.

Distance: 17 miles round trip.

Summary: Europe’s finest aviation museum on our doorstep.

The map on the left is interactive — you can zoom in, move it around, see a satellite view, etc.

* * * *

On a summer day in Cambridge, it is often possible to hear the buzz of vintage planes overhead. Most of these will have taken off at the airfield near Duxford, just to the south of Cambridge. Formerly an RAF fighter station and an important American airbase in the Second World War, Duxford is now home to the impressive air section of the Imperial War Museum, and it’s an interesting place to amble around on a sunny afternoon. The museum is a short cycle ride from Cambridge, but it’s not immediately obvious how best to get there. Here’s my recommended route…

Sometimes it is difficult to find a good cycle route just by the use of a map. The quickest path might involve horrendously busy and narrow roads, and it’s not always easy to spot turns when you’re on the ground. After a morning of trying out different options, I’ve put together a route from Cambridge rail station to Duxford (the purple track on the map), with a slightly different variant on the way back (marked in bright blue).

• Starting at the rail station (position A on the map), turn left onto Hills Road, and then immediately right into Brooklands Avenue. This road interconnects Hills Road and Trumpington Road; at the bottom turn left towards Trumpington itself.
• Continue straight on through the village of Trumpington, until the road branches just after you pass the Bidwells offices, and just before Waitrose (position B). Take the left-hand fork, signed towards “The Shelfords”.



• Continuing down this road for a couple of miles, you will eventually enter Great Shelford. One of the larger of Cambridge’s outlying villages, this was the childhood home of the late children’s author Philippa Pearce (author of Tom’s Midnight Garden) in the 1920s to ’40s. Many of her books were set in a semi-fictionalised version of Cambridgeshire, with Cambridge referred to as Castleford, and the River Cam changing its name to the River Say.
• Now if you only remember one direction in this route, take heed of this: at the village green, turn right (at position C). This is the trick to getting to Duxford along quiet roads, rather than getting lost in a maze of A-roads. So turn right when you see the large cross of the war memorial, so that you’re travelling past a pub called The Plough.



• You’re now travelling down Great Shelford’s High Street, which then bears right alongside the village church. Shortly after you pass over a small white bridge crossing the early stages of the river, the road veers sharply around to the left, with a turn-off to Little Shelford on your right. Follow the road round to the left, where it becomes known as Whittlesford Road (position D).



• Continue along Whittlesford Road for just over two miles. Now here things become a little non-intuitive. The Imperial War Museum isn’t in Duxford itself — it actually lies just outside. So you will come to a junction, just before a large orange house (position E), where the road bends round to the left, signposted towards Duxford and Ickleton. Do not take this road; instead turn right along Middlemoor Road towards Newton and Harston.



• Newton and Harston are also in the wrong direction, so about 100 metres later turn left onto the other section of Middlemoor Road, rather than following the road round to the right.



• Almost there now, and it’s much simpler from here! Continue along the road, which will change name from Middlemoor Road to Whippletree Road (‘whippletree’ is the former name for the dogwood tree) and then to Hill Farm Road. The road’s surface suddenly improves, as you pass a site marked with the logos of the Cambridge Assessment examination board and Syngenta agricultural research.
• At the end of the road, turn right along the cycle path that runs beside the busy A505. A little way down you will come to the M11 roundabout. Dismount and walk carefully around this on the footpath — you’re aiming to go straight ahead, towards the large hangars of the air museum. The roundabout footpath continues along the right-hand side of the road, dipping down lower than the road itself.



• Continue down here, and it will lead you to a pedestrian crossing right opposite the main entrance to the museum (position F).



This is not the easiest route to describe, so do shout if it is unclear at any point.

* * * *

Duxford IWM really is worth visiting: there are major airshows there on a regular basis, and every day of the year except 24th-26th December you are able to take a look at planes that you would never normally see: including the vast B-17 ‘Flying Fortress’ (with a wingspan in excess of 31 metres); the really rather nippy SR-71 Blackbird (with a speed of over 2,200 mph); as well as a prototype of Concorde.

When I was last there, my brother and sister-in-law had kindly given me the opportunity to travel on an original 1930s biplane over Cambridge, Ely and Newmarket — these can sometimes be booked on the day when in Duxford, and allow you to see a spectacular view of the Fens from on high.



* * * *

There is an alternative way to reach the museum, and I offer this here as a variant on the route back to Cambridge. This is the bright blue track on the map.

• Once you have followed the directions in reverse, turning left after Great Shelford village green (position C), the road begins to rise up to cross the railway. Just before this, on the right-hand side, is a blue cycling sign pointing towards Addenbrooke’s Hospital. Follow this sign into Granhams Road.
• You will cross over a level-crossing. Just after this is the start of a dedicated cycle path, marked with a giant double helix and colourful stripes on the ground. The building of this path marked a major milestone: 1000 miles of the National Cycle Network. There are 1000 coloured stripes over the first mile of the path, and these themselves also pay homage to Cambridge’s close connection with genetic research. The giant double helices pay tribute to Crick & Watson’s discovery of the structure of DNA in Cambridge; and the coloured stripes spell out the bases of the BRCA2 gene, which was decoded by the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, just outside the city, as part of important research into the causes of breast cancer.



• Follow the path first alongside the Cambridge–Liverpool Street railway line, and then across a number of fields, with Hobson’s Conduit on your left-hand side. From 1614 to 1849, Hobson’s Conduit brought water from the springs at Nine Wells, through these fields, along Trumpington Road to a water fountain in the marketplace in Cambridge, later moved to Lensfield Road.



• The prominent tower of the hospital will loom ever closer, and this cycle path leads you into the hospital site itself. Turn right at the end, and follow the hospital ring road around to the roundabout with Hills Road. Turn left towards Cambridge, and this road will lead you back towards the town centre and the station.

* * * *

If you try this route out, do let me know how you get on!

]]> http://www.stuartbell.co.uk/cycling/duxford/feed 5 http://www.stuartbell.co.uk/cycling/anglesey-abbey http://www.stuartbell.co.uk/cycling/anglesey-abbey#comments Sat, 02 Jun 2007 20:43:06 +0000 Stuart Bell http://www.stuartbell.co.uk/cycling/2007/06/02/anglesey-abbey/

From: Cambridge.

Distance: 14 miles round trip.

Summary: One of the most relaxing places in Cambridgeshire in which to spend a sunny afternoon.

The map on the left is interactive — you can zoom in, move it around, see a satellite view, etc.

* * * *

Not in Anglesey, and not an abbey, Anglesey Abbey nonetheless has some of the most lovely gardens in Cambridgeshire — it’s a great place to spend a sunny afternoon curled up with a good book. Just 7 miles to the northeast of Cambridge, in the village of Lode, it is easily reachable by bike, and the National Trust even gives cyclists a discount on their usual admission charge.

There are two ways to reach Anglesey Abbey by bike — one on the main road, covering approximately 6 miles; one using the rather quieter National Cycle Route, covering approximately 7 miles. I will briefly outline both, but the interactive map above highlights the National Cycle Route option, which I would recommend as the best route.

On-road, 6 miles

• Starting at the Natwest bank opposite the tall Catholic church, and on the corner of Regent Street and Gonville Place, cycle alongside Parker’s Piece, towards the police station. Continue straight ahead into East Road, past the back of the Grafton.
• At the big roundabout, you need to turn right into Newmarket Road — it’s best to use the underpass, going straight through the middle and then turning right as you come out on the other side.



• Continue right along Newmarket Road for about 3 miles — as far as the big roundabout with the A14. You’ll pass Marshall’s on your left and Cambridge Airport on your right. As you pass the airport, look to your left, where you’ll see fields full of tall posts with lights pointing toward the sky: these are the approach lights for the airport, and strobe towards the runway at night to guide pilots toward the airport (point A on the map).




• At the roundabout with the A14, continue straight ahead towards Stow-cum-Quy — a cyclepath alongside the road makes this easy to do. Follow the brown signs with an image of a windmill.
• Continue straight on through Stow-cum-Quy, and you will reach Anglesey Abbey just over a mile later on the left-hand side of the road.

Via National Cycle Route 51, through Fen Ditton

• The above route is easiest to follow, but Newmarket Road can be quite busy at times. Many of the busy sections can be avoided by instead following National Cycle Route 51 in the direction of Bottisham.
• Join this cycle route just opposite the Cambridge United football stadium (point B on the map), by turning left from Newmarket Road into Ditton Walk. Follow the brown cycle signs: you’re effectively following the outside of a semi-circle, along the outer perimeter of the Ditton Fields area of Cambridge. The signs encourage you to use the pavement; in my experience the pavement there is in appalling condition, so you’re a lot better off using the road.
• The signs lead you onto Fison Road, and then through a field into the Newmarket Road Park & Ride site. You are allowed to cycle through the Park & Ride site, along a shared pedestrian/cycle path, following the blue National Cycle Route 51 signs.
• Eventually you’re led onto a cycle path alongside Newmarket Road once more, and the route becomes similar to that above. However, I strongly advise you to continue to follow the National Cycle Route 51 signs as far as Stow-cum-Quy: these guide you away from the road at the busy A14 junction, albeit taking a slightly circuitous route to do so. Just follow the signs that point in the direction of Bottisham though, and all is well!

* * * *



Anglesey Abbey itself is a country house, built around a medieval priory in the 1930s by the 1st Baron Fairhaven. Set in 98 acres of landscaped gardens, it’s now owned by the National Trust, and is open most of the year on every day but Mondays and Tuesdays, when six gardeners and a myriad of volunteers work their magic on the grounds.






The estate also contains a working water mill, from which you’re able to buy flour, and a nature reserve, where it’s often possible to see deer and foxes (hopefully not simultaneously) drinking by a pool. The grounds are filled with imaginative detail around every corner, and stone animals that look as though they might come alive at night.






One of the things I love about Anglesey Abbey is that the grounds have a sort of structured informality. There are impressive 1.5 mile-long avenues leading from one end of the garden to the other, but there are also so many spots where you can settle down to read a good book and never be disturbed. Baron Fairhaven created Anglesey Abbey and its grounds with the aim of creating an idyllic English country estate — and, for me at least, he certainly succeeded.




At the time of writing, the entry charge to the gardens for cyclists is £4.40, or £7.30 if you also wish to look around the house. Admission is a little cheaper in the winter.

]]> http://www.stuartbell.co.uk/cycling/anglesey-abbey/feed 10 http://www.stuartbell.co.uk/cycling/pillbox http://www.stuartbell.co.uk/cycling/pillbox#comments Sun, 06 May 2007 19:06:37 +0000 Stuart Bell http://www.stuartbell.co.uk/cycling/2007/05/06/pillbox/

Hidden amongst the undergrowth, just a mile northwest of the village of Prickwillow, lies this derelict World War II pillbox. 28,000 of these were built across the British countryside in 1940-41, when Germany was making plans to invade the United Kingdom. Today, fewer than 6,000 remain, silent relics of a battle that was fortunately never fought.

On an overcast windy day such as today, the area around this pillbox has a rather eerie atmosphere. With the looming banks of the river in the distance, and the rustling of the tall, old trees and grasses all around, you can close your eyes and imagine that you are hearing the whispering of hundreds of people, telling stories of yesteryear.

Those of you who are geocachers, this has surely got to be an excellent location for a cache (the exact position is indicated in the map); otherwise you will find that you pass this pillbox if you try my Branch Bank byway route from Ely.

Incidentally, take a look at the weird shape of the field in which the pillbox lies (click on “satellite” at the top of the map, and then click on the “+” icon on the image). The eastern edge of the field winds around in a meander, almost like a river … which is precisely what it was: up until 1830, the Great Ouse flowed along what is now the main road through Prickwillow, before veering off to the north alongside the field in which the pillbox lies. Prickwillow village is built on the riverbed of the original course of the Ouse.

]]> http://www.stuartbell.co.uk/cycling/pillbox/feed 2 http://www.stuartbell.co.uk/cycling/green-dragon http://www.stuartbell.co.uk/cycling/green-dragon#comments Sat, 07 Apr 2007 14:46:11 +0000 Jamie Brown http://www.stuartbell.co.uk/cycling/2007/04/07/green-dragon/

Pub: Green Dragon.

Location: Water Street, Chesterton.

Distance: 2 mile cycle ride from Cambridge.

* * * *

The Green Dragon is a beautiful Cambridge pub tucked away from the metropolis that is High Street Chesterton. Its beer garden, which sits just across the road from the pub, backs onto the river and is shaded by large, hanging trees. This combination makes it an idyllic location to while away lazy summer afternoons.

The pub can be reached easily alongside the river by bike or on foot. In fact, it would make an ideal stop on the Fenland Rides’ recommended journey of Cambridge to Waterbeach.

For the sportier amongst you, this popular establishment features bar billiards and darts. The pub interior is intimate, if even a little claustrophobic, with carpeted flooring and half-panelled walls. Pictures on the wall depict Victorian Chesterton.



All typical English country pub fare! Food is excellent and plentiful, and is served from 12pm to 2:30pm and 6pm until 9pm, and from 12pm to 2pm on Sundays. The menu includes starters and snacks (£2.50 – £5), sandwiches (~£3), salads (~£5), jacket potatoes (£3-£5), traditional main courses (£4-£8), of which locally produced hand-made sausages are a speciality, and desserts (~£3).

]]> http://www.stuartbell.co.uk/cycling/green-dragon/feed 3 http://www.stuartbell.co.uk/cycling/windy-day http://www.stuartbell.co.uk/cycling/windy-day#comments Sun, 01 Apr 2007 11:55:03 +0000 Stuart Bell http://www.stuartbell.co.uk/cycling/2007/04/01/windy-day/ Cycling in the Fens can be very tiring on a breezy day… Spot today’s wind direction from the GPS trace of this afternoon’s bike ride…!



I’ll probably write this ride up at some point — it’s a pleasant route through farming land, with very few cars. I see from my web logs though that (unsurprisingly) people find Cambridge-oriented routes most helpful: if you have any suggestions for short lunchtime cycle rides to add to the site, do leave me a note in the comments — thanks!

]]> http://www.stuartbell.co.uk/cycling/windy-day/feed 0 http://www.stuartbell.co.uk/cycling/traffic-lights http://www.stuartbell.co.uk/cycling/traffic-lights#comments Wed, 14 Feb 2007 14:17:57 +0000 Stuart Bell http://www.stuartbell.co.uk/cycling/2007/02/14/traffic-lights/ So many cyclists seem to completely disregard the laws of the road. It’s really annoying, as it gives the rest of us a bad name. I’ve sometimes wondered whether there’s actually a secret, separate set of rules for cyclists, that no one’s shown me. And then the truly excellent London blogger DiamondGeezer revealed…

The new Highway Code for cyclists (© 2006)
reproduced here with his very kind permission


Traffic Light Signals

GREEN means GO.
You may go ahead if the way is clear. You may go ahead even if the way is not clear. Quick, before that lorry runs you over.

AMBER means KEEP GOING.
No need to stop. Hurry up and you’ll get through before the lights change. Just keep your head down and charge on through. Wheeee!

RED means CARRY ON.
The red signal isn’t for you, it’s for car drivers. They have to stop at the stop line, but you’re on a bike so you can carry on. You’re only small and you’re highly manoeuvrable, so carry on pedalling. What harm could it possibly do? And you don’t want to lose any of that hard earned momentum you’ve built up, do you? I mean, why should pedestrians suddenly have the right of way. If you swerve carefully you’ll probably miss them all anyway. Remember that as a cyclist you’re completely above the law, no matter what swear words passers-by might hurl at you. Do whatever the hell you like, why don’t you?

RED 10 seconds later means PUSH TO THE FRONT.
There may still be pedestrians crossing the road in front of you, but if you nip between them you can be poised ready at the front of the queue when the passing traffic clears. Come on, every second counts!

RED 20 seconds later means HEAD OFF EARLY.
There’s nothing coming, is there, so why wait? What harm would it do to scoot off across the road junction right now? OK, so it’s technically illegal, but since when has that ever stopped you? Go on, get a head start on everyone revving up behind you.

RED AND AMBER means YOU’RE A BIT LATE, ALL THE OTHER CYCLISTS SET OFF SEVERAL SECONDS AGO.
Hurry and you might just catch up with them.

A GREEN ARROW means TURN RIGHT, OR GO STRAIGHT ON, WHATEVER.
There’s a bit of green up there. Even if it’s not the direction you want to go, just go.

A RED FILTER means SNEAK RIGHT.
There must be a gap in the oncoming traffic soon. Maybe immediately after this next car in the couple of seconds before that bus arrives. Or just go anyway, because all those other vehicles have brakes and they know how to use them.

NO LIGHTS AT ALL means POWER CUT.
Never mind. It’s not like you’d be paying a blind bit of attention to the lights even if they were working. Carry on regardless, just like normal, you thoughtless selfish roadhog.

Laws RTA 1988 sect 36, TSRGD reg 10(1) (disregarded)

[Reproduced with permission from DiamondGeezer, 31st October 2006]

]]> http://www.stuartbell.co.uk/cycling/traffic-lights/feed 1 http://www.stuartbell.co.uk/cycling/prickwillow-byway http://www.stuartbell.co.uk/cycling/prickwillow-byway#comments Sun, 11 Feb 2007 21:37:06 +0000 Stuart Bell http://www.stuartbell.co.uk/cycling/2007/02/11/prickwillow-byway/

From: South Ely.

Distance: 11 miles.

Summary: Horse racing and tractor washing.

Click here to fly over this route in Google Earth (find out more…)

* * * *

It’s often hard to find decent byways along which to cycle. However knowledge of their locations can interconnect roads that otherwise require vast detours, so opening up a number of interesting possible routes. One example can be found near the village of Prickwillow, where a byway runs alongside the pretty River Lark to join the riverside road leading to Littleport.

In detail:

• This ride starts in Lisle Lane (position A on the map) — known to Ely residents as the road housing the Royal Mail delivery office, and found by cycling down the High Street to the bottom of the hill, and then turning left.
• At the end of Lisle Lane, the road rises steeply towards a mini-roundabout: at this roundabout, turn right towards Queen Adelaide. Shout if you think I’m wrong, but I presume the hamlet gets its name from Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen, the wife found for the eventual King William IV by his brother, the Duke of Cambridge. Her rather larger namesake is of course the city of Adelaide, in southern Australia.



• Passing through Queen Adelaide, you will cross three level crossings in quick succession (position B): over the line heading towards Peterborough, over the main Kings Lynn to London track, and then finally over the line towards Norwich.
• Shortly before the final level crossing, the road climbs over the River Ouse, and at this point the road changes name from the Ely Road to the Prickwillow Road. Continue straight on…
• The road to Prickwillow runs alongside the railway line to Norwich, with fields on your right and houses on the left. Look out for the horses in paddocks beside the houses: when I cycled this route today, one gave me a race along the side of the field and then I’m sure that it gave me a smug grin when it won…



• Prickwillow itself is a pretty little village, with the wonderfully named River Lark running through the middle. If you have time, it’s worth stopping off at the drainage museum by the river — it’s extremely well presented, and traces the history of the Fens, showing the steam driven machinery that was used to transform it from marshland to the fertile countryside through which you’re cycling. Today the museum has a dual-purpose: staffed by volunteers, it is also home to the only shop in the village.
• When you have finished exploring the museum, travel over the river bridge, and then take a sharp left along Branch Bank (position C), alongside the river. On most maps, this road is shown as a dead end, but in fact it becomes a “byway open to all traffic”, allowing us to continue down to the road that runs alongside the River Ouse, confusingly also called Branch Bank.



• You’ll find that this road is only really used by tractors: there are deep ruts from farm machinery, but it is fine — if bumpy — to travel down on a bike. Push on, continuing straight ahead along the vaguely tarmacced path. At one point you’ll pass a derelict house with an amusingly frank name…



…as well as a sign that seems to undervalue Fenland schooling…



• Shortly after passing a World War II pillbox, the road becomes increasingly uneven and rather sandy in places, with grass showing down the middle of the track. These sorts of byways are known as green lanes — and although it’s legal to travel down this road in a car, you’d regret it pretty swiftly if you met a tractor travelling in the other direction!



• After approximately two miles, the high bank of the River Ouse looms in the distance ahead. At this point, the road takes a sharp turn to the right … and plonks you into the middle of a farmyard. There is no track whatsoever in this section, so you just have to trust that you really are allowed to cycle down here. In my case, whilst cycling between the farm buildings, I passed a chap hosing down a tractor — I got the impression that he really wasn’t expecting someone to come past on a bike!



• Immediately after the farm buildings, the byway abuts the main Branch Bank. A right turn would take you northwards toward Littleport, but at this point I turned left, in order to head back to Ely, as there were ominous looking rainclouds above…
• If you have a moment, it’s worth walking up the river bank on the right-hand side. Despite living in Ely for 2.5 years now, I still find it unnerving the way that the rivers are often higher than the roads in this part of the country. This is also the stretch of river where The Oxford & Cambridge Boat Race was held in 1944, as London was considered too unsafe a venue during the Second World War. Known as the Adelaide Stretch, the river bank has a number of marble markers embedded into the path, showing the start, finish and mileposts of the race.



• Branch Bank leads back into Queen Adelaide; at the end of the road, take a right over the river toward the three level crossings once more, and onwards back to Ely.

Discovering this byway was a bit of a revelation to me: before, it looked impossible to cycle to and from Prickwillow without retracing your tracks, or else taking a 7 mile detour via Shippea Hill. If you know of other useful byways in decent condition in the Cambridge/Ely area, do let me know via a comment on this post!

]]> http://www.stuartbell.co.uk/cycling/prickwillow-byway/feed 4 http://www.stuartbell.co.uk/cycling/waterbeach-along-cam http://www.stuartbell.co.uk/cycling/waterbeach-along-cam#comments Sun, 11 Jun 2006 17:54:15 +0000 Stuart Bell http://www.stuartbell.co.uk/cycling/2006/06/11/waterbeach-along-cam/

From: Central Cambridge.

Distance: 6 miles.

Summary: Pleasant riverside route, though busy in term-time.

Fly over this route in Google Earth (find out more…)

* * * *

The village of Waterbeach lies just to the northeast of Cambridge, and can now be reached by bike on the well-surfaced river towpath. In the early evening during term the southern half of this route can become quite busy with the coaches of rowing crews cycling alongside, but it is an extremely pleasant short ride, and a good way of reaching the excellent Bridge pub just outside the village.

In detail:

• Start out by heading down to the river at Midsummer Common or Jesus Green. Follow the path alongside, heading out of Cambridge, keeping the river on your left-hand side.
• After you have passed Midsummer Common, the path takes you along the road, past the back of the Newmarket Road branch of Tesco, and into Stourbridge Common. Continue down here to the bridge over the river at Chesterton (position A on the map).
• Walking over this bridge with your bike, you will come out directly opposite the Green Dragon pub. Turn right as you exit the bridge, cycling down to the bollards at the end of the road. Turn right again, and you will pass the Penny Ferry pub (formerly the Pike & Eel), and a small carpark by the edge of the road:



• These cars mark the start of the towpath on the west side of the river, so join the path here. The towpath is an extremely good surface on which to cycle: kept clean and in good condition, and of course without any steep hills.
• You will probably pass a number of student rowing crews, often with coaches accompanying them on bikes along the path. This is the route over which the Bumps rowing races are held twice a year. Six years ago, when Trinity College were ‘Head of the River’ (that is, deemed by virtue of their Bumps results to be the best crew in Cambridge), residents woke up the next day to find the A14 road bridge suspiciously daubed with a smug slogan in the College’s colours:



• Members of Trinity’s boat club at the time denied all knowledge of how this came to be, but the bridge proclaims “Back Where We Belong” to this day, as you will see as you cycle under it (position B), half a mile down the river.



• Shortly after this you will pass by Baitsbite lock, which marks the start of the Bumps races, and the end of the key stretch over which most College crews train. If you’re cycling during a Spring evening, you will notice that up until this point you have seen either men’s or women’s crews on the water, as use of the river is tightly restricted to prevent overcrowding.



• After the lock, the towpath narrows, as from here to Waterbeach the path is less well used. These final two miles are along a particularly picturesque stretch of water.




• Eventually, the towpath curves to the left, beside a road bridge (position C). This marks your arrival at Clayhithe — the hamlet just outside Waterbeach. At this point you can clamber up by the bridge to stop in at the pub (although there is another, less steep, path through a gate a few metres later on the right-hand side), or you can follow the path left and away from the river, towards Waterbeach.



• This path takes you past the newly-planted Cow Hollow Wood. A local millennium project, and extending over 16 acres, this is starting to mature well, and contains trees as diverse as oak, willow, ash and maple. If ever you’re waiting for a train at Waterbeach, it’s worth stopping by to have a wander around.



• The footpath finally leads you to the station carpark. From here you can either get a train to Cambridge or Ely, or continue straight ahead along the road, and into Waterbeach village itself.

This is a short but pleasant ride for a weekend lunchtime. Thanks to Espen for mentioning this route along to Waterbeach; all other suggestions of local cycle rides appreciated — just leave a note in the comments, folks! Later this week, I will post an extended version of this route, continuing over the A10 and into Ely along the back lanes.

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