Main Walk: 18½ km (11.5 miles).
Long walk - via St Ives.24½ km (15.2 miles)
1 out of 10 (2 or the Long Walk)
This easy circular walk leaves the historic town of Huntingdon on the north bank of the River Great Ouse. At Hartford, the walk continues along the edge of farmland to an early lunch stop in the attractive twin villages of Houghton and Wyton. At Houghton there is a choice of routes. The Main Walk continues with a straightforward circuit of Houghton Meadow.(It’s possible to bypass the meadow for a shorter walk of 9 or 10 miles)
The Long Walk follows an extended loop to the town of St Ives. There, the 15th C bridge features an unusual Bridge Chapel. If you chance to visit Holt Island Nature Reserve, you will be walking along a boardwalk that the younger Mr Tiger himself helped construct (oddly, no plaque).
Both options return via water meadows to the last working water mill on the river, Houghton Mill (visits have to be pre-booked but there is a tea-room). The final leg back to Huntingdon is through a nature reserve and more water meadows. The timing should be just right for buttercups (fingers crossed).
Trains:10:12 Peterborough train from Kings Cross, arriving Huntingdon 11:12..
Return at xx:59.
Lunch The suggested lunch stop (after 6½ km) is the Three Jolly Butchers (01480-463228) in Wyton, which has a large garden. A little further on in Houghton, the Three Horseshoes Inn (01480-462410) is a good alternative.
There are more options on the Long Walk (after 8½ km) the Axe & Compass (01480-463605;)in Hemingford Abbots, a traditional village pub with a large beer garden. Or, 1 km further, the upmarket Cock (01480-463609;) in Hemingford Grey.
Tea The suggested watering-hole is the George Hotel (01480-432444) in George Street, an old coaching inn with a comfortable bar and a large open courtyard. Nearer the station you'll find Sandford House (01480-432402), a Wetherspoons.
Directions here t=swc.31
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| Those buttercups |
1 comment:
n=6 showed up. Although 4 had expressed an interest in the full walk to St Ives, we all did the main route with only 1 venturing further, as far as the Hemingfords.
There is still major reconstruction outside the station but we managed to find the onward route ok (probably helped by having the walk's author with us). Before long, we had encountered our first buttercups. The first of many. The afternoon's meadows were truly awash. Other delights included daisies clover, yellow rattle., the occasional butterfly, herons, and a flotilla of little baby geese.
Lunch was taken in the Three Jolly Butchers, a protracted wait, thanks to a retirement party but the food seemed pleasant enough - as was the Orchard Pig cider..
I have memories of Houghton Meadow being interesting with wild flowers and stuff but I found it a bit disappointing. Mainly grass.all the way round with tantalising glimpses of a buttercup meadow on the other bank. Maybe it's rare grass though.
Houghton Mill has reopened and can now be visited without booking. Our lot were more interested in the tea and cake.
Then the rain started, just light rain, but it was there for the afternoon.
On we went, through buttercup meadow after buttercup meadow, past lakes, over countless bridges, until, eventually, Huntingdon was reached. Time for more cider in the George, then home.
That weather - w=partly-sunny-am-light-rain-pm
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