Circuit from Hilgay along the Cut-Off Channel and the River Wissey

This walk talks a couple of hours or it could be linked with a Circuit from Denver and a Circuit from Fordham to give a 12.5 miles loop from the Fen Rivers Way at Denver Sluice. We usually park towards the northern end of Hilgay (TL621986) then walk back out of Hilgay and along to A10 - to get the brief stretch of road walking over and done with at the start of the walk. Turn right along a track before the Cut-Off Channel and follow this until it veers to the left to cross the Cut-Off Channel - you don't want to go over the bridge; instead turn right along the bank Cut-Off Channel itself. There are sometimes fishermen and horse riders in this section, but you usually have only the company of swans and herons. When we walked the route in October 2016 this section was rather overgrown.

At the next bridge leave the Cut-Off Channel and turn right along a track past the Glazewing waste reprocessing plant - much less of an eyesore following a major fire a few years ago. Wissington Sugar Beet Factory is clearly visible to your left and there may be agricultural vehicles parked on hardstanding, but his is usually a peaceful place and we've frequently seen deer in the area. They have recently widened the track (Straight Drove) as it passes through woodland which is a pity - it isn't as pretty as it was - but don't be put off by various tracks heading in different directions out of the woodland; your route is always straight ahead through the trees until you reach the bank of the River Wissey. Scramble up the bank and turn right.

This is one of my favourite sections of walking alongside a fen river - you aren't very far away from the A10 at Hilgay but it is peaceful and atmospheric in this stretch. There has been quite a lot of clearance work along the river bank so it is not quite as pretty as it was - but hopefully it means that the walk will be passable at all times of year (previously it has become overgrown in summer). As you approach Hilgay there is an nature reserve on the opposite bank of the river, so watch out for all sorts of wildlife.