Fen Ditton to Waterbeach, Cambridge and return

Walked by Sally and Richard, Saturday 21st March 2009

12.5 miles, about 11 miles on the 'official' Fen Rivers Way

Click here for all our photos from thsi walk.

The Fen Rivers Way between Ely and Cambridge has routes both sides of the river, so for our final leg of the path, from Clayhithe (near Waterbeach) to Cambridge, we decided to follow a circuit that started in Fen Ditton, followed the eastern route to Clayhithe then the western bank of the Cam most of the way into Cambridge; we crossed back to the eastern bank for the final stretch into Cambridge (where there is only one option) and then stayed to the east of the river for the return to Fen Ditton.

It was a gloriously sunny Saturday so the river and paths were busy; there was also rather a lot of walking on hard surfaces (the 'tow path' to the west of the river has a made-up surface for the whole of this leg; presumably because of the large number of cyclists). However it was all very pretty and I'm pleased we decided to follow the eastern route as well as the western one; this route wanders away from the river and was quieter - and some of the parts I'd thought would be rather boring were actually very attractive. And an advantage of the good weather and the large number of people about was that the ice-cream kiosk on Jesus Green (decreed to be the official Jordan end of the Fen Rivers Way!) was open. There are also a large number of pubs and restaurants on this leg, though we didn't stop at any.

We parked in Fen Ditton and followed Field Lane to join the river, already busy especially with rowing crews out training. We turned right onto the Fen Rivers Way and soon passed underneath the A14 and reached Baits Bite Lock. Here the path took a sharp right hand turn away from the river, past grazing horses, back to the B1047 just south of Horningsea. We followed the road through the village; a pretty little place with thatched cottages, pub, church and - should you be in need of refreshment already - a garden centre (with tea-shop) and the Crown and Punchbowl, a restaurant where I've had a very pleasant meal in the past. On the way out of Horningsea the path leaves the road for a while, cutting off a corner, then rejoins it very briefly (you actually turn right at this point, then almost immediately left onto a path on the eastern side of the road). This path took us past Eye Hall Farm (more horses) and Clayhithe Farm to emerge on the river at Clayhithe, where I remember walking 23 years ago, when heavily pregnant with Michael.

We crossed Clayhithe Bridge, by the Bridge Inn, and turned onto the towing path on the western bank of the river. This was noticeably busier, with people walking, running and cycling, but pretty enough. We stopped for lunch at a conveniently placed bench, then continued past Horningsea (good views of the Church from this side of the river) and back to Baits Bite Lock. There were fewer rowing boats about than there had been this morning (though there were more as we got closer to the centre of Cambridge) but there was a big sightseeing boat manoeuvrering just upstream of the lock.

We went under the A14 again and then passed Fen Ditton on the opposite bank. Soon we were on the outskirts of Cambridge, with attractive little houses backing onto the river. We passed under the railway then, at the Penny Ferry (Chesterton) the towing path gave way to private gardens, so we had to walk a short distance along Water Lane before crossing a bridge by the Green Dragon (I said there were lots of pubs on this leg...) to emerge on Stourbridge Common. We left the common and walked along 'The Riverside', past some very upmarket flats and the Cambridge Museum of Technology (a former pumping station with a big chimney). We passed underneath Elizabeth Way and rows of boathouses on the opposite bank of the river.

The official route of the Fen Rivers Way heads off across Midsummer Common towards the station, but we stayed close to the river past Midsummer Common and Jesus Common to reach Jesus Lock (just past the open-air swimming pool and opposite Chesterton Road) which felt like a far more memorable end to a long-distance path.

After celebrating with delicious ice-creams we retraced our steps to Stourbridge Common. Here we cut across the common away from the river, which made a pleasant change (a grassy surface to walk on and fewer people). We crossed the railway by a footbridge then crossed Ditton Meadows. We left the river for the final time and climbed up a slight hill into Fen Ditton. We turned left past the Church and followed the road for a short distance, then crossed the recreation ground before leaving the Fen Rivers Way where we had joined it at Field Lane.