Great Chesterford to Royston
Walked by Sally and Richard, Saturday 24th September 2011
Approximately 14.5 miles of walking including 14 miles on the Icknield Way path
Click here for photographs taken on today's leg of the walk
There are two train routes from Cambridge to London; one via Royston and Letchworth Garden City to the East Coast Main Line to Kings Cross and one further east, via Great Chesterford and Bishop's Stortford to Liverpool Street. Today we walked between the two, from Great Chesterford in Essex, across a corner of Cambridgeshire, to Royston in Hertfordshire. We were enjoying an 'Indian Summer', which enabled us to walk on a dry, warm and mostly sunny day, whilst enjoying the autumn fruits and colours (the photograph shows a distant view of Elmdon Church).
We were lucky to get to the start of the walk at anything like the time we expected to be there. We got to Downham Market Station for the 8.04 train to Cambridge to discover that no trains had got through to the south today, because of a problem with overhead lines in the Littleport area. The 7.04 was still sitting at Downham Market and no-one had much idea when it might be leaving. For some reason we decided to give it a go and after moving forward to Littleport, with no promise that we'd get any further, then a while spent on Littleport Station, our train continued on its journey to London, dropping us at a packed and chaotic Cambridge Station. (I've been passing through Cambridge Station a couple of times each week for the past 15 years or so, and I don't think I've ever seen it so busy...) However we were in time for the 9.15 rail replacement bus for all stations to Great Chesterford. The driver couldn't find the station in Great Chesterford (a bit of a pity for anyone wanting to get on the bus) but he dropped us off on the 'main' B1383 and, as planned, we started walking just before 10am.
We crossed the railway line at a level crossing then crossed the M11/A11 junction on a footbridge. We drive down the A11 to the M11 quite frequently, but until I was here on foot I hadn't really appreciated where the junction is. We climbed away from the M11, initially on a rather overgrown path between hedges then crossing open agricultural land. The soil here is very pale - noticeably chalky.
We joined a minor road on National Cycle Route 11, and we were passed by a couple of cyclists. Indeed, there were lots of cyclists about all day. We turned right up a 'no through road', signposted to Strethall Church, past conveniently placed and well laiden apple trees. Strethall Church is only about a mile west of the motorway, but it is almost completely hidden by trees and feels as if it is in the middle of nowhere. It's a delightful place. Strethall Church boasts a gravestone (on the grave of Janet Adams, a much-decorated red cross nurse) with the inscription:
Be kind to little animals
Whatever sort they be
And give a stranded jellyfish
A shove into the sea.
This verse (sometimes attributed to Baden Powell) is easy to misunderstand - I did! Some people who have visited feel, as I did to start with, sorry for the jellyfish. However Richard pointed out that jellyfish belong in the sea! The verse is actually about the importance of appreciating all living things, as Janet Adams undoubtedly did, caring for all patients and refusing to designate them friend or foe.
From Strethall we meandered our way, on footpaths, tracks and country lanes (frequently with a choice of route, both of which could legitimately be regarded as the Icknield Way) to the pretty villages of Elmdon (more cyclists here) and Chishall (our lunch spot). Then on to Heydon, back in Cambridgeshire, reputedly one of the highest villages in the county and also home of one of the Wood Green animal shelters. However what I remember is the 'Stop Heydon Grange Wind Farm' posters everywhere. I can't say I'm terribly sympathetic.
We descended to lower land by way of Heydon Ditch, turned left alongside a plantation and golf course, and then followed the route of the original Icknield Way to Royston. The countryside was attractive enough, but it wasn't the most enjoyable of walking. The track went on and on a bit and, past Noon's Folly Farm, it became broad and stony, and as we got closer to the A505 there was noise from the road.
However, right at the point the track emerged onto the A505, the Icknield Way Path turned onto privately owned land and followed a footpath parallel with the road. It was very pleasant, especially as it passed through delightful woodland close to the entrance to Burloes Hall.
We emerged onto the road opposite a sign marking the line of the Greenwich Meridian and walked down into Royston town centre, past modern housing estates. Close to the original town centre, at the junction of Ermine Street and the Icknield Way, we passed Royston Cave and decided to visit. It's a man-made cave, discovered in 1742, but believed to be much older, with amazing carvings in the chalk. No one knows who created the cave or who did the carvings - was it the Knights Templar, the freemasons or James I? It's a fascinating place, well worth the £3 for a visit (and we were lucky to be able to visit, since we were passing on the last opening weekend of 2011). We wanted to catch the train home from Royston just after 4pm, so we didn't have time for a cup of tea. However we had a very good journey home.
