Head out into the glorious Cambridgeshire countryside for a pub-inspired perambulation this summer
What better than a pause at a welcoming country pub while out for a summer stroll, to take the weight off your feet, cool down with a refreshing beverage or tuck into a hearty meal to fuel your onward journey.
If you’re looking for a scenic local walking route, why not try one of these two excellent options, complete with strategically placed pit stops?
Great Wilbraham to Fulbourn
The Carpenters Arms in the picture-postcard village of Great Wilbraham has put together a fantastic 5.5-mile Wellington Boot Wander that begins and ends at its door. At this time of year (Great British summer-dependent) you might even be able to enjoy the route sans wellies!
From the pub, follow the road right to the bend and through Frog End, away from the village, keeping an eye out for a sign and white fence on the right, where there’s a footpath leading away from the road.
The spacious Carpenters Arms will meet all your post-walk cravings
Follow this path and, after passing through a kissing gate, you’ll arrive at Great Wilbraham Common. A site of special scientific interest, this species-rich grassland is one of the largest such areas in Cambridgeshire, and a real treasure of the community. Here, you can immerse yourself in nature – the common is home to such rare species as purple milk-vetch, meadow saxifrage and green-winged orchid, plus a host of other flora and fauna. (Do watch out for grazing cattle, too!)
Moving on through the rural landscape, along farm track, field, path and lane, a level crossing marks your approach to the next point of interest: Fulbourn, with its parish church of St Vigor’s with All Saints, parts of it dating back to the 13th and 14th centuries, and war memorial of Aberdeen granite on the village green.
As it completes its loop, the route continues to wend its way through Cambridgeshire countryside, passing by the Fulbourn Fen Nature Reserve and the foot of Fleam Dyke, the remains of an Anglo-Saxon linear earthwork constructed between the 4th and 5th centuries, before the tower of Great Wilbraham’s own historic Church of St Nicholas appears on the horizon.
Taking approximately 2.5 hours, by now you’ll most certainly have worked up a hunger and thirst! The dog-friendly Carpenters Arms is open seven days a week, serving hearty breakfasts, seasonal lunches and dinners, pub snacks and a wide range of drinks, with both indoor and garden tables. Find the full walking route, plus kitchen and pub opening times, at carpentersarmswilbraham.co.uk
Explore the Wellington Boot Wander here
St Ives and the Hemingfords
The National Trust’s easy, five-mile riverside walk from Houghton Mill, near Huntingdon, is perfect for a relaxing summer stroll that’s rich in scenery and history. Not only that, but it passes right by the doorstep of Axe and Compass in Hemingford Abbots! Another circular route, this one begins at the car park of this 18th-century working mill (with the option to fuel up at the tea room first!).
Heading out onto Love Lane and then Thicket Road, it’s not long before you’re on a dedicated foot and cycle path. Bound for St Ives, the path soon emerges alongside the River Great Ouse, with the first points of interest being All Saints Parish Church, where Oliver Cromwell was once a member of the congregation; the free-to-enter Norris Museum, which tells the stories of Huntingdonshire from 160 million years ago to the present day; and Holt Island Nature Reserve, where you could spot kingfishers, dunnocks and sedge warblers – all worthwhile places to pause. The route takes you over St Ives’ iconic 15th-century bridge with its built-in chapel – one of only four remaining in the country.
Axe and Compass in Hemingford
Continuing through open meadowland, into the picturesque village of Hemingford Grey and past both its medieval parish church and the historic Hemingford Grey manor house, the next port of call will be Hemingford Abbots – and subsequently those well-deserved refreshments.
A traditional thatched English country pub, Axe and Compass has a bar, dining room, alfresco patio and beer garden, all overlooked by the parish church, with dogs welcome throughout.
Serving tons of homemade classics (including sandwiches at lunchtime) from Tuesday to Saturday, and roast dinners on Sundays, there’s something to suit all appetites before the last push to the car. To quench your thirst, it also offers a variety of real ales. Visit axeandcompass.co.uk for sample menus and full opening times.
That final stretch back to Houghton Mill will pass very pleasantly, however, as you wander through the beautiful Hemingford Meadow, which – as with Great Wilbraham – is a Site of Special Scientific Interest. In the spring and summer months, this vast open meadow is awash with the colours of wildflowers and alive with bees and butterflies – the perfect spot to celebrate the season. For full details of the route, visit nationaltrust.org.uk
Find directions for St Ives & Hemingford walk here
