CAMBRIDGE WALKING

October 2010 The Caravan Club Magazine 77

Abbey

ReturnsJo Vaughan takes us on a scenic circular walkfrom lovely Anglesey Abbey... in Cambridgeshire!

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Ordnance SurveyLandranger Map 154

OUR WALK starts from AngleseyAbbey – a National Trust propertyjust over five miles away from the

Club’s Cherry Hinton site. Yes – I thoughtAnglesey Abbey would be in Anglesey too,but it’s actually just outside Cambridge insome stunning countryside.

We set off from the abbey car park andcontinue to Lode Mill – also part of theTrust’s complex. The mill dates fromthe 18th century, but there is mentionof a building on its site in the DomesdayBook. It has been totally restoredand visits are encouraged – you caneven return home with a bag or two offreshly-ground flour and oatmeal.

We then take in some quiet countrysideon wide tracks before heading backaround the abbey’s rear and returning tothe mill. There are also plenty of walkingopportunities around the abbey’s gardens,

which are spectacular all year round. Forfurther information, call 01223 810080 or see nationaltrust.org.uk.

DIRECTIONS

1As you face the entrance to theoverflow car park you’ll see a post

with a yellow arrow on it. Follow this left,past the National Trust sign and a greenelectricity box. Almost immediatelythere’s another signpost – turnright, following the arrow.

2Walk through the overflowcar park and continue

along the left side of the field.Go through the metal kissinggate, following one of the twoyellow arrows, and continueto the clearing. Turn left atthe end of the hedgetowards a metal farm gate >>

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but don’t pass through it – instead turnright, following the yellow arrow. Walkpast the tennis court (on your right).

3Pass through the gap in the hedgerowand past the allotments before veering

left along the narrow path that headsbehind some gardens. As soon as you reachthe road and Lode Mill, keep leftto walk past its frontage and then crossthe bridge over the stream (signposted‘Quy Fen 1, Horningsea 2¾’).

4 Immediately after crossing the smallbridge, turn right along the path,

following the street and keeping the fieldto your left. At the end of the field, wherethere’s a metal gate on your right, turn leftaway from the gate, down the bridleway.Pass through two fields and as thebridleway becomes more enclosed withtrees on both sides, immediately turnright following a partially hidden post witha yellow arrow pointing to the right, downa track that’s also enclosed by trees.

5At the path’s end turn left, followinganother wide track. When the dirt

track ends, continue ahead to follow thegrassy track that diagonally crosses thefield. About halfway through, you’ll walkjust to the left of a piece of red machineryand a post – after the latter follow the trackas it swings to the right to follow a smallstream. Before it turns away sharply to theright again, at the end of the treeline, veerleft towards a wooden bridge you can seeacross the field. Cross this and pass throughthe metal kissing gate before keeping leftalong the left side of the field, beside thebarbed wire fence. Go through the kissing

gate and continue ahead, following theyellow arrow and the post.

6At the corner of the field, turn leftthrough the metal kissing gate,

following the wooden signpost ‘Quy 1½’.Turn left at the T-junction and continuedown the more major track. At thecrossroads continue straight ahead,following a blue arrow on a post that ispartially hidden. The track soon bendssharply to the right.

7Eventually, as you see a metal gateahead, a wooden gate appears on the

left among the hedgerow – turn leftthrough this gate, following the yellowarrow diagonally across the field towardsthe last electricity pylon you can seeahead. You’ll then reach a kissing gate atthe corner of the field.

8Don’t pass through this kissing gate –instead turn sharply left, almost back

on yourself for a short distance(signposted ‘Public Footpath Lode 1½ andQuy Fen Walks’), walking along thewaterway which is directly on your right.

9Go through the kissing gate andcontinue ahead along the waterside.

Eventually go past a black gate. When youreach the bridge, ignore it and carry onahead. Having returned to Lode Mill, turnright across the frontage once again, passthe red dog litter bin and follow yourfootsteps back to the car park.

10To jog your memory, you need to gobehind the gardens, turn right along

the allotments, past the tennis court andthen turn left and right around the hedge.Go along the narrow pathway behind morehouses and then ahead to the car park.

WALKING CAMBRIDGE

INFORMATIONClub site: Cherry Hinton, Lime Kiln Road, Cherry Hinton,Cambridge CB1 8NQ. Call 01223 244088. Open all year.Distance: 5.6 miles/9kmTerrain: good grassy pathsNumber of stiles: 0

Essential equipment: OS Explorer Map Sheet 209 – Cambridge

Level of difficulty: very easyRefreshments: Anglesey AbbeyParking: use the National Trust car park atAnglesey Abbey – it’s free. The car parkcloses at 6pm from April to October and5pm from November to March.

Toilets: Anglesey Abbey

78 The Caravan Club Magazine