Walk Diary

Don't forget to bring a packed lunch and something to drink on all walks!

Sunday 26th May. Kimbolton Circular 9 miles Grade: leisurely
Meet at Kimbolton church (PE28 0HA) at 11:00. The walk will take us from the (fairly posh) Kimbolton School to Pertenhall and Swineshead via open fields and woods. Pertenhall is no oil painting but Swineshead is quite quaint, and we get to see some nice Wellingtonia trees (well, I like them anyway).
Paul E (07557 021364)

Sunday 2nd June. Woburn Park, Eversholt and the Safari Park Circular 8 miles (13 km) Grade: Leisurely
Meet in Woburn village at the large free car park on Park Street at 11:00am (MK17 9PG, SP950332). An exceptionally attractive walk starting across the open expanses of Woburn Deer Park dotted with trees and lakes and a superb view of Woburn Abbey. Leaving the Deer Park we will make our way to the pretty traditional village of Eversholt before re-entering the Park and heading towards the Safari Park. There are plenty of opportunities for spotting some non-native species before returning to Woburn through the woods and farmland while the tower of Woburn Church can be seen in the distance. We will call in a teashop or public house on our return to Woburn village, which is famous for many handsome brick-built Georgian buildings.
Jane B (07974 300989)

Sunday 9th June 2013. Thetford Forest and Little Ouse Length. 10 miles, Grade: leisurely
Meet at Brandon Station (IP27 0BA) at 11.30. We are starting a little later than normal to fit in with train times: the 10.55 from Cambridge (11.10 from Ely) arrives at Brandon at 11.28. If driving, there is no charge to park in the station car park.
This circular walk leaves Brandon through farmland, and passes Weeting Castle before entering Thetford Forest. We will pass by Grimes Graves (a Neolithic flint mine that dates back to 3000 BC) and Santon Downham, then follow the Little Ouse back to Brandon. There will be a pub stop in Brandon, until it's time to catch the train home, which goes hourly.
Sarah (07748 646612)

Saturday 15 June. St Ives to Godmanchester and the Ouse Valley Way - Circular (12 miles, 20 km)
Meet at the free St Ives Park & Ride car park (Meadow Lane, St Ives, PE27 4LG) at 10:30. We’ll head through St Ives itself and across the meadow towards the villages of Hemingford Grey and Hemingford Abbots – deciding on which house we’ll each buy in these beautiful villages! Across the common to the roman town of Godmanchester, for our lunch stop. In the afternoon we'll join the Ouse Valley Way (passing through a nature reserve, so don't forget your binoculars) and work our way back to St Ives. By popular demand we'll stop for afternoon tea at Houghton Mill, and then take the last stretch back through the Thicket to the centre of St Ives. Make the most of the mid-summer light with a drink or two at some pubs in St Ives, before either returning by Guided Bus in the centre of town, or for those who came by car - back to the Park & Ride car park.
Getting there/away – Cambridge Guided Bus (www.thebusway.info) has regular requested stops at the "St Ives park&ride" stop.
Leader: Katherine (07834 933616)

Sunday 30th June. Godmanchester & The Offords Circular. 8 Miles (13 km). Grade: Leisurely
Meet at the car park on Post Street in Godmanchester (PE29 2AQ, TL244707) at 11:00am. This varied route takes us across open countyside to Offord Cluny then across the Ouse to Buckden before returning along the river bank to Godmanchester.
Leader: Andrew F (07445 987549)

Sunday 7 July 2013. River Great Ouse and River Ivel circular meander. 12 miles / 16 km. Grade: Leisurely
Join me for a lovely walk along the River Great Ouse and River Ivel in Bedfordshire. We will meet at 10:30 outside the entrance to Danish Camp on Chapel Lane in Willington (MK44 3QG, TL113501). There is ample parking on Chapel Lane. We will walk alongside the Ouse to Great Barford, then turn east to Blunham where we'll meet the Ivel and follow downstream to it's confluence with the Ouse. We'll return to Willington via Tempsford, Roxton and Great Barford. There are a number of possibilities for pub stops in all of these villages. Lets hope for some summery weather.
Kyle (07817 031631)

Saturday 3 August Tidal Thames Challenge Walk, London 31 miles (50km) or 21 miles (34km) Grade: Strenuous
We're undertaking this challenge walk for Cancer Research UK, so please join in! If you can't join us, please donate to this wonderful cause at www.justgiving.com/walkcambridge.
This walk will take us through the heart of our capital city, all the way from the start of the Thames Path at the Thames Barrier to the limits of the tidal Thames at Teddington. En route we'll see a great variety of landscapes from Greenwich in the east, past the Tower of London and Big Ben in the centre to the greenery of Battersea Park, Putney and Kew in the west. We'll finish at Teddington Lock for a well-deserved beverage. This walk is often organised by a number of charities, who typically ask for £200 per team. So as not to deprive them of funds by organising this ourselves, those joining the walk are encouraged to donate £10 each to Cancer Research via the above link. Armchair supporters are invited to donate to support those who are walking. The meeting point is King's Cross station at 07:36am (take the 06.45am train from Cambridge), by the Harry Potter trolley at the ticket barriers to Platform 9. We expect to finish the walk in Teddington at about 7.30-8pm. A travelcard or Oyster will be required and please bring sufficient food and water. While the full walk is 50km, there is a shorter option available, which follows exactly the same route but starts at the 10 mile (16km) point. To join this walk, take the 10.45am train from Cambridge, and meet in Potters Fields Park, next to Tower Bridge on the south bank, at 12.15pm. Several drop-out points are available if needed.
Any further questions welcome on the number below or to thurstonrichard@hotmail.com
Contact: Rich T (07980 315065)

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Description of Walk Grading System
Easy: Short walks (6 miles or less) on good quality paths with no difficult terrain. These walks should be suitable for anybody in their 20s or 30s who doesn't have a mobility disability and are particularly suitable for people who have done little walking before.
Leisurely: Slightly more difficult walks which represent the majority of walks we undertake. These walks may be longer (up to 12 miles) and while the paths will still generally be good, a few sections may be steep, muddy, rough or overgrown, so boots or good quality walking shoes are recommended. These walks should still be suitable for the large majority of people in our age group.
Moderate: More energetic walks still, either because they are long (>12 miles), have significant hills, are likely to be very muddy or overgrown or because a faster pace is expected. Walking boots are strongly recommended. Suitable for reasonably fit people with some walking experience, but may not be a good choice for your first walk with us if you haven't done much walking before.
Strenuous: Very long walks or those covering very hilly terrain, suitable for experienced walkers of above average fitness. If in doubt about your fitness, contact the leader beforehand. These walks are unusual on our main programme, but may feature in some of our weekends away.