Walking Cambridge

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Offering a window onto a largely lost landscape, Fen Drayton Lakes is a collection of lakes, ponds, and lagoons, stemming from the River Ouse. This small example typifies the challenge Cambridge faces today – how should it develop to meet the needs of its population, both students and residents, without damaging the city’s architectural heritage?

We offer some of the best guided walking tours in Cambridge. Walking and Punting Tours and Bespoke Tours of Cambridge. Visit famous historic and University sights with an experienced, friendly local historian welcoming visitors from around the world. All our tours are unique as we specialise in small groups and encourage interaction and questions.

Cambridge historical colleges form the main attraction of this college town. Walking down King’s Parade is a beautiful experience. Great St. Mary’s lives up to its name with one of the best vantage points in the city atop its tower. This University Church was completed in 1205 and remodelled in the 15th century, with the west tower being added in the first half of the16th. Many churches have received similar treatment, changing in size and design over the years to accommodate new architectural tastes and requirements. It could so easily have been destroyed for redevelopment but a visionary refurbishment has given it new life. An ingenious adaptation of the previous corridors and wards was combined with a colourful approach to interior and exterior decoration, producing a distinctive post-modern appearance. Whether you think the 1990s development sits comfortably here or you find its pinks and greens jarring, the Judge Business School certainly makes an impact.

There are several miles of walks at this reserve on the western edge of Cambridge. We have four waymarked trails: Park in the village and walk down Walcot Road to the entrance of Hills and Holes. Follow the boundary path that runs between the nature reserve and Walcot House and emerge at Heath Road. At the junction, where The Green Drift and Mill Road meet, cross over and follow the old Roman Road, Ermine Street (also on the Hereward Way) through fields, then into the parkland of Burghley House. The wonderfully picturesque city, its suburbs and surrounding villages offer the very best of Cambridgeshire walks. Now that you’re ready to get your hike on, here are the 19 best walks in Cambridgeshire.

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Where to stay in Cambridge? I recommend staying at the affordable Arundel House Hotel for its excellent location and beautiful setting. For a more refined place you can enjoy The Gonvile Hotel on the southern side of Cambridge’s historical center. You can also find other budget hotels in Cambridge.

Join as a member today to add your support to protecting the beauty of Cambridge and its environment. Membership includes 1 year free parking at Wandlebury. When you reach Magdalene Bridge, look downstream with Magdalene College on your left and Quayside on the right bank. Magdalene is pronounced ‘Maudleyn’, a fine piece of vanity that recalls Lord Audley of Walden, Henry VIII’s Lord Chancellor, who re-founded the college in 1542. Wandlebury has 8 miles of footpaths to explore wildflower meadows, woodlands, orchards and Iron-Age ditches. The paths are mostly flat and without barriers but only a short section near the car park is surfaced.

Recommended Activities

You have now reached one of the most iconic vistas in Cambridge. Immediately to your right is the early 18th century Senate House, the official centre of the University. Next to it are the Old Schools, where an 18th century facade masks the medieval buildings that housed the first university administration and library. Beyond them is the glorious panorama of King’s College, usually besieged by throngs of tourists along King’s Parade. Before you venture to join them, take a minute to look at the church to your left. Farmers’ Market at Market Hill and panorama of Cambridge seen from Great Saint Mary’s Church Tower. The BY BIKE auto-plot option will follow any roads and paths that are flagged as accessible for bikes on OpenStreetMap (OSM). You should assume that you will need a multi-terrain bike.

A huge shopping centre was originally proposed here in the 1950s to modernise Cambridge’s retail facilities. It was reduced in size following protests and a planning enquiry. Even so, demolitions in the 1960s flattened an enclave of timber framed buildings and narrow yards, including the Red Lion Inn – hence the name Lion Yard. The 1970s shopping centre, refurbished in 1999, replaced a thriving district of discos, clubs, cafes, restaurants, small offices and independent shops.The RSPB Bird Sanctuary is located between Fen Drayton, Swavesey and Holywell. The wonderful wetlands are certainly one of the most beautiful Cambridgeshire walks and span about 25 miles along the Great Ouse floodplain. Enjoy Cambridge on our guided walking and punting tour through the eyes of a local historian We start with a short walk that takes in some of the famous colleges and historic sights of the city as you meander down quaint alleyways and tread the cobbled streets.You will hear quirky facts and stories of the colleges and their colourful alumni, all set within the context of English and world history, many fascinating tales of city life through the ages not generally mentioned in the guide books.