Cambridgeshire Voyage Tips and guide

Contents

52°22′48″N 0°2′24″E

Map of Cambridgeshire

• 52.2080560.12251 Cambridge the county seat is a university city with must-see historic colleges.
• 52.3980560.2622222 Ely is a small cathedral city perched on what was once an island in the Fens.
• 52.5725-0.2430563 Peterborough is industrial yet has a well-preserved centre and cathedral.

• 52.4560.0554 Chatteris
• 52.3364-0.17175 Huntingdon – home of Oliver Cromwell
• 52.5510.0886 March
• 52.45-0.127 Ramsey
• 52.334362-0.0761478 St Ives
• 52.23-0.269 St Neots
• 52.6640.1610 Wisbech

• 52.092260.1594411 Duxford – location of the aircraft collection of the Imperial War Museum and air shows
• 52.320.3812 Fordham
• 52.080.0813 Fowlmere

For centuries much of the north east of the region was inaccessible marshland, until a programme of drainage assisted by Dutch engineers transformed the Fens into the country's most fertile farmland, leaving the landscape criss-crossed by canals and dotted with windmills.

The major population centres today remain concentrated in the south and west of Cambridgeshire, with the north and east of the region remains a bleak, empty landscape.

Cambridgeshire residents speak in the standard form of English common across South East England, and there should be little difficulty for English speakers in understanding them. Contrary to popular belief, most locals do not speak in the distinctive upper-class accents common amongst Cambridge University students.

Several airports are a short car, coach or train journey from Cambridgeshire. All airports have flights arriving from a range of UK destinations, including Northern Ireland and Scotland.

The nearest major airport is London Stansted' ('STN ^IATA) in Essex. Cambridge is around 25 mi (40 km) to its north. It is one of the country's busiest airports and with flights arriving from places in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. The motorway links the airport with Imperial War Museum Duxford, Cambridge and the for Huntingdon. National Rail services between Stansted and Cambridge take around 30 minutes. Several National Express coaches from the airport call at Cambridge.

Direct trains link London Gatwick Airport' ('LGW ^IATA) with Cambridge in around two hours. Like Stansted, it is one of the country's busiest airports with flights arriving from places in Europe, Africa, Asia, Central and North America, and the Middle East.

Flights from a range of smaller destinations, typically regional airports in Europe, arrive into London Luton Airport' ('LTN ^IATA). National Express operates coaches to Cambridge from outside the terminal building.

Coaches by National Express operate between London Heathrow Airport' ('LHR ^IATA) and Cambridge. The journey takes between two and three hours. It is the UK's busiest airport.

In the West Midlands, Birmingham ('BHX' ^IATA) has a large airport with flights from Europe and the Middle East. Use and for Huntingdon and Cambridge.

Cambridgeshire lies in the East of England, on its boundary with the East Midlands (Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire and Rutland). Some of its towns feature among the best for commuting into London. The county therefore has excellent road connections from places throughout the country.

The connects East London with Duxford and Cambridge, via Harlow, Bishop's Stortford and London Stansted Airport. The journey from Woodford in London to Junction 11 for Cambridge is around 44 mi (71 km). The motorway near Cambridge can become very busy during the peak periods ("rush hour"). The Imperial War Museum Duxford lies just west of the motorway at Junction 10. Trumpington Park and Ride is at Junction 11 and Madingley Road Park and Ride is at Junction 13 for buses into Cambridge city centre. These destinations are all signposted.

The and pass St Neots, Huntingdon and Peterborough. Huntingdon Racecourse is signposted from the route near Brampton Services. From the south, drivers can join the routes at London, Hatfield, Stevenage and Biggleswade. The journey from Archway in North London to the Black Cat interchange near St Neots is around 50 mi (80 km). The routes also run into Cambridgeshire from Scotland including Edinburgh, Newcastle upon Tyne, Durham, Leeds, Doncaster, Newark and Grantham.

The passes the southern and eastern edges of Cambridge, from Norwich and Thetford in Norfolk. Also access the route from Junction 9. Exit at Fourwentways for Linton Zoo and Babraham Road Park and Ride (buses into Cambridge city centre), which are signposted.

The crosses Cambridgeshire between Molesworth and Newmarket (Suffolk), past Grafham Water, Huntingdon and Huntingdon Racecourse and Cambridge. Major destinations - including Grafham Water and Huntingdon Racecourse - are signposted. Milton Park and Ride is at Junction 33 and Newmarket Road Park and Ride is near Junction 35 for buses into Cambridge city centre. Drivers from the west can use the route direct from Birmingham (including ), Northampton and Kettering. Also use the route from Felixstowe, Ipswich and Bury St Edmunds.

The crosses Cambridgeshire between Peterborough and Wisbech, from Leicester, King's Lynn, Norwich, the Norfolk Broads and Great Yarmouth.

Other routes into the county include:

• the (London - Hertford - Royston - King's Lynn) past Cambridge, Ely and Littleport;
• the (Hull - Lincoln - Sleaford - Peterborough);
• the (Grimsby - Boston - Spalding - Peterborough);
• the (Newmarket - Chatteris) past Ely;
• the (Boston via - Bury St Edmunds) past Wisbech and Littleport;
• the (Braintree via - Haverhill - Huntingdon) via Cambridge;
• the (Buckingham - Milton Keynes - Bedford - Cambridge via ) past St Neots;
• the (Leighton Buzzard - Luton - Hitchin - Letchworth - Royston - Newmarket via ) past Duxford;
• the (Northampton via - Thrapston - Oundle - Peterborough).

Several major railway lines cross Cambridgeshire, with trains arriving from stations in almost all parts of the UK, including London, Birmingham, Brighton and Edinburgh. All trains are part of the National Rail network across Great Britain. You must buy a ticket before you travel, which you can do at station ticket offices, platform ticket machines or online.

Cambridge station is around 1 mi (1.6 km) from the city centre, with buses and hire cycles available from nearby Station Place and Station Road. You can catch a mix of long-distance and local trains into Cambridge, including routes from: London (Blackfriars, East Croydon, Farringdon, Finsbury Park, King's Cross, Liverpool Street, London Bridge, St Pancras International and Tottenham Hale), Audley End for Saffron Walden, Birmingham New Street, Bishop's Stortford, Brighton, Bury St Edmunds, Ely, Gatwick Airport, Hatfield, Hitchin, Ipswich, King's Lynn, Leicester, Letchworth, Melton Mowbray, Newmarket, Norwich, Peterborough, Royston, Stansted Airport, Stevenage and Thetford.

Ely station is around 0.6 mi (0.97 km) south of the city's cathedral. It is a smaller station than Cambridge and Peterborough, with services from: London (King's Cross, Finsbury Park, Liverpool Street and Tottenham Hale), Audley End for Saffron Walden, Birmingham New Street, Bishop's Stortford, Bury St Edmunds, Cambridge, Grantham, Ipswich, King's Lynn, Leicester, Liverpool, Manchester, Norwich, Nottingham, Sheffield, Stansted Airport and Warrington.

Peterborough station lies just west of the city centre. Several long-distance services call at Peterborough, on the busy East Coast Main Line. Services arrive from across the country including: London (Blackfriars, East Croydon, Farringdon, Finsbury Park, King's Cross, London Bridge and St Pancras International), Edinburgh, Birmingham, Bradford, Cambridge, Doncaster, Durham, Ely, Gatwick Airport, Grantham, Horsham, Leeds, Leicester, Lincoln, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle upon Tyne, Norwich, Nottingham, Sheffield, Stansted Airport, Sunderland, York, and Warrington.

Several other destinations in Cambridgeshire have railway stations, including:

• Cambridge North with trains from Cambridge, Ely, Peterborough, London King's Cross and London St Pancras International;
• Huntingdon with trains from Peterborough, London King's Cross and London St Pancras International;
• Littleport with trains from Cambridge, Ely and London King's Cross;
• March with trains from Cambridge, Ely and Peterborough;
• Soham with trains from Ely and Peterborough;
• St Neots with trains from Peterborough, London King's Cross and London St Pancras International;
• Whittlesford Parkway with trains from Cambridge and London Liverpool Street, which is about 2 mi (3.2 km) from Imperial War Museum Duxford.

Major bus routes into Cambridgeshire include:

• Centrebus 26 into Cambridge - from Royston;
• excel A into Peterborough and Wisbech - stopping service from Norwich, Dereham, Swaffham and King's Lynn
• excel B into Peterborough and Wisbech - semi-fast service from Norwich, Dereham, Swaffham and King's Lynn (express King's Lynn to Wisbech)
• excel C into Peterborough and Wisbech - semi-fast service from Norwich, Dereham, Swaffham and King's Lynn (express Norwich to Swaffham)
• Flixbus UK002 into Peterborough - from London, Bradford, Leeds and Sheffield;
• Flixbus UK006 into Cambridge - from London and Stevenage;
• Flixbus UKN601 into Cambridge - from Amsterdam, Utrecht and Antwerp;
• Flixbus UKN603 into Cambridge - from Paris;
• National Express 490 into Cambridge - from London, Norwich, Thetford and Newmarket;
• National Express 727/728 into Cambridge - from London Heathrow Airport, London Stansted Airport, Great Yarmouth, Norwich, Thetford and Newmarket;
• National Express 767 into Peterborough and Cambridge - from London Stansted Airport, Nottingham and Leicester;
• Stagecoach X4 into Peterborough - from Northampton, Wellingborough, Kettering, Corby and Oundle;
• Stagecoach 7 into Cambridge and Duxford - from Saffron Walden;
• Stagecoach 13 into Cambridge and Linton - from Haverhill;
• Stagecoach 37 into Peterborough - from Spalding;
• Stagecoach 905 into Cambridge and St Neots - from Bedford;
• Stephensons 11/12 into Cambridge - from Newmarket.

Several signposted footpaths enter Cambridgeshire, which are usually walked as part of a long leisure journey. Some of these cut across the flat, watery Fenland landscape, with views for miles across farmland, reedbeds and dykes. This area is prone to flash flooding, particularly during the winter months. Riverside footpaths are usually well trodden, but some have steep drops into deep, cold water courses with few barriers. Others climb gentle hills in southern Cambridgeshire, where the chalk underfoot spans much of southern England, between Lyme Regis on the Jurassic Coast and Holme-next-the-Sea in Norfolk.

The Harcamlow Way is a figure-of-eight-shaped trail between Harlow in Essex and Cambridge, also crossing briefly into Hertfordshire. Its name is a portmanteau of Harlow and Cambridge. The Harcamlow Way crosses into Cambridgeshire at two locations: to the west between Chrishall in Essex and Heydon in Cambridgeshire; and, to the east at Bartlow. The route, which takes in Saffron Walden and Newport in Essex, is signposted for its entire length. In Cambridgeshire, the footpath passes through (clockwise): Melbourn; Wimpole Hall; Hardwick; Cambridge; Horningsea; Fulbourn; Balsham; Horseheath; and, Bartlow.

The Hereward Way crosses the Fens between Oakham in Rutland and Harling Road in Norfolk, via Peterborough, Whittlesey, March, Welney, Ely and Prickwillow. It takes its name from Hereward the Wake, an 11th-century Anglo-Saxon rebel who resisted the Norman Conquest of 1066 and whose life is referenced in the Peterborough Chronicle (Anglo-Saxon Chronicles). In the west, the Hereward Way crosses into Peterborough south of Stamford, Lincolnshire, near Burghley House. In the east, the trail crosses into Cambridgeshire from Suffolk near Shippea Hill Station.

The region is well linked by rural bus services.

Ting^{[dead link]} is a demand-responsive bus service. Ting covers the West Huntingdonshire area including St Neots, Cambourne, Sawtry and surrounding villages. To book a journey, Vectare DRT app is used. The ride can also be called from the booking line on +44 115 777-3187.

The region's chief attraction is the splendid architecture and attractive riverfront of the historic city of Cambridge. Further afield, attractions include:

• Imperial War Museum Duxford
• Wicken Fen south of Ely
• Wimpole Hall and Home Farm near Royston.

• Punting on the River Cam in Cambridge
• Cricket: Cambridgeshire CCC play in the National Counties Cricket Championship, the tier formerly known as "Minor Counties" below the first class competitions. They usually play in the town of March.

Cambridgeshire isn't known for its food specialities. Traditional English roasts are served in attractive country pubs throughout the region. Cambridge offers the widest range of restaurants to choose from, whilst Peterborough is the place to head for Italian. Ely (England) has several tearooms serving a traditional afternoon tea.

The regions small towns and villages offer a particularly fine range of country pubs, many of which serve a good range of real ales. Most of the "local" beer served in the region comes from the Charles Wells brewery in Bedfordshire and Greene King brewery in Suffolk - you will see these names on pub signs everywhere in the region.

Cambridgeshire is a quiet and fairly prosperous region presenting relatively few hazards to the traveller. See the England section for more general safety tips.

• Take the train to London
• Head for the horse racing at Newmarket