Cambridgeshire
Exploring Ely, Cambridge, Wisbech, St Neots and Peterborough
WIDE OPEN SPACES, waterways, splendid cathedrals, fine houses, beautiful towns and villages and a top seat of learning… Cambridgeshire has it all. Get up close to wildlife in one of its nature reserves or absorb the hushed atmosphere in one of the county’s lofty cathedrals. Explore the outstanding architecture of the fine university city of Cambridge and the splendour of the stately homes. There’s plenty for the kids to do, too: petting farms for the little ones and messing about on the waterways for those who want a little more action.
Towing there
The main roads to Cambridge are the M11, the A10 and the A1, coming off at junction 9 for the A505, then picking up the A10 at Royston. If you take the M11, try to avoid it on a Friday evening. It can get congested as you approach junction 9 where those heading for Norfolk join up with the A11. You may be better off taking the A1/A505 route if you’re stopping at a campsite around Cambridge.
For Ely, take the A10, joining the M11 at junction 11, continue along the M11 to junction 14, where it joins the A14, continue to junction 33, where it hooks up again with the A10.
From the South East you will need to go around the M25. Going anti-clockwise will mean going through the Dartford Tunnel and paying a toll. Going clockwise usually involves a certain amount of congestion and variable speed limits between junctions 12 to 16 as you go past Heathrow and the main routes into London from the West.
From the South West you can avoid the M25 by leaving the M4 at junction 13, taking the A34 as far as Oxford and then the A421 across as far as St Neots, where it links with the A428 for Cambridge.
From the North East take the M1 down as far as junction 19, and take the A14 to Cambridge or take the A1 to junction 14 where it joins the A14 to Cambridge.
From Wales and the North West take the M6 until it joins the A14.
Cambridgeshire highlights
Cambridge
Scholarly Cambridge sits on the River Cam, which bustles with punts. The university comprises 31 colleges that dominate the centre of the city. Stroll through the markets in its pedestrianised heart. Cambridge has some wonderful gardens, great shops, pubs, restaurants and cafés.
Ely
Ely is one of England’s smallest cities, and has one of its most magnificent medieval cathedrals. It’s said to be haunted, too. If you’re feeling brave try one of the ghost tours. Visit the tourist centre in Oliver Cromwell’s House and the Stained Glass Museum. Explore the waterside along the River Great Ouse and drop into Peacocks, Ely’s famous tearoom.
Peterborough
A modern city with a rich history and brilliant shopping. Visit the stunning medieval cathedral, the burial place of Katherine of Aragon and Mary Queen of Scots. For retail therapy head to the Queensgate Shopping Centre. If you are a gardener you will love Peterborough Garden Park, a retail destination and traditional garden centre.
Huntingdon
The birthplace of Oliver Cromwell has plenty of fine Georgian buildings, and Cromwell's old school is now a museum. Nearby Godmanchester is a popular spot for visitors thanks to the orchard, tea rooms and riverside walks.
St Neots
Large market town sits on the Great River Ouse. Its ancient market square hosts a market every Thursday. Visit the museum and relax in the Riverside Park.
Wisbech
A fine Georgian market town and inland port, Wisbech is home to the Fenland Museum.
More info
- www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk
- www.visitcambridge.org
- www.cambridgeshiretouristguide.com
- www.visitpeterborough.com
- www.visitely.eastcambs.gov.uk
Getting around
Nene Valley Railway
Wansford Station,
Stibbington,
Peterborough
PE8 6LR
Enquiries tel 01780 784 444
Santa Bookings 01780 782 833 (from 16 September)
Talking Timetable 01780 784 404
International Steam Railway
The 7.5-mile steam-operated Nene Valley Railway runs alongside the River Nene from Peterborough (Nene Valley station), through Wansford to Yarwell. Wansford is the main station (free parking) where there is a café and all facilities.
The Fen Line
Leave the car behind and use this line to cross the Fen from Cambridge to King’s Lynn in Norfolk. It is operated by First Capital Connect (ww.firstcapitalconnect.co.uk) and National Express East Anglia (www.nationalexpresseastanglia.com).
Buses
Check the following websites for bus routes:
www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/transport/bus_timetables
www.cambridgeshirebus.info
ww.stagecoachbus.com
Things to do
Great Outdoors
Wicken Fen National Nature Reserve
Wetland area that supports more than 8000 species.
Lode Lane, Wicken, Ely, Cambridgeshire CB7 5XP
Tel 01353 720 274
Web www.wicken.org.uk
Open: Daily, 10am-5pm. Closed 25 December
Charges: Adult £5.20. Child £2.65. Family (2+2) £13.25
Kayaking
Reeds of Cambridge
Ely Marina, Ely CB7 4AU
Tel 01353 772 948
Web www.reedsofcambridge.co.uk
Open Tuesday-Friday, 10am-5.30pm. Saturday, 9.30am-5.30pm. Sunday, April-September, 10am-4pm
Cycling
The Green Wheel Route, Peterborough Green Wheel
1st Floor, 4-6 Cowgate, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, PE1 1NA
Tel 01733 568 408
www.tourist-tracks.com/tours/ely.html
Walking
www.walkingincambridgeshire.co.uk/ely.htm
www.soham.org.uk/history/sohammillenniumwalks.htm
Boat trip
Maritime Leisure Cruises
Tel 01205 460 595
History and Culture
Flag Fen Archaeological Park
The Droveway,
Northey Road, Peterborough
PE6 7QJ
Tel 01733 313 414
Web www.flagfen.com
Open weekends and bank holidays
10am-5pm with last entry at 4pm
Charges: Adult £5.
Concession £4.50.
Child or Student £3.75.
Family (2 + 3) £13.75
. Child under 5 Free.
Park and heritage centre with Bronze Age reconstructions, parkland and museum.
Peterborough Cathedral
This splendid building was built in the 12th century and boasts a unique 13th-century nave ceiling and stunning West Front. Katherine of Aragon and Mary Queen of Scots are buried here.
The Cathedral Office, 12a Minster Precincts, Peterborough PE1 1XS
Tel 01733 355 300
Open Daily. Tours by appointment
Ely Cathedral and Stained Glass Museum
Tel 01353 667 735
Web www.cathedral.ely.anglican.org/
Open: Summer 7am-7pm. Winter 7.30am-6.00pm (Monday-Saturday)
7.30am-5.00pm (Sunday)
Charges
Including guided tour:
Adult £6. Concession £5
Including Octagon Tower or West Tower: Adult £10. Concession £9
Combined Ticket: Ground Floor Tour
plus Stained Glass Museum
Adult £8.70. Concession £7
Stained Glass Museum only
: Adult £3.50. Concession £2.50
The Total Experience: Adult £12.70. Concession £11
Anglesey Abbey Gardens & Lode Mill
A luxurious 1930s home with fine furnishings, books, paintings, silver and rare clocks.
Lode CB5 9EJ
Tel 01223 810 080
Web www.nationaltrust.org.uk
Open: Garden, restaurant, shop and plant centre: Daily, all year, 10.30am-4.30pm
House: 3 March-31 October, Wednesday-Sunday, 11am-5pm
Lode Mill: Daily, all year, 11.30am-3.30pm
Closed 24-26 December
Charges: house, garden and mill: Adult £10.25. Child £5.15. Family (2+2) £25.65
Garden and mill: Adult £6.10. Child £3.05. Family £15.25
Reduced rate when arriving by cycle, on foot or public transport
Fitzwilliam Museum
The Fitzwilliam is known as the Art Museum of Cambridge University and has been described as “the finest small museum in Europe”
Trumpington Street, Cambridge CB2 1RB
Tel 01223 332 900
Web www.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk
Open: Tuesday–Saturday, 10am–5pm.
Sunday and Bank Holiday Mondays 12am–5pm.
CLOSED: Mondays, Good Friday and 24-26 and 31 December and 1 January.
Prickwillow Engine Museum
Main Street, Prickwillow, Ely CB7 4UN
Tel 01353 688 360/720 737; 07801 050 267 (out of hours)
Web: www.prickwillow-engine-museum.co.uk
Open: April-October, Saturday-Sunday and Bank Holidays, 11am-4pm.
1 May-30 September, Saturday-Tuesday, 11am-4.30pm.
Burghley House
The largest and grandest house of the Elizabethan age.
Cambridgeshire PE9 3JY
Tel 01780 752 451
Web www.burghley.co.uk
Open: 20 March-31 October. Monday-Sunday 11am-5pm, closed Fridays
Prices: House and garden: Adult £11.80. Concessions £10.40. Child £5.80. Family (2 +2) £30.
Gardens only: Adult £6.70. Concession £5.60. Child £3.40. Family £17.60
Horse trials 2-5 September
Elton Hall
Historic part-Gothic house and gardens with a fine collection of paintings, furniture, books and Henry VIII's prayer book. There are also wonderfully restored rose gardens.
Elton, Cambridgeshire, PE8 6SH
Tel 01832 280 468
Web www.eltonhall.com
Open: Garden plant centre, tearoom and gift shop: Daily, 9am-5pm. Closed 25 December
Hall and Gardens: May Bank Holiday. June: Wednesdays. July-August: Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. August Bank Holiday: 2pm - 5pm.
Charges: Hall and gardens: Adult £8. Concession £7.
Gardens only: Adult £5.50. Concession £5.
Accompanied children under 16 are free.
Peckover House
A classic Georgian merchant's townhouse in North Brink, Wisbech.
North Brink, Wisbech PE13 1JR
Tel 01945 583 463
Web www.nationaltrust.org.uk
Open: Late-March to late-October. Saturday-Wednesday: 1pm-4.30pm.
Charges: House and garden: Adult £3.50. Child £1.60.
Garden only: Adult £2. Child £1.
Houghton Mill
Last working watermill on the Great Ouse. A great place to walk, cycle or go horse-riding. Hands-on exhibits for all the family.
Houghton, Huntingdon PE28 2AZ
Tel 01480 301 494
www.nationaltrust.org.uk
Prices: Adult £3.50. Child £1.60. Family £8.
Open 20 March-31 October, weekends 11am-5pm. 3 May-29 September, Monday-Wednesday 1pm-5pm.
The Manor
Built about 1130, the Manor is said to be the oldest continuously inhabited house in Britain. It is famous as the House of Green Knowe in the children's books by Lucy Boston.
Hemingford Grey, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire PE28 9BN
Tel: 01480 463 134
Web www.greenknowe.co.uk
Open: Garden Daily, 11am- 5pm (dusk in winter). No appointment is needed.
House is open throughout the year but strictly by appointment
Charges
: Adult £6. Concession £4.50. Child £2. Family £17.50 (two adults, no limit on children)
Garden only: Adult £3. Concession £2.50. Children are free.
Family Fun
Railworld
Railworld highlights sustainable transport and the environment, with a superb model railway, hands-on items and fun for all the family.
Oundle Road, Peterborough PE2 9NR
Tel 01733 344 240
Web www.railworld.net
Charges: Adults £3. Concessions £2. Children free
Sacrewell Farm and Country Centre
There is something for everyone at Sacrewell, from friendly animals and pets, the Shire Horse Centre, tractor rides, play areas, a working watermill and farm bygones.
Sacrewell, Thornhaugh, Cambridgeshire, PE8 6HJ
Tel 01780 782 254
Web www.sacrewell.org.uk
Open: Daily 9.30am-5pm. Closed 24 December-2 January.
Charges (depending on season): Adult £4.90-£5.90. Concession £4-£5. Child (3-16) £3.40-£4.40
Pigeons Farm
Children can get close to the animals and learn about their breeding and rearing while having a great fun day out.
The Lindens, Wisbech Road, Thorney, Peterborough PE6 0TD
Tel 01733 271 020
Web www.pigeonsfarm.co.uk
Open: Daily 10am-4pm
Charges
: Adult £5.50.
Child (3-16) £4.50.
Family (2+2) £16.00.
Wisbech and Fenland Museum
Museum Square, Wisbech
Tel 01945 583 817
www.wisbechmuseum.org.uk
Open: Tuesday-Saturday, April-September, 10am-5pm; October-March 10am-4pm
Charges: Free
Burwell Museum
A museum depicting village life on the edge of the Fen.
Tel 01638 605 544/742 847
Web www.burwellmuseum.org.uk
Open: Thursdays, Sundays and Bank Holiday Mondays
Charges: Adult £3. Child (5-16) £1
The Imperial War Museum
Duxford, Nr Cambridge CB2 4QR
Tel: 0870 902 6146
Web: duxford.iwm.org.uk
Open: Daily, 10am-4pm. Closed 24-26 December
Charges: Adult £16.50. Concession £13.20. Children (15 and under) are free.
Peacocks Tearoom
Voted the UK’s Top Tearoom in 2007 by the Tea Guild. It offers more than 70 types of tea.
65 Waterside, Ely CB7 4AU
Tel 01353 661 100
www.peacockstearoom.co.uk
Open: Wednesday-Sunday and bank holiday Mondays 10.30am-5pm
Where to stay
Adults only
Fields End Water Caravan Park and Fishery
Benwick Road, Doddington, March, Cambridgeshire PE15 0TY
Tel 01354 740 199
www.fieldsendfishing.co.uk
Open: All year
Pitch+2+hook-up: £15-£16
CL pitch+2+hook-up: £11
Practical Caravan Top 100 Site
Highfield Farm Touring Park
Long Road, Comberton CB23 7DG
Tel 01223 262 308
Web www.highfieldfarmtouringpark.co.uk
Open: 26 March-31 October
Pitch+2+hook-up: £14.50-£18.50
Club site
Ferry Meadows Caravan Club Site
Ham Lane, Peterborough PE2 5UU
Tel 01733 233 526
Web www.caravanclub.co.uk
Open: All year
Pitch+2+hook-up: £14.30-£20.20
Non-member supplement: £7
Great Family site
Quiet Waters Holiday Park
Hemingford Abbots PE28 9AJ
Tel 01480 463 405
Web www.quietwaterscaravanpark.co.uk
Open: 3 April-31 October
Pitch+2+hook-up: £16.40-£20.40
Pet friendly site
Parklands Caravan and Camping Park
Sutton Road, Four Gotes, Wisbech PE13 5PH
Tel 01945 420 505
Web www.parklandsholidays.co.uk
Open: 15 March-15 October (approx)
Pitch+2+hook-up: £12-£16
Caravanning essentials
Workshop
Crowland Caravans and Camping
Postland Road, Crowland, Peterborough PE6 0JB
Tel 01733 210 186
Services: Accessories. Servicing and repairs. Elddis and Buccaneer dealer. Used tourers
Tourist Information Centre
Oliver Cromwell’s House,
St Mary’s Street, Ely CB7 4HF
Tel 01353 662 062
Supermarket
Tesco
Angel Drove, Ely CB7 4DJ
Tel 01353 602 500
Accident and emergency
Peterborough District Hospital
Thorpe Road, Peterborough PE3 6DA
Tel 01733 874 000
Police (non-emergency)
0845 456 4564
