Connect Cambridge with Slow Ways

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Cambridge

Cambridgeshire


Slow Ways linking Cambridge and Cambourne, Foxton (South Cambridgeshire), Fulbourn, Impington, Newmarket, Sawston, Waterbeach

England / Cambridgeshire / Cambridge

Cambridge’s seven Slow Ways are 75% checked

Drawn: 7/7
reviewed: 6/7
verified: 5/7
and surveyed: 3/7

Help connect Cambridge

Many Slow Ways have several route options. Some will be better than others, or good for different reasons.

Our goal is for each Slow Way to have at least one route that is verified and surveyed. To be verified – and get its snail badge – a route needs at least three positive reviews.

Give a hike and help get a for every one of Cambridge’s Slow Ways.

Walk to Cambridge from further afield

Slow Way Route To do
Cambourne—Cambridge
Camcam one

Survey me Distance 18km/11mi Ascent 138m Descent 78m
Cambridge—Fulbourn
Camful one Enjoy me Distance 8km/5mi Ascent 38m Descent 32m
Cambridge—Fulbourn
Camful two Verify me Distance 8km/5mi Ascent - Descent -
Cambridge—Newmarket
Camnew one Pioneer me Distance 29km/18mi Ascent 136m Descent 114m
Cambridge—Sawston
Camsaw one

Enjoy me Distance 15km/9mi Ascent 43m Descent 29m
Cambridge—Sawston
Camsaw two Review me Distance 15km/9mi Ascent 88m Descent 86m
Cambridge—Waterbeach
Camwat one Enjoy me Distance 11km/7mi Ascent 30m Descent 33m
Foxton (South Cambridgeshire)—Cambridge
Foxcam one Verify me Distance 15km/9mi Ascent 44m Descent 51m
Impington—Cambridge
Impcam one Survey me Distance 5km/3mi Ascent 26m Descent 21m
Impington—Cambridge
Impcam two Survey me Distance 6km/4mi Ascent 23m Descent 18m

Fancy stretching your legs a bit more?

If you’ve polished off all of the routes between Cambridge and its neighbours, how about walking its whole web?

This includes the great ring of routes that join its neighbours to each other!

Collective progress

70% of Cambridge’s seven route options are drawn, reviewed, surveyed and/or verified

10/10

drawn

9/10

reviewed

3/10

surveyed

6/10

verified

17 people have contributed to Cambridge’s Slow Ways

11 people have pledged to walk and review a route

3 people have surveyed a route in Cambridge

99km out of 129km have been walked and reviewed

288km of reviews have been shared in Cambridge

Latest Updates

Easy to follow and generally good quality paths or tracks....

Hannah Harrison

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Hannah Harrison took this photo on Camcam one

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Stephen McMullen took this photo on Camcam one

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Not suitable for wheel chairs but otherwise fairly flat, using a combination of footpath, dirt track and quiet country road....

Stephen McMullen

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Then into Stapleford alning the DNA, guided busway and nice stream side trail to town. Walked this a few times instead of driving on a dry day....

andrew buchanan

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Cambridge—Sawston

andrew buchanan pledged to walk Camsaw one

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Clive Sanders took this photo on Camsaw two

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Then, a backstreet route through Shelford and Stapleford, before leaving the village for a nice section out past Bury Farm towards Sawston....

Clive Sanders

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Pleasant but largely urban route....

pwright

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Cambridge

Jeanette surveyed Cambridge

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but Impcam Two is far more varied, free of traffic and enjoyable....

danravenellison

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but this is a good urban Slow Way route that's got long sections that are traffic free and there are plenty of Cambridge delights to enjoy too....

danravenellison

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Simple route to follow from Waterbeach to Cambridge, from Waterbeach to the river is fairly obvious and then it is a case of following the river into Cambrdige. Other than Cow Hollow Wood which can get very muddy in winter/spring, the path should generally be fairly passable throughout the year....

cenbons

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It is mostly paved, with unpaved sections next to Hobson’s Conduit and between Stapleford and Sawston (both sections could be bypassed). Once past the back of The Leys private school the route turns east to take you across to Trumpington Road. Having crossed Trumpington Road an unpaved path follows Hobson’s Conduit – a C17th aqueduct named for Thomas Hobson who gave rise to the saying ‘Hobson’s choice’. Church Street takes you past two pubs – The Rose and the 3 Horseshoes. Leaving Stapleford via Bury Road takes you past the recently completed new arts venue called Stapleford Granary....

Alex Reeve

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As mentioned in other reviews, where the path emerges beside the second level crossing beside Tesco Fulbourn Cherry Hinton a change is required....

explorer

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This is a flat route that roughly follows the route of the River Cam or Rhee. Soon after rejoining the line of the river the path disappears into a zone of hedge and trees - whilst passable there was some bramble and nettle encroaching onto the path when walked in August 2021 and some locals have been bypassing by walking round via the field margin. Taking Button Lane out of Harston this leads onto a well drained field path to Haslingfield. After crossing the River Rhee a well signed permissive path granted by Trumpington Estate allows you to divert off the Slow Way, by following a concrete track around a new mixed woodland planted in celebration of Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee. From here there is a choice of routes to the centre but the Slow Way route next to the river and then up Mill Lane is probably the most attractive....

Alex Reeve

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I enjoyed spotting a couple of herons, watching a few families of swans and hearing a buzzard. Lovely to pass through Cow Hollow, a wood towards the end, planted at the millennium which is full of willow, alder and birch and to finish at the station so I could catch the train back to Cambridge....

Sarah Sanders

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Cambridge

Kep12 surveyed Cambridge

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Last time I walked that section I struggled and a companion had to turn back for the sake of her small dog who simply couldn't manage the depth of the mud. Good but weather-dependant....

Persevero

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carolinealicemead surveyed Camwat one

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A very beautiful route, mostly along the side of the River Cam, with a short wooded area close to Waterbeach which was an unexpected treat! The towpath can be muddy and with potholes in some areas. The path is very well-used between Chesterton and Bait's Bite Lock....

carolinealicemead

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carolinealicemead took this photo on Camwat one

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benjaminjarman surveyed Camsaw one

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carolinealicemead surveyed Camful one

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Much of the route is paved and/or of good-quality packed dirt and gravel, but some parts follow suburban pavements on residential streets where there are cars parked and narrow parts of the route, and other sections are on rutted and thus potentially muddy tracks....

benjaminjarman

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Cambridge—Sawston

benjaminjarman added Camsaw two, a new walk from Cambridge to Sawston

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Note that currently there are extensive roadworks on Histon Road in Cambridge, which may restrict the accessibility of the route in the short term for those wheeling....

benconnor

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Leaving Cambridge there is a relatively steep haul up Castle Hill on the north bank of the Cam, after that the route is fairly level. The route then follows Histon Road where major roadworks should be complete by summer 2021....

Alex Reeve

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This route is slightly longer compared to Impcam 1, however it follows a more pleasant route, including a stretch of footpath/cyclepath along the guided busway, and quiet residential streets and green spaces through Cambridge. It is paved for the whole length and accessible, with no steps (bridge across the River Cam includes a ramp section)....

benconnor

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The route is entirely pavement, some of it a shared pedestrian cyclist route running alongside the guided busway that links Cambridge with St Ives. The extra distance compared to Impcam One may not be worth it; the main difference is that you get to experience a bit more of Cambridge’s 60s/70s suburbia and see a little bit of countryside from the guided busway. The rest of the way follows the route of the guided busway that connects Cambridge with St Ives along the line of an old railway....

Alex Reeve

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Good combination of urban, suburban and rural paths, some of it very beautiful. Watch out for a few very badly-maintained footpaths and also two parallel routes both called 'Fulbourn Old Drift' - rather confusing!...

carolinealicemead

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Cambridge

213mik surveyed Cambridge

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Cambridge—Fulbourn

Alex Reeve added Camful two, a new walk from Cambridge to Fulbourn

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Cambridge to Fulbourn is almost entirely paved and much of the route coincides with a cycle route from Fulbourn into the city. A short 200m unpaved stretch east of Sunmead Walk ending in steps onto Yarrow Road can easily be avoided by diverting 50m north onto Fulbourn Old Drift via Rushgrove. Capital Park business park now occupies part of the site on south side of Fulbourn Old Drift and in 2021 work commenced to build housing on the Ida Darwin Hospital site to the north....

Alex Reeve

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Regularly used this route to cycle to work, though there is a more direct route that is a cycle path that goes through Sawston and past the Dernford Reservoir. Nevertheless, the paths are well maintained, particularly the DNA path out of Great Shelford and the busway into town, offering a very safe route into Cambridge....

SChilcott

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Cambridge

Alex Reeve surveyed Cambridge

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Cambridge

Belagonal surveyed Cambridge

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Cambridge

Jim Davis surveyed Cambridge

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Cambridge

js129 surveyed Cambridge

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Cambridge

Lmaw3 surveyed Cambridge

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Please note when crossing Yarrow Road it is necessary to cross to the level crossing to the south side of the railway and follow the path beside Tesco. A short 200m unpaved stretch east of Sunmead Walk ending in steps onto Yarrow Road can easily be avoided by diverting 50m north onto Fulbourn Old Drift via Rushgrove. Capital Park business park now occupies part of the site on south side of Fulbourn Old Drift and in 2021 work commenced to build housing on the Ida Darwin Hospital site to the north...

Alex Reeve

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(I had a deadline to be at Cambourne before the car dealer closed so, finding the old route across Bourn Airfield was no longer an option, had to stride vigorously along a less picturesque but slightly shorter northern route for the last bit from Highfields Caldecote to Cambourn. The Bourn route shown is much nicer if you're not in a hurry!)...

quentinsf

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The path alongside the river is fairly well surfaced, though around Waterbeach it can be narrow in places and could be muddy. The route is very easy to follow, scenic, and is well connected by train to Cambridge....

[email protected]

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This route is fairly flat and benefits from great views over the flat Cambridgeshire countryside for much of its length. The section to Grantchester is very well walked, on a smooth tarmac path and has good views of the river. The motorway crossing is via a fairly steep bridge with wide steps, and there are sections across fields which would be muddy following wet weather....

[email protected]

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Cambourne—Cambridge

Slow Ways added Camcam one, a new walk from Cambourne to Cambridge

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Cambridge—Fulbourn

Slow Ways added Camful one, a new walk from Cambridge to Fulbourn

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Cambridge—Newmarket

Slow Ways added Camnew one, a new walk from Cambridge to Newmarket

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Cambridge—Sawston

Slow Ways added Camsaw one, a new walk from Cambridge to Sawston

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Cambridge—Waterbeach

Slow Ways added Camwat one, a new walk from Cambridge to Waterbeach

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Foxton (South Cambridgeshire)—Cambridge

Slow Ways added Foxcam one, a new walk from Foxton (South Cambridgeshire) to Cambridge

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Impington—Cambridge

Slow Ways added Impcam one, a new walk from Impington to Cambridge

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Impington—Cambridge

Slow Ways added Impcam two, a new walk from Impington to Cambridge

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1

Cambridge, Thu 28 March

11°

Light rain

Cambridge’s Slow Ways starting point

Grid ref

TL4482058461

Lat / Lon

52.20537° / 0.11790°

Easting / Northing

544,820E / 258,461N

Fancy stretching your legs a bit more?

If you’ve polished off all of the routes between Cambridge and its neighbours, how about walking its whole web?

This includes the great ring of routes that join its neighbours to each other!

Facilities

Users have reported that the following facilities can be found within 1km of Cambridge's meeting point

Public toilet

Wheelchair accessible toilet

Supermarket or convenience shop

Restaurant, cafe or pub

Accommodation

Accommodation for under £50 a night

Campsite

Bothy

Free wifi

Mobility scooter hire

Off-road wheelchair hire

Disabled Parking

Train station

Bus stop

Ferry

Official ‘Walkers are Welcome’ town

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