Connect Waterbeach with Slow Ways

We’re creating a network of walking routes that connect all of Britain’s towns, cities and national parks

more walks and reviews are needed to fully connect Waterbeach to the verified network. Can you give a hike and help?

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Waterbeach

Cambridgeshire


Slow Ways linking Waterbeach and Cambridge, Ely, Impington, Newmarket, Soham, Willingham

England / Cambridgeshire / Waterbeach

Waterbeach’s six Slow Ways are 67% checked

Drawn: 6/6
reviewed: 6/6
verified: 3/6
and surveyed: 1/6

Help connect Waterbeach

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 Waterbeach’s Slow Ways.

Walk to Waterbeach from further afield

Slow Way Route To do
Cambridge—Waterbeach
Camwat one Enjoy me Distance 11km/7mi Ascent 30m Descent 33m
Impington—Waterbeach
Impwat one Survey me Distance 8km/5mi Ascent 9m Descent 17m
Waterbeach—Ely
Wately one Survey me Distance 19km/12mi Ascent 94m Descent 80m
Waterbeach—Newmarket
Watnew one Review me Distance 20km/13mi Ascent 101m Descent 76m
Waterbeach—Soham
Watsoh one Review me Distance 17km/11mi Ascent 51m Descent 52m
Waterbeach—Soham
Watsoh two Verify me Distance 19km/12mi Ascent - Descent -
Willingham—Waterbeach
Wilwat one Pioneer me Distance 15km/9mi Ascent 27m Descent 28m
Willingham—Waterbeach
Wilwat two Review me Distance 15km/9mi Ascent 23m Descent 25m

Fancy stretching your legs a bit more?

If you’ve polished off all of the routes between Waterbeach 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

63% of Waterbeach’s six route options are drawn, reviewed, surveyed and/or verified

8/8

drawn

7/8

reviewed

2/8

surveyed

3/8

verified

10 people have contributed to Waterbeach’s Slow Ways

5 people have pledged to walk and review a route

2 people have surveyed a route in Waterbeach

108km out of 123km have been walked and reviewed

211km of reviews have been shared in Waterbeach

Latest Updates

With the exception of Mere Way, the route is on pavements through the villages and along the main road....

Cat_walks

Walk this route

From Waterbeach to Wicken, it mostly runs along footpaths and very quiet roads, whilst the Wicken to Soham leg proceeds along an attractive network of green lanes / drove routes. There is a pub at Wicken and there are toilets and a tearoom at the National Trust's Wicken Fen visitor centre (just off the route). All in all, an enjoyable route, and one which I would recommend to others....

dcdr2

Walk this route

The central portion of the route follows part of the Lodes Way cycle route (NC11) and is very clearly signposted towards Wicken, using very quiet roads and gravel cycle tracks....

kib21

Walk this route

Path is uneven in places and can be muddy in winter and a bit overgrown in places in the summer. Spring is a perfect time to walk it. When you get to Ely you can cross the river and continue following it in towards town on the north side rather than going straight to the centre....

Jeanette

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Willingham—Waterbeach

cenbons added Wilwat two, a new walk from Willingham to Waterbeach

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Nice (primarily off road) route, the paths around the fields between Landbeach and Cottenham could be quite muddy in winter I would imagine. But once you reach Long Drove most of the rest of the route should be fine, even in poor weather....

cenbons

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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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The path from Mere Way to Impington is on a fast road, but the pavement is segregated so should be ok except for the occasional bike which often decide to use the pavement to avoid the road. Very little in the way of facilities between Waterbeach and Impington, but at 5 miles that shouldn't be too big of an issue....

cenbons

Walk this route

Very simple route to follow to get from Waterbeach to Ely by mostly following the bank of the River Cam/Great Ouse. The path from just south of Upware to Dimmock's Cote Road can be very muddy during the winter and can be very uneven in places. There are often cows in the fields between Waterbeach and Upware, so care needs to be taken in some of those fields....

cenbons

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The route takes you over the Newmarket race course and through the middle of the course so some attention may need to be paid to access during days when racing is in progress. All of the footpaths are well maintained (although not unrutted) but it would be worth taking a copy of the route with you as it can be easy to mistake one turning for another and end up far away from where you had intended to be! There is a pub in Swaffham Prior if you need a mid journey break as well as pubs at both ends of the route....

cenbons

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Waterbeach—Soham

bemo added Watsoh two, a new walk from Waterbeach to Soham

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The section just to the south of Dimmock's Cote Road can be very wet and muddy: it's a heavily rutted farm track. North of Dimmock's Cote Road the route skirts Kingfishers Bridge nature reserve: take care to follow local signs regarding paths in order to avoid disturbing ground-nesting birds....

kib21

Walk this route

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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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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Several options for pub stops on the way in Upware and Wicken, plus presumably plenty of options in Soham....

cenbons

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Waterbeach

Alex Reeve surveyed Waterbeach

View facilities
Waterbeach

Alex Reeve surveyed Waterbeach

View facilities

An easy attractive route, mostly on pavement with a few stretches of single track lane. Clay Close Lane is an attractive single track road, some miniature ponies were happily grazing a paddock at the east end during my walk in Spring 2021. A pavement then runs alongside Milton Road until you turn onto an unpaved track that is a remnant of the Akeman Street Roman Road that would have taken legionaries north to defend the Saxon Shore at Brancaster....

Alex Reeve

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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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Cambridge—Waterbeach

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

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Impington—Waterbeach

Slow Ways added Impwat one, a new walk from Impington to Waterbeach

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Waterbeach—Ely

Slow Ways added Wately one, a new walk from Waterbeach to Ely

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Waterbeach—Newmarket

Slow Ways added Watnew one, a new walk from Waterbeach to Newmarket

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Waterbeach—Soham

Slow Ways added Watsoh one, a new walk from Waterbeach to Soham

Walk this route
Willingham—Waterbeach

Slow Ways added Wilwat one, a new walk from Willingham to Waterbeach

Walk this route
1

Waterbeach, Fri 19 April

Cloudy

Waterbeach’s Slow Ways starting point

Grid ref

TL4957165373

Lat / Lon

52.26620° / 0.19043°

Easting / Northing

549,571E / 265,373N

Fancy stretching your legs a bit more?

If you’ve polished off all of the routes between Waterbeach 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 Waterbeach'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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