Ancient paths

Ancient paths

Walk along the highways of mediaeval times. These footpaths take you from St Ives to four local Anglo-Saxon villages. The routes are over 1,000 years old and have hardly changed in all that time.

In reality, traffic would have been in the other direction. St Ives held some of the largest fairs in England, the first taking place in 1130AD. Villagers flooded into St Ives from all points of the compass on foot, by horse and by cart.

Two of the locations are Anglo-Saxon ring villages. There are only three in Cambridgeshire. All four villages have attractive and interesting listed buildings.

Pick one of the footpaths from the map below and take a walk back in time. There's a short description of each village and links to a fuller guide of the walks.

1. To Woodhurst (4.5 miles)

Woodhurst is one of the best surviving examples in England of an Anglo Saxon ring village. The houses form a circle which enclosed and kept safe the villagers' livestock. Roman artefacts found in the village point to even earlier origins.

Two fires in the 1800s destroyed many old buildings. Even so, a walk around the village and a break sat by the village pond is very enjoyable.

To view more details of this walk click Cambridgeshire Walks.

2. To Holywell (4 miles)

Holywell is another Anglo Saxon ring village. Its name comes from the well located near the 14th-century church. The nature garden beside the well is a peaceful place to sit.

The Olde Ferry Boat Inn claims to be the oldest pub in England. There are records of alcohol served since 560AD. There's also a ghost that appears every year on 17 March. Lunching on the terrace overlooking the river is a highlight.

To view more details of this walk click Cambridgeshire Walks.

3. To Hemingford Grey (3.5 miles)

Hemingford Grey boasts the oldest inhabited house in England, the Norman Manor House. Also The Cock, twice winner of the National Pub of the Year. The route includes a walk across Hemingford Meadow and hidden lanes.

 

To view more details of this walk click  Cambridgeshire Walks.

4. To Houghton (4 miles)
Houghton is an Anglo Saxon village with some beautiful old buildings. Houghton Mill is a National Trust property with a cafe overlooking the mill pond. The route to Houghton along The Thicket path is one of the most varied and beautiful.

To view more details of this walk click Cambridgeshire Walks.