Shelford to Cambridge walk
Granchester, the River Cam and the Cambridge colleges.
History
This is a list of previous times this walk has been done by the club (since Jan 2010). For more recent events (since April 2015), full details are shown.
Date | Option | Post | # | Weather |
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Sat, 15-Jan-22 | Shelford to Cambridge - the Rupert Brooke Walk: Haslingfield, The Orchard (cafe) in Grantchester, the River Cam, and Cambridge Colleges | 8 | foggy to start with then overcast with glimpse of late afternoon sunshine | |
Wed, 09-Oct-19 | Shelford to Cambridge - Grantchester - the Rupert Brooke walk, plus Cambridge Colleges | 5 | sunny with a strong breeze | |
Tue, 04-Jul-17 | Grantchester and Cambridge - the Rupert Brooke Walk | 2 | warm overcast and humid in the morning sunny and hot in the afternoon | |
Sat, 16-Jul-16 | Saturday Third Walk - Book 1 Walk 26 Shelford to Cambridge | 8 | warm and humid | |
Sat, 29-Jun-13 | Shelford to Cambridge, via Rectory Farm | 0 | ||
Sat, 26-May-12 | Shelford to Cambridge | |||
Sat, 25-Jun-11 | Shelford to Cambridge | |||
Sat, 26-Jun-10 | Shelford to Cambridge | |||
Sat, 27-Jun-09 | Shelford to Cambridge | |||
Sat, 27-Sep-08 | Shelford to Cambridge | |||
Sun, 19-Aug-07 | Shelford to Cambridge | |||
Sat, 30-Jun-07 | Shelford to Cambridge |
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Sat, 15-Jan-22
Just 8 of us today, including one first-timer (a Cambridge resident) but that is a good turnout for a Varsity walk (usually 2 to 5). When we set off It was foggy to start with then overcast with glimpse of late afternoon sunshine . After visiting the lovely church in Great Shelford to admire its mural we took the permissive route along field edges from Little Shelford to Hauxton, which was a little muddy but not too bad. On then to Hauxton Mill then over vast fields to Haslingfield. One in our group had booked a table at the Red Lion, Grantchester, so we bypassed the Little Rose in Haslingfield and instead headed for Grantchester via the Travelling Telescope. The Red Lion was fully booked so well done - and thank you - to our companion for his foresight in booking ahead. Four of us had the venison ragu which was superb, and those that had the pub's version of a club sandwich could have shared their meals with three others, and still be full, so enormous were the portions. An excellent luncheon experience, with good draught beer and wine. Our one sandwicher left early as he wanted to take in the college tour at walk-end, so that left the rest of us to take the leisurely walk on surfaced ways from Grantchester to the outskirts of Cambridge, now in late afternoon sunshine and glorious light. For once we omitted the tea experience at the Orchard in Grantchester, but no-one seemed too bothered. On reaching Cambridge five set off for a local pub, one set off to meet a relative, and I headed for the railway station. A fast service took me back to London.
Another excellent day out in very good company. But it is a shame few SWC walkers ever give the Varsity walks a go.
Book 1, Walk 26 - Shelford to Cambridge
Length: 20.5 km (12.7 miles)
Toughness: 5 out of 10
Either
London Kings Cross: 10-12 hrs Ely service
Arrive Cambridge: 11-02 hrs Change trains
Leave Cambridge: 11-21 hrs Stopping service back to London Liverpool Street
Arrive Shelford: 11-26 hrs
Or
London Liverpool Street: 09-58 hrs Cambridge service Tottenham Hale 10-10 hrs
Arrive Cambridge: 11-09 hrs Change trains
Leave Cambridge: 11-21 hrs Stopping service back to Liverpool Street
Arrive Shelford: 11-26 hrs
Return
Cambridge to Kings Cross: (F=fast) (S=stopping service). 15-57 (S); 16-14 (F); 16-24 (S); 16-27 (S); 16-44 (F); 16-54 (F); 16-57 (S); 17-08 (F); 17-25 (S); 17-29 (S); 17-43 (F); 17-57 (S); 17-54 (S)
Cambridge to Liverpool Street: 16-21, 16-36, 16-51,17-21 and 17-51 hrs
Rail ticket
Buy a day return to Cambridge PLUS a single from Cambridge to Shelford
Neither this walk nor the other Book 1 University walk - Oxford Circular walk - are posted very often. Perhaps both are more sightseeing outings than country walks but accepting this, both have their merits, and are well worth doing at least once - so do give today's adventure in Cambridge a go !
Leaving Shelford you now take the permissive path through farmland to Hauxton Mill. Then it's through more farmland to the village of Haslingfield. The chances of finding the Little Rose pub (the notional lunch stop) open are slim: even more unlikely it is serving food mid-week. If you need sustenance before you reach Grantchester, you should find the convenience store in the village open for snacks and drinks. Onwards then, soon on a track through vast Cambridgeshire fields, passing on the way the Travelling Telescope, then on onto the village of Grantchester. You could stop for a late lunch in one of the three pubs in the village, but it is almost de rigueur to take tea at The Orchard, under the apple trees. After tea you take a short detour to Lord Archer's house - The Old Vicarage - to see the statue of Rupert Brooke in the garden.
Fom Grantchester you follow the River Cam on a well trodden and popular route to the outskirts of Cambridge.
You now have a choice of onward route: if you have had enough of walking you can duck out of the tour of the colleges and head for the railway station. But if you still have some energy, the City tour of Cambridge's Colleges is well worth doing (at least the once). The tour is detailed and well explained in the Directions. Likewise, your post tour route back to Cambridge railway station.
T=1.26
Your walk directions are here: L=1.26
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5 of us on this stroll across the Cambridgeshire landscape - big skies and wonderful cloudscapes. There were rumours of a 6th person, but no sightings. sunny with a strong breeze at times. The group heroically coped with the ( predicted) drama of a CLOSED lunchtime pub in Haslingfield. Most had come prepared, one stoically munched chocolate. Four stopped at The Orchard tea room in Grantchester, where it was just warm enough to sit outside. On the way back to Cambridge beside the Cam we passed a group of women who had just been for a swim! A good day out.
SarahS
Length: 20.5 km (12.7 miles)
Toughness: 5 out of 10
London Kings Cross: 10-14 hrs Ely service
Arrive Cambridge: 11-02 hrs
Leave Cambridge: 11-21 hrs London Liverpool Street service
Arrive Shelford: 11-26 hrs
OR
London Liverpool Street: 09-58 hrs Cambridge service Tottenham Hale 10-10 hrs
Arrive Cambridge: 11-08 hrs
Leave Cambridge: 11-21 hrs London Liverpool Street service (as above)
Arrive Shelford: 11-26 hrs
Return
Cambridge to Kings Cross: 15 and 47 mins past hour fast; 24 and 56 mins past hour stopping service
Rail ticket: buy a day return to Cambridge. You will also need a single from Cambridge to Shelford.
Footwear: sections of the walk are on hard standings and are quite hard on the feet, particularly if you indulge in the tour of the colleges at walk-end. Suggest comfortable, well cushioned trainers instead of walking boots today.
Our additional mid-week programme of alternate Tuesday and Thursday walks starts up again today after a two month break, and we commence our programme with this "unpopular" walk ! As walks go, both our Book 1 university walks are duds - as country walks go - but both score highly in historic and architectural interest when you tour the colleges at walk-end. That said, many a SWC walker treats these walks as "trophy walks" - to get the tick in the book - never to do them again. That's fair enough, but it so happens I don't dislike the Cambridge walk, and if you haven't yet got that "tick in the book" here is your chance to do so, by joining me on today's outing,
The morning leg starts along a permissive path to Hauxton then its across vast Cambridgeshire fields to the village of Haslingfield, where you could stop for lunch or refreshments at its pub (which has a history of closing down and reopening). But better to keep going until you reach Grantchester where taking tea in the famous Orchard Tea Garden is almost de regueur. After tea you say hello to the statue of Rupert Brooke (in the garden of Lord Jeffrey Archer's house - the Old Vicarage), then you walk beside the River Cam into the city centre. The tour of the colleges is worth doing - the once - or for repeat visitors like myself, a visit to one of the colleges is always enjoyable.
There are lots of tea options at walk-end (or before you embark on the college tour). It's a trudge to the railway station from the city centre - but you have my permission to rest your tired feet and have a good snooze on the train back to London.
T=1.26
Walk directions here: L=1.26
Next week: Thursday 13 July: Book 1, Walk 3 (R) Botley to Netley
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Wed, 05-Jul-17
Just 2 of us (presumably everyone else already had the "tick in the book"). warm overcast and humid in the morning sunny and hot in the afternoon . We had an enjoyable day's walking - and my companion very gamely put up with me all day. Picnic in the garden of the closed Little Rose pub in Haslingfield, with provisions and beers purchased at the excellent village shop nearby, and a lovely tea in The Orchard, Grantchester. Indeed, we could easily have nodded off in the comfy deckchairs in the shade of the apple trees and getting out of them took some effort. Hello then to Rupert in Lord Archer's garden before we took the Trumpington route to Cambridge, via the Botanic Gardens. As it was quite late now, we skipped the tour of the colleges and headed direct to the railway station, for the 18-15 hrs fast train back to London.
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Tue, 12-Jul-16
The Orchard Tea Rooms are an absolute must, if you can get into them. They are set in a lovely orchard, with deck chairs under the trees and there is a lot of literary history attached (Rupert Brooks and all that WW1 lot). In the distant past, when there were only book one walks, we used to reckon this was the best tea stop (or joint first with the tea room in Exceat, anyway).
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Tue, 19-Jul-16
8 , warm and humid . A fine walk with good company and much discussion of Britex. Good beer at the Little Rose Inn but so-so food: edible but not somewhere you would want to go out of your way to experience. Apart from two men sat at the bar, who disappeared soon after we arrived, we were the only customers. On the plus side we did get the garden to ourselves. Having stayed together more or less up to lunchtime the group fragmented somewhat in the afternoon. Most of us came together again at the Orchard Café, but it was very busy and one look at the queue persuaded us to give it a miss, which is a shame. After a short, unplanned detour in Cambridge (we went astray) those of us leading the pack headed straight for the station for an early-ish train back to the big city.