Gay Outdoor Club: Cambridge Walks 2008

Contact details for Cambridge Group

Sunday 3 February. Our walk of about 8 miles will start at the car park at Wimpole Hall (£2.00 parking charge for non National Trust members). This is a varied walk through parkland including the Wimpole Hall folly, and taking in some of the attractive varied landscape surrounding the Hall. It'll be very muddy underfoot, so suitable footwear required!

Sunday 2 March. The meeting point will be Ramparts Field Picnic Area (near West Stow Anglo Saxon Village) A1101. For those coming from Cambridge via the A14/A11, at the 5 Ways Roundabout take the 4th exit to Bury St Edmunds, go though Icklingham and then follow the signs for Anglo Saxon Village. The car park is before the Anglo Saxon Village. The walk will be a circular route of between 6-8 miles, taking in the Anglo Saxon Village and joining up with the Lark Valley Path to West Stow. Our return will include parts of the West Stow Country Park. Afterwards, everyone is welcome to go to Thetford (about 12miles from Ramparts Filed) for Tea, Coffee, biscuits and cakes.

Sunday 6 April. Meet where there's Ample parking in large layby on the B645 to the east of Tilbrook (west of Kimbolton). The walk starts in Cambs, goes into Beds and maybe straying into Northants. A walk of reasonable length, with tea afterwards.

Sunday 4 May. Wicken Fen. An 8 mile walk across fields and fen and alongside lodes. Meet outside the village hall at Wicken, on the north side of the A1123, where there is parking (alternatively, park at the National Trust site and walk up). Riverside pub lunch stop, and tea can be taken afterwards at the NT café.

Saturday 31 May. It will be the 30th anniversary of the Cambridge group this year, and we will be celebrating with a dinner for Cambridge walkers past and present. For details of the event please contact the co-ordinator.

Sunday 1 June. Grantchester. Wave goodbye to Rupert Brooke and sally forth with a host of celestial bodies on a walk of 'astronomic' proportions. Take in vistas of Cambridgeshire and gaze in wonder at an excavation, deep and wide. Conclude and rest a while with a visit to The Orchard tea garden. Meet outside the Rupert Brooke Pub, 2 Broadway, Grantchester, CB3 9NQ (junction of High St./Broadway/Coton Rd.). On-street parking.

Sunday 6 July. Meet at the free Car Park on Old Station Way, off the High Street, Shefford Town centre. The walk will follow "The Navigators' Way", a 7 mile circular walk along a section of the river Ivel and returning via lanes and footpaths to Shefford with some good views over the Bedfordshire countryside. Bring a packed lunch.

Sunday 3 August. An 8 mile circular walk exploring South Cambridgeshire, taking in some attractive villages and picturesque countryside. Please meet in the village of Bar Hill, at the junction of the Bar Hill ring road and Hillcrest. There is plenty of parking available. Bring a packed lunch, and everyone is invited for tea and cakes afterwards.

Sunday 7 September. Thriplow. Find a place to park at the village green area near the pub painted dark blue (Green Man). FOWLmere, FOXton, THRIPlow, NEWTon, DUXford, all villages in the area with animals/insect buried in their names! Itchy thrips might plague us, fowls and foxes might appear, but no newts or dux as we aren't going there! You might, however, see a large Mosquito as the Duxford airshow will be on nearby. The walk of about 8 miles is easy and pleasant, going along permissive tracks not shown on the map, with one vertiginous hill rising to about 120ft above sea level, so crampons won't be needed! Bring the usual packed lunch. Tea and cakes afterwards.

Sunday 5 October. Guilden Morden. Meet at the church. This a 10-mile circular walk in the pleasant green landscape of the Cam Valley. We go via Dunton and Wrestlingworth. As always, bring a packed lunch, oxygen masks optional!

Sunday 2 November. Meet at Magog Down carpark,for a 7 mile walk on good paths.
The walk will take us through Stapleford,and Wandlebury and include a section of Roman Road. Tea and cakes afterwards.

Sunday 7 December. Short walk & Xmas lunch


For further information see the GOC Outdoors magazine.