Country walks in Cambridge

Gerla de boer walks

Country walks in Cambridge ending at a pub

Over the weekends I like to go for long walks. My two fitness trainers, JoJo and Max, are pretty demanding. So the compromise is that we take them on country walks in Cambridge ending up in a pub. Pretty good deal, I think. I have started the walks at Midsummer Common, but you can start them from anywhere in the city centre. If you start at Kings Parade, you will need to make your way to Jesus Green. This is a pretty start taking you through Trinity and Bridge Street to Jesus Green. Starting at Midsummer Common is a good excuse to have a refreshment at the Fort St. George Pub overlooking Midsummer common. Although this is a Green King Pub, the setting is stunning. 

gerla de boer fenditton

Midsummer Common to Fen Dinton

A perfect walk if you want to stretch your legs, but don’t want to walk the whole day. From Midsummer Common, it only takes you 45 minutes to get to the quaint village of Fen Ditton. There are 3 pubs here. I like to go to the Plough in Fen Ditton on the river Cam. The setting of this pub is one of my favourite ones in Cambridge. There are not that many with such a pretty garden in a rural setting. It can get jam-packed here, especially on Saturday and Sunday. They have been working on improving the pub, and on Saturday they serve pizzas and burgers from their outside kitchen. 

Gerla de Boer country walk

Midsummer common to Grantchester

My ultimate full-day Saturday walk. It only takes one hour from Midsummer Common, but if you include a leisurely lunch in Grantchester and stops on the way back, you’ll be out and about most of the day. We do this walk quite often and set off around 10 am. We live in East Cambridge, so it takes us about 30 minutes to the Quayside where we get our caffeine fix at Cafe Foy. 

From here you can go via Kings Parade to Mill Lane and then via Coe Fen to Grantchester Meadows. I prefer to go around the Backs, which is from the Quayside to Bridge Street and then turn left at the traffic lights. Just follow the road to the left, and it takes you around the back of the colleges. It not only gives you a stunning view of the colleges, but it’s much quieter too. When you get to Mill Works, you’ll be at Coe Fen, and then you can make your way to Grantchester Meadows via Newham.

Gerla de Boer Green man

We tend to have lunch at one of the dog-friendly pubs in Grantchester, the Green Man Pub or the Blue Ball Inn Pub, but on sunny days you might want to opt for a picnic on Grantchester Meadows. If you haven’t packed one yourself, then pop into the deli, Meadows on your way to Grantchester Meadows. They sell delicious cheeses, sandwiches, chocolates and bakes.

On our return to Cambridge, it takes us much longer as we tend to build in quite a few stops. Delicious gelato at Jack Gelato, a glass of wine a Thirsty & Hungry or a craft beer and street food at Calverley’s Brewery. There are so many good stops on our way back, it is often hard to choose. 

Gerla de Boer Cambridge cow

Midsummer common to Waterbeach

This 2-hour river sidewalk is the longest one of the three. Make sure you cross the bridge at Stourbridge Common, which takes you to the Green Dragon Pub. An excellent excuse to have a swift riverside refreshment here. Turn right and follow the river. After 1.5 hours you will reach Waterbeach, turn left toward the road and you’ll get to the Chef and Brewers Pub. This is a chain pub and can get very busy over the weekends. As it is set on the river, it is an excellent place for a drink. On the walk back, you follow the same path. Check out the OtherSyde on your way back on the riverside. The sunsets are stunning here. 

Happy walking!

Gerla

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