Fen Drayton Lakes Circular Walk
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This circular walk starts in Fen Drayton and takes you around an RSPB Nature Reserve made up of lakes formed by sand and gravel extractions and alongside the River Great Ouse.
On the opposite bank of the river lies the very pretty village of Holywell near Needingworth and opposite Waymark 7 you will see the Ferry Boat Inn, which is said to be the oldest pub in England, dating back to Anglo-Saxon times. On March 17th 1050 a lady called Juliet Tewsley committed suicide by the inn and is said to visit the site every year on March 17th around midnight. Juliet was buried in the grounds of the inn and in later years, when the inn was extended, the grave was built over and the owner placed floor slabs around the gravestone, integrating it into the floor of the bar, where it still is today. There used to be a river ferry going across from Waymark 7 and the inn evidently still holds the rights to run a ferry. The only way to cross the river now in this area is by road at St Ives or Earith. The walk also crosses and for a short while runs beside, the old St Ives to Cambridge railway line which was closed in the 1960s and is now being transformed into a Guided Busway, which should be completed by the end of 2009, giving extra transport access to this walk.
In the village of Fen Drayton lies The Three Tuns, which is a charming village pub in traditional surroundings, serving good, reasonably priced food. Originally the village guildhall, the building dates back to the 15th Century with additions and modernisations from the 16th and 17th Centuries.
England - East England - Cambridgeshire - Fens
Features
Birds, Butterflies, Church, Flowers, Good for Kids, Great Views, Lake/Loch, Mostly Flat, Public Transport, Restaurant, Toilets, Wildlife, Woodland