30th March 2021
We walked out on Rowley Lane from Stapleford Granary, turned left at 495514 just before the bridge over the River Granta onto a field boundary (not a public right-of-way) towards the east end of Magog Down (Vestey Wood), across the A1307, up the track opposite to the Roman Road and back to Stapleford through Wandlebury and the Magog Down.
23rd September 2020
From the Plough in Great Chesterford towards Linton. We walked out north-east on Cow Lane until we got level with Hadstock (547456) turned right to grid reference 553454 and returned to Great Chesterford on the Icknield Way Trail running parallel to Cow Lane, probably about 9 miles in total.
We had lunch in the garden of the Plough.
12th August 2021.
Based at the Golden Ball in Boxworth, we followed a 6.25 mile route through Knapwell, Childerley Hall and Lolworth.
19th July 2021.
For a change, we headed northwest of Cambridge, to a 6.4 mile WalkingWorld route between Elsworth and Knapwell.
They describe it as follows: This is an enjoyable walk partly along the long-distance The Pathfinders Circular Walk. The route is beside field edges and tracks, hardly any road-walking except through the pretty thatched village of Elsworth, where The Poacher Inn offers an excellent menu and a choice of several real ales. There are good views of the countryside on the walk.
We enjoyed an excellent lunch in the garden of the Poacher in Elsworth, where the landlord gave some interesting background to the tribulations suffered by pubs during the pandemic.
16th June 2021.
Chrishall, with lunch a short drive away at the King William IV at Heydon.
Stapleford Strollers sketch map here and description here.
25th May 2021.
Tim and Mark met at the Chequers in Orwell and walked a Stapleford Strollers route for 5 miles to the north-west, mostly passing through the Wimpole Estate, followed by a good lunch at the pub (which we now note specialises in Chinese food).
Description here, sketch map here.
Tuesday 18th May 2021
Tim, Duncan and John did a walk between Toft and the Eversdens, with lunch at the Red Lion in Grantchester.
Take M11 north, off at J12, A603 then the Comberton Road.
Drive through Comberton. As you reach Toft take a track on the left “Church Lane” and park near the church.
Continue down the country road and take a lane to the left “Armshold Lane”
When you reach the road, “Tinkers Lane,” turn right and briefly walk along the road before taking a track to the left heading for Eversden Wood.
At the ancient wood (which is due to be impacted by the planned EWR route) walk through the wood and out the other side picking up a track heading north-east and emerging in Great Eversden.
Follow the road for a short while, heading north and west then take the track after Red House Farm and back into Toft.
About 6 miles. Explorer 209.
Wednesday 16th December 2020.
A fairly muddy walk of 4.9 miles across the flat fields north from the village of Castle Camps, followed by a short drive back to the Three Hills in Bartlow for lunch. This is the route, which we did in reverse. Sketch map here.
Tuesday 13th April 2021.
Also beginning in the centre of Castle Camps, this route runs 4.9 miles to the south, and we ended with another fine lunch at the Three Hills in Bartlow. Description here and sketch map here.
24th November 2020
Mark and John did a version of this walk, between Hinxton and Ickleton.
Stapleford Strollers description here and sketch map here.
Wednesday October 28th 2020.
This was our first visit to the Three Hills at Bartlow, which soon became a stalwart of pandemic life. We have been regular visitors since, both as the 4 Blokes and with our other halves with friends in the evenings.
They took a very positive attitude to the necessary Covid precautions, erecting a huge ‘sail’ gazebo on their patio with efficient space heaters, sheepskin rugs and windbreaks, and employed enthusiastic young staff serving tasty, reasonably-priced food and good Wherry.
On this first occasion, we parked at the pub and approximately followed this walk from the Stapleford Strollers (sketch map here) in an anticlockwise direction, although we extended it to Ashdon.
4 Blokes Who Did Walks during the pandemic
Between March 2020 and August 2021 we endured various lockdowns and travel restrictions which limited our outings to short distances from home. At times pubs were closed so we lunched at home or took a picnic with bottled beer. Often pubs reduced the number of days each week that they opened or served food. We adapted, and on the bright side we learned much that was new about our home county of Cambridgeshire, especially the area between the Shelfords and the Essex border.
23rd September
Our records are fragmentary but we walked from Linton to Great Chesterford and back on September 23rd 2020.
29th September
a very pleasant lunch at the Crown at Little Walden, followed by a 7-mile walk we had designed from the OS Explorer sheet 209 on footpaths first heading south towards Saffron Walden, then east across to the Harcamlow Way and north on a bridle path, then back via Chapel End hamlet and Ravenstock Farm. Red kites and a heron were seen.
