Hildersham and Wolves Street, Cambridgeshire

At nine o’clock on this brisk sunny morning a miasma of mist lay over the fens and fields of Cambridgeshire. Chaffinches sang tentatively in the hedges of Hildersham and hopped on the thatched roof of medieval Mabbutts house
First published in: The Times Click here to view a map for this walk in a new window

Facebook Link:
The rain-swollen River Granta, usually a modest infant trickle hereabouts, went powering under the lattice bridge in the village centre like a bully trying out his muscles in the playground.

Above the village in the wide fields to the north, larks sang ecstatically. The country rolled with an oceanic swell, brown furrows of ploughland, green billows of wheat, crowned with long dark windbreaks. This south Cambridgeshire landscape seems entirely open under its great swirling skies, but it rolls into hidden valleys you don’t suspect until you are actually on them.

Up on the ridge we turned east along a green road, engineered 2,000 years ago by the Romans to connect their forts of Godmanchester and Cambridge with Colchester. During the Middle Ages the old road became so busy with packhorse trains carrying wool that it acquired the title of Worsted Street. But some called it Wolves Street, an older and wilder name.

All the land around Wolves Street ~`has been ploughed and scoured clean of native chalk grassland turf. But the long green strip of the Roman road retains its herb-rich, flowery sward between sheltering hedges. Here in spring and summer flourishes a wonderful natural garden – fragrant marjoram and thyme, scabious, dwarf thistle and St John’s Wort, foodplants for a riot of butterflies and insects that you won’t see in the neighbouring arable fields.

This morning the old highway lay half flooded and bare, a silver thread between hedges heavy with drops of last night’s rain, as if dipped in molten glass and instantly frozen. Where the even more ancient track of the Icknield Way crossed the Roman road, we struck out heavy-footed over ploughed fields to reach the tall water tower on Rivey Hill, dodecahedral and ribbed with slim buttresses. There was a wonderful view to savour as we turned back west, looking towards distant Cambridge and the misty flatlands, before we slipped and slid downhill into Linton. A valley path led homeward between horse paddocks and on under the onion dome of Hildersham’s windmill; and the floody River Granta ran close at hand, tugging and surging under willows, rushing its cargo of twigs and bubbles before us into Hildersham.

Start: Pear Tree Inn, Hildersham, Cambs, CB21 6BU (OS ref TL543484)

Travel: Bus – 13A, 13B, X13 Cambridge-Linton (www.travelineeastanglia.org.uk)
Road – Hildersham is signed off A1307, 2 miles west of junction with A11 near Cambridge

Walk: (7 miles, easy grade, OS Explorer 209): From Pear Tree Inn, left up street; over crossroads (547489, ‘Balsham’). In 350m, left (549492, ‘bridleway’) on track for ¾ mile to meet Roman road (548505). Right for almost 2 miles, crossing minor road (561498) to cross B1052. In another 200m, opposite noticeboard, right (yellow arrow/YA) across 2 fields to B1052 (572486). Left for 200 m; on left bend, ahead to pass water tower (568480). Right (blue arrow) past Rivey Wood. At bench (562480), left downhill to road in Linton (560473). Right; left down Symonds Lane; pass Granta Leys; first right down lane (‘Icknield Way’) to cross River Granta. Pass bowling green; right (‘Roman Road Walk’). At end of playground, left up to kissing gate (556471, YA). Ignore stile on left; go through gate. On between horse paddocks; cross drive at Little Linton Farm; follow YAs back to Hildersham.

Refreshments/Accommodation: Pear Tree Inn, Hildersham (01223-891680; www.peartreecambridge-bb.co.uk)

Information: Cambridge TIC (0871-226-8006 – local rate);
www.visitcambridgeshire.org

2011 Gower Walking Festival: 4 – 19 June; www.mumblestic.co.uk

www.ramblers.org.uk www.satmap.com www.LogMyTrip.co.uk