The Bogtrotter

This six mile cirular walk takes you through some of the best Cambridgeshire countryside, including part of the Ouse Valley Way.

We start in the centre of Hemmingford Abbotts, next to the Axe and Compass pub. From here, follow the quiet road of Common Lane for approximately a third of a mile until you see a public footpath signpost on your right for “Houghton”. Take this path (down Meadow Lane) and cross the bridge to enter the meadow. Follow the path across the meadow until you reach a small gate and footbridge, next to the river lock at Houghton.

The path continues around a small island until you come out at Houghton Mill. Go through the passage at the mill, and then carry on across the car park. Follow the left hand side of the field until you come to a gate with a sign for the Ouse Valley Way. Turn immediately right after the gate and follow this alleyway for 200 metres until it ends. Turn left for 20 metres then right to continue along the Ouse Valley Way. The path now continues for nearly two miles, past “The Thickett” until you emerge at the back of a Scout hut.
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Tucked away in the northern edge of the Cotswolds, this formal garden has a variety separate gardens to suit most tastes.

The resting place of Henry VIII’s wife Katherine Parr, Sudeley Castle is set on the edge of the Cotswold escarpment just above the village of Winchcombe. Split into numerous distinctive individual gardens, it feels like visiting multiple different gardens in quick succession. And the gardens are also home to St Mary’s Church, where Katherine Parr’s body lies.

“The Queen’s Garden” is quite a large formal rose garden, with yew hedges surrounding several rose beds. (continue reading…)