THE CIRCULAR & LINEAR WALK

 The Circular & Linear Walk (Barway & Soham)

Circular Walk
(Barway, Soham Lode, Soham Fens and Commons)

Linear Walk
(Around Soham, then along Soham Lode to Barway and by the Fen Rivers Way to Ely)

 By Fred Eden

Maps: Landranger 143, 154; Pathfinder 961, 962.
Public Transport: X12 Stagecoach Bus from Ely to Soham
Distance: (a) 11.5 miles (18 km); (b) 11.5 miles (18 km)
Refreshments: Pubs and cafe's in Soham - see Leisure Section; none in Barway.

Points of interest: Soham Town dates from the 7th Century, parts of St. Andrew's Church from 12th Century, and there are still two working windmills. The railway from Ely was opened in 1878 and is still in use, though there is now no station. Soham Mere, a vast lake to the SW, was not finally drained until the last century. This large parish was never enclosed, so that features of the Mediaeval landscape still remain, including some of the strip-farmed fields. The unique system of three Horse Fens was established in 17th Century, with grazing let out to farmers on a quota system based on the area each farmed, and still in operation today. There are 50 miles (80km) of public paths, expertly cared for by the Soham Footpaths Society, formed in 1991. The public library in Clay Street can provide a full tourist information pack.

Terrain: Grassy river banks and commons, unsurfaced droves, some footpaths across arable fields.

The Circular Walk: 

 Barway, Soham Lode, Soham Fens and Commons

Start parking: Fen Rivers Way, East Bank, at Barway Pumping Station (Lode End Bridge), TL 540764.

The route: On the north side of the Pumping Station (A), take the track for 100 m towards Barway, to a "Public Byway" sign. Turn left, and follow this track 1.5 km in a half circle to a metalled road. Here, turn right towards Barway for 300 m, and at a footpath sign, turn left, cross a stile to the right of Randall's Fishing Lake and take the path to Soham Lode.

Turn left at the lode and follow the bank for 3 km to the bridge adjacent to Pantile Farm (B). Turn left over the barrier-controlled railway line to the Soham - Barway road: turn left and then immediately right onto Blackberry Lane, signposted to "The Shade 3/4"At the top of Blackberry Lane, turn right, following the footpath on a grassy track with ditch and hedge on the right to reach the main road at The Shade (C). Cross diagonally to Sayers Lake Drove. Follow this path by a tall hedge on the right and a small trading estate on the left to Northfield Road. Turn right, heading towards Soham for about 100 m, then turn left (which is a continuation of Sayers Lake Drove). After 200 m and just before reaching the Soham bypass, turn right following the hedgerow at the side of a small cultivated field. Cross over a stile onto a metalled road Bancroft Lane), turning right for 250 m to a road junction by a cattle grid and hand-gate at the entrance to Qua Fen Common (D), which has attractive ponds and a large colony of ducks. Turn left through the gate, then right, following the line of cottages to the next road, Bushel Lane, which crosses the common (E) (6 km).

For refreshments, turn right along Bushel Lane to The Bushel & Strike PH. otherwise, cross directly over Bushel Lane, staying on the Common, and continue to follow the line of cottages on the right. After 350 m turn left at the last telegraph pole and cross a short stretch of common to a stile. Beyond, follow the line of telegraph poles across agricultural land. Cross the ditch by a little bridge and onto East Fen Common. Keep straight on for 150 m and cross a metalled road, keeping the cattle grid on the left. Just beyond this is a sign, 'Green Hills ½ mile". Follow the track for about 30 m round a row of cottages on the right, over a stile, and proceed across the second part of East Fen Common to Soham Lode. Cross the lode single file on the narrow Loftus Bridge and onto a drove known as "The Wash".

After 200 m this drove joins a metalled road at "Green Hills". Proceed for a further 150 m and bear left for a short distance to the road junction, where turn left. This road very shortly turns right into Regal Lane, passing an industrial estate, and onto the main Soham-Fordham road, which cross into Cherry Tree Lane (F). At this half-way point on the circuit from Barway, a stop at the Cherry Tree PH maybe in order!

Continue down Cherry Tree Lane for 700 m to arrive at the corner of a narrow road, where a signpost on the left indicates "Public Footpath to Wicken Road ½ mile". Pass through a gate, follow a short track through a nursery garden with two more gates, then bear diagonally right over agricultural land to a clump of young trees. Traverse three footbridges in quick succession and immediately bear diagonally left over cultivated land, crossing a further bridge and on to the railway line (G). White hand-gates here are self closing. A few metres beyond the railway, turn right to follow "No Ditch Baulk Drove" and cross a stile onto South Horse Fen. Keep to the hedge on the left-hand side and after 100 m at the second set of electricity poles, turn left over a stile/footbridge into Callow Baulk Drove. Follow this drove for 500 m to an oblique junction, where take the track to the right for 100 m, then turn right at the junction of this track with a gravelled track. After 200 m, turn right into Wicken Drove and follow this through a kissing gate back onto South Horse Fen.

Keep to the left along the hedge-line, over a stile and onto Mill Drove, a surfaced track. Pass a turning on the left signed "Wicken Walks", opposite a seat, and continue across the railway (beware automatic barriers) to Angle Common. On the common, turn left at the first road junction, back over the railway line, immediately turning right over grass to the bank of Soham Lode (H). Turn left and follow the river for 1 km to Middle Mere Farm, named after Soham Mere which used to stretch away over the land to the left. Enter the garden over a stile and pass between greenhouse and shed to exit along the house-drive by the lode. Cross a road, and continue with the lode on your right passing Pantile Farm (B) on the left after about 800 m and later, Mere Pumping Station. A further 2 km along the lode brings you to Barway Bridge, and then another 1 km back to the starting point, where Soham Lode joins the River Great Ouse.

The Linear Walk 

 Around Soham, then along the lode to Barway and by the Fen Rivers Way to Ely

Start/parking:     Free car park opposite Soham church, TL 590 733

The route: From St. Andrew's Church at Soham (J), with your back to the churchyard wall, turn left along Fountain Lane, passing the exit from the public car park and toilets. Continue past The Angel PH, and along Station Road to a T-junction. Here turn right along Mereside for 400 m, then left on a public footpath signed to "Barway 3 miles". Cross the railway, and immediately turn right along the bank of Soham Lode, crossing numerous stiles until you reach the road at Pantile Farm. Now follow the instructions in Walk (a), from point (B). Use the instructions to circle round Soham, returning past Pantile Farm and down the west bank of Soham Lode to beyond Barway, where Soham Lode joins the Great Ouse. Turn right, cross the lode and continue on the flood bank for another 2 km, to cross the Soham Loop railway; a further km of river bank takes you to the A142 on the outskirts of Ely. Cross the river by the road bridge, and proceed cautiously under the railway, turning left to Ely station forecourt.