Godmanchester Hub

GODMANCHESTER  CHINESE BRIDGE HUB

Location Over the bridge from the Queen Elizabeth School, 1 Post Street, Godmanchester PE29 2NB 01480 388870

Facilities Toilet. Tea and cake will be available in the Godmanchester Museum,  over the Chinese Bridge and next to the Queen Elizabeth School Centre, from 10 am – 5 pm. 

WHAT’S ON!

This is our main hub (look out for our new gazebo) and the the half-way point of the Ouse Valley Way through the county, and so we can offer a range of options for individuals, families and groups. It is an ideal place to walk in either direction to one or more of the other hubs, take a selfie and return to claim your souvenir T-shirt! It will be open from 8 am to 8 pm.

And this is also the mid-way stop for the free shuttle bus which will take you either to the Earith of St Neots Hubs. You’ll need to book and details of how to do this will follow as soon as they have been confirmed.

The Godmanchester Museum  will also be presenting an exciting new free exhibition featuring Godmanchester’s 3685 BC GIANT SUN HENGE – what Neolithic children knew, plus International Wartime Secrets, plus KIDS FUN –  make history with lego.

The OVW Information Board

The board for this section of the Ouse Valley Way is situated in the churchyard at St Mary’s Church, Chadley Lane, Godmanchester PE29 2AW. It shows these two medium-length Wow! Day walk options and two shorter circular walks:

The Wow! Day Walk to St Neots 

You can visit the Brampton, Buckden and Paxton Pits Hubs along the way and come back on the train to Huntingdon. It is a short walk from there back to Godmanchester. This is a good 12 miles upstream but a really rewarding walk.

The Wow! Day Walk to Earith

This is also around 12 miles through wonderful scenery downstream and visiting the Houghton, St Ives and Houghton Hubs along the way. You will need someone to get you a lift back to Godmanchester.

The Wow! Day Godmanchester-Houghton Circular Walk

Either returning on the same route (total 7 miles) or using the longer route through Hartford (8.5 miles).

The Wow! Day Godmanchester-Brampton Circular Walk across Portholme Meadow (1.6 miles). See link to map below. This could be extended to Paxton Pits Visitor Centre Hub if you can arrange transport back.

Alternatively, you may prefer these three shorter-still local Wow! Day walks:

The Wow! Day Portholme Circular Walk

Cross the Chinese Bridge, turn left and follow the river to reach the lock. Cross to the other side and enter the meadow. Follow the path to a kissing gate, go through this and turn right to follow the path with the railway embankment on your left. Cross the bridge and follow the path to another bridge into a lane, and a right turn over another bridge to re-enter the meadow. Turn left to follow the path all the way down past Clarke’s Island and back to the lock and the Chinese Bridge.

The Wow! Day Nature Reserve Walk

From the end of Cow Lane, walk through the metal gates and the kissing gate on the right. Turn left at the information board and follow the path to another gate and turn right, to follow Cooke’s Stream all the way round to a wooden bridge. Cross, turn right and cross the hay meadows for two fields before tuning right. Over a gate, you will pass fishing lakes on the right, until through an opening you will turn right and head back to Cow Lane.

The Wow! Day Cow Lane-Houghton Circular Walk

From the end of Cow Lane turn right through a kissing gate to enter Eastside Common. Follow the path through a clearing and bear left over a stream. Turn right and veer left to a footbridge. Cross and then head to another at Four Gate Pit to enter Hemingford Meadow. Follow the bank to Houghton Lock. Turn right (or visit Houghton Mill) and cross the meadow to the Black Bridge. Cross and turn right into Common Lane, Hemingford Abbotts. At the end, enter Eastside Common again, and eventually you’ll return to Cow Lane.