Ely and Cambridge.

Having left Hilborough as early as I could, in heavy fog, and retracing my steps along the busy "A" road, which was fortunately not too busy, I resumed the path.  Reaching the end of a back road I was met with a padlocked gate and a sign saying "Military Training Area".  The path on my map went straight through, and as there was a gap in the fence, so did I!  Rather than go across the fields though I followed farm tracks in a big loop, passing farms, an old quarry, and even what appeared to be old military defence installations.  The gate at the other end was somewhat more secure, but I managed to extricate myself.  

In the fog!

My big pack (so everyone tells me) looks tiny next to this giant - right next to the hole in the fence.

A warning to drivers to check their brakes after fording the stream.

Defence installations loomed in the fog.

After walking another kilometre along a road, my map directed me through fields, but this time the signs said "Military Firing Range" and so I took prudence as the best course of action and took a long detour, eventually ending in the village of Brandon, where my host for the night was so impressed with my ventures I got an immediate upgrade!

The pub in this village was my lunch stop.

Another round tower Church in Weeting

Early the next morning I visited a dentist who was able to give me an appointment to have a crown re-cemented.  Leaving town, I had a leisurely stroll 10 kilometres to the village of Lakenheath.  The plan was to catch the train here to Ely, returning the next day to fill in the missing kilometres, but it wasn't to be - the trains weren't running! And wouldn't be.  The man at the end of the information button on the station platform broke the news to me that a bus replacement was possible at Brandon, which I had just come from!  There was a rail crossing through which trains were going, just not ones I needed!  Hitching didn't work, but as soon as the barrier came down cars had to stop and my "bail up" skills flew into action.   I immediately got a lift back to Brandon,  and from there managed catch a train to Ely.

St James Church, Hockwold, ...

.... and the first sign of spring in the cemetery there.

Still haven't seen the last of the mud!

Ely is a delightful town, with a HUGE Cathedral perched on the only hill around.  I stayed in a very old B&B right in the centre of town, just around the corner from the Cathedral.  Like a lot of places I have stayed in, the stairs are really narrow - our feet have obviously got a lot bigger over the centuries.

Ely Cathedral

Being the Christmas holidays, the choirs are on holidays too, needed after such a busy time before Christmas.  I was fortunate that there was a visiting choir helping with Choral Evensong the night I visited the Cathedral. 

The choir stalls. 

The front door, with small door opened you can see how tall the doors are. 

I left Ely twice.  The forecast was good on the first day I was there, except for the strong winds that came up mid morning so I took the opportunity to walk along the River to Cambridge,  catching a train back to Ely for the night.  I had booked two nights there because I had planned to walk from Lakenheath- a plan that had fizzled due to trains not running!

The walk into Cambridge was interesting with the biggest treat of all - wild geese grazing in several paddocks I passed.  Not only were there hundreds of geese, but their white companions, swans, looking resplendent against the rich green fields were dotted amongthem.

Being the river (the Cam) that flows into Cambridge, there were many boats in a number of marina's along the way, with the occasional narrow boat passing too.  This is VERY flat country, with the path following the top of the levee bank.  

Each time I stopped and looked back, the Cathedral at Ely was clearly visible perched on its hill for around ten kilometres.  I stopped a bit short though due to the increasingly strong wind, catching a train and covering the distance in just on 10 mins what had taken 5 hours of brisk walking. 

Looking back at Ely Cathedral in the distance 

I attended Choral Evensong at the Cathedral with a visiting choir.  To sit in that huge building with the voices of a large adult choir floating through the area was wonderful. 

The next day I visited Oliver Cromwell's house before heading to the train for Cambridge. 

Oliver Cromwell's house

Somehow I managed two days in Cambridge, which meant I had a day for jobs, and a day for sightseeing, though I managed to fit quite a bit  of sightseeing into the jobs day too.  I couldn't help but reflect on what a wonderful place this would be to study.

Kings College 

Church of Our Lady and the English Martyrs 

The Round Church

I baukled at paying the hefty price to see Kings College as they were doing some tree removal and so I could only see part of it, but still have to pay the maximum fee.  Instead I went to St Johns college and had a lovely time exploring.   Even though  the sun had been shining most of the day the frost still lay in parts of the grounds.   Sadly though, all choirs were on holidays so there was no chance of hearing anything musical.  Mind you, they deserved a good rest, having seen how busy they were prior to Christmas. 

Trinity College 

St Johns College

More of St Johns College 

This figure was in the entrance to the Chapel, and so my assumption is that William Wilberforce attended this college.

St Johns Chapel 

Another part of the college grounds 

The exterior of the chapel

I left Cambridge, following the directions for the East Anglian Way towards London.  One of my "jobs" while in Cambridge was to track down the Cambridge Ramblers, a job I was successful in.  From them I obtained a guide, just a half dozen sheets, but very helpful nonetheless.  It was a lovely journey out of the city, following a small stream, initially, then walking beside the guided bus way (Cambridge's equivalent of the autobahn), past Addenbrooks Hospital, and out along a cycleway through the villages of Shellford, Stapleford and Sawston.

In Stapleford I stopped at the Church of St Andrew, met, and chatted to a delightful lady preparing for the service the next day, and had a sing.  A beautiful little church. 

St Andrews Church, Stapleford. 

The Lych Gate

Passing through the village I stopped at a farm shop and had a bowl of soup for lunch.  I was headed for Whittlesford, as it turned out, along some nice farm roads.  My goal was the Red Lion Hotel and it was 500 metres from here that I stopped walking.   But more of that next post!