Ely and Little Thetford: Cawdle Fen, Great Ouse and Cathedral

A mostly level circuit from Ely through the open fens to Little Thetford, returning past Braham Farm and through the cathedral quarter. Allow three and a half hours for walking, gates and brief pauses. Visits inside the cathedral or Cromwell’s House take extra time.

Start at the public Ship Lane car park entrance. Follow the waterfront south past Jubilee Gardens, then use Annesdale and the Station Road crossing and pavement to reach the signed Cawdle Fen path before Ely High Bridge. Stay on the west bank of the Great Ouse. Pass beneath the raised southern bypass and cross the railway through pedestrian gates before reaching the stepped, railed Braham Dock footbridge.

After the bridge turn inland beside the drain, cross the Cambridge to King’s Lynn railway at the signed pedestrian crossing and follow Grunty Fen Catchwater towards Little Thetford. Keep to the field boundary around Bedwell Hey Farm’s wildflower corner, then follow the drive to Holt Fen and Main Street. Turn onto the signed return footpath through the edge of the playing field. Wooden bridges cross drainage ditches on the way north past Redroofs and Braham Farm, the site of a medieval grange.

The return reaches the A142 near the southern roundabout. Cross carefully, use the short roadside walking path and follow the signed Cawdle Fen footpath through the golf course. Keep to the marked and roped pedestrian line and wait for golfers to finish a shot before crossing a fairway. Emerge by King’s Junior School and Barton Road, then continue through the gateway to The College and around the cathedral exterior. Steeple Row and Palace Green lead towards St Mary’s Church and Oliver Cromwell’s House. Return along High Street and Fore Hill, then Back Lane and Quayside to Ship Lane.

Expect grassy banks, farm tracks, uneven field paths, stiles, gates and small footbridges. The fens can be windy and muddy after rain. Keep dogs close around livestock and the golf course. At both railway crossings obey the displayed instructions, stop and check for trains, and never cross if a train is approaching. The A142 crossing has no traffic lights. This is not a step-free route.

Ship Lane is free long-stay parking after 8.30am. Monday to Saturday, a vehicle occupying a bay between 8am and 8.30am is limited to 90 minutes; check the signs. Public toilets are by the car park and cafés are available in Ely. Check flood warnings and local signs before setting out. The county council lists Braham Dock bridge repairs with their date still to be confirmed. Turn back if the bridge is closed rather than attempting a drain crossing.

Route information checked against Cambridgeshire County Council’s Cawdle Fen leaflet and the Saturday Walkers’ Club Ely roadbook, refreshed in July 2025. This circuit uses an Ely city finish and does not include the Stretham extension.