Routes around Ely?

[Ham]

I'll be dragging the caravan to a site close to Ely at the end of April and given there are a few people who know the area, I was wondering about suggestions for short rides. I don't think I'll be able to escape for more than two hours at a time which limits me to something like Huntingdon/Cambridge/Ely etc and back, unless I pop it on the car, but then the more time I spend driving the less I will have for riding.

[sparklyfish]

Hmm, how about some interesting places to cycle to/through?
- Towards Welney and RSPB places
- Through Wicken is very lovely (NT cafes at Wicken and Lode)
- The intriguing three-way bridge at Crowland, plus bonus abbey
- The pair of lighthouses north of Sutton Bridge, with connections to Sir Peter Scott
- Admire the vastness that is the Wash from Gedney Drove End or similar
- If windy, super speedy fun tailwind out and train back to Littleport or March...? (Bikes on Cambridge/London-King's Lynn [Littleport] line are fine and easy, bikes on Ely-Peterborough [March] line are headachey depending on the train operating company)

Hopefully that helps a bit...? Happy to help with routes if there is somewhere in particular you'd like to go.

[Ham]

Yes, that helps, thanks. My options are limited through the time available, it is good to have some ideas to aim for aside from the towns.

[sparklyfish]

Goodio!

Ely is also good for various cafe stops - there's lots of places where you can sit with your bike and a cuppa around the market square.

Ooh, if off-road fits your definition of fun, then the Aldreth Causeway may be worth looking up. It's a great time of year for doing it, before all the grass gets too high. It's the only place I've ever seen a cuckoo, and plenty of kingfishers round there too. I've done it on touring bike with 28mm tyres. Lovely route this time of year. It's a great time of year to be in that area generally - the flooding has (usually) gone down, roads are dried out after last year's harvest, blossom's out, swallows are on their way... 🙂

[Canardly]

Prickwillow engine museum well worth a visit (if it is open) btw.

[ElyDave]

Goodio!

Ely is also good for various cafe stops - there's lots of places where you can sit with your bike and a cuppa around the market square.

Ooh, if off-road fits your definition of fun, then the Aldreth Causeway may be worth looking up. It's a great time of year for doing it, before all the grass gets too high. It's the only place I've ever seen a cuckoo, and plenty of kingfishers round there too. I've done it on touring bike with 28mm tyres. Lovely route this time of year. It's a great time of year to be in that area generally - the flooding has (usually) gone down, roads are dried out after last year's harvest, blossom's out, swallows are on their way... 🙂

Aldreth causeway - do tell.  I've only ever got to Haddenham and turned the other way towards Grunty Fen.

@Ham - from that vantage point, head across the A141 towards Manea, Through Welney over towards Little Downham (Chez moi) to Ely, and/or circle back through Coveney-Haddenham - Earith - Somersham back up to Chatteris, or a route through Manea, down to Chatteris, just out the other side a nice back lane route through Sutton Gault to Sutton, hop over the A 142 into Mepal an you can follow a nice off road route back all the way up to Welney

[ElyDave]

another route from there could also be to head through Ramsey 40ft to Ramsey, Warboys, Pidley and down to the Raptor foundation for a coffee stop. You've then got options down towards St Ives, and out towards / past Raf Wyton (canberra), The Riptons and then back up towards Ramsey. 

[Ham]

Thanks, noted 

Given the time available to me off the leash*, I can't see cake stops featuring much.....

* That makes it sound a bit shitty. I'll be leaving Mrs Ham on the campsite with nobody to push the wheelchair, so actually I wouldn't enjoy staying out longer. But I'd be lying if I said I wasn't looking forward to a short excursion.

[sparklyfish]

Aldreth causeway - do tell.  I've only ever got to Haddenham and turned the other way towards Grunty Fen.

Grunty Fen is special in its own way, isn't it... Aldreth Causeway: there's a byway from near Rampton to Aldreth. The section from north of the river (there's a bridge!) to Aldreth is labelled on the OS map as "Aldreth Causeway", but the bit from near Willingham is fun. It doesn't look particularly special from my photos, but I like it:


and there's a climb into Aldreth! Which is quite exciting in its own way. You can see the wind turbines at Balsham clear as anything - suddenly becomes clear why they're there, catching all that lovely wind off the Fens.
There's a lovely description here: https://ericwark.com/2020/11/29/the-aldreth-causeway/

I am loosely planning on leading a CTC ride along it this year - hopefully a Thursday sometime in May, before the grass gets too high, but I haven't got anything in the diary yet. Will update here nearer the time in case anyone is interested in joining us!

[ElyDave]

Aha, a bridge! Thats why I've never gone that way, I've looked on OS maps and satellite and not seen an obvious way over the river. Maybe on my offroad meanderings this year.