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Pub Guide

Prince Of Wales - Hilton

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Roy Rides

Roy Rides

St Ives, the Hemingfords, Godmanchester

Introduction:

For CAMRA’s Pubs Week we decided to attempt a new ride. Parts of this route have been covered in Shaw’s Strolls (OT116), but it also is a good cycle tour.

Distance:13.5 miles. (From Huntingdon railway station). The ride should take around 4 hours, depending on how many pubs you visit and how long you stay in each.

The Ride:

One fine sunny, but cold Saturday morning in February we took the train from St Neots to Huntingdon. Taking bikes on trains is OK, as long as it’s not during the busy peak periods. We started at Huntingdon railway station, but really the best place to start would be the Old Bridge Hotel, in Huntingdon by the river and the road bridge across the River Ouse to Godmanchester.

Here you have a choice either take the road to Hartford or cycle through Riverside Park alongside the river. The river is a much more attractive route and traffic-free route. Follow this route until you approach Hartford church, but just before you get there, turn left down a narrow footpath. This will lead out onto the main Hartford road.

Cross the road and you will see the first pub, the King of the Belgians (2.2 miles). This pub was recently saved from closure. The locals mounted a successful campaign to fight the proposed redevelopment. CAMRA’s involvement was critical in providing the expertise on how this could be achieved. The pub itself is a historic village pub and the bar ceiling is covered with WW2 aircrew adornments. On sale during our visit were Mordue Workie Ticket, Marstons Old Empire, and Timothy Taylor’s Landlord.

Turn right outside the pub, and turn right at a T junction at the end of the High Street. The Barley Mow, a Charles Wells house, is opposite. Turn left on to the main St Ives road, and proceed until just before the main roundabout. Take a side road to the right. This leads to a path along a former section of the old St Ives road and will save you negotiating the roundabout. At the end of the path, rejoin the main road and head right towards Houghton and Wyton. A word of warning—this is quite a busy road, so do take care. Turn right off the main road into Wyton.

The Three Jolly Butchers (4.0 miles) is on the right hand side. This is a large roadside pub, which has been opened up to make a comfortable interior. On offer today was Greene King IPA and Abbott.

After leaving the pub turn right and head towards Houghton. The Three Horseshoes (4.2 miles) is an attractive feature of the village centre complete with it’s thatched clock tower. Four beers were on tap—Oakham JHB, Timothy Taylor Landlord, Greene King IPA and Morland’s Old Speckled Hen.

Leave Houghton on Thicket Lane to the right of the Three Horseshoes. At the end of the village the lane becomes a good bridleway through ‘The Ticket’, a field maple and ash wood alongside the river. Eventually the path ends at All Saints Church in St Ives.

St Ives has plenty of good pubs, but we only visited two, as time was short and there were more pubs to visit later.

Pass to the left of the church to the main road, with the Aviator pub on the left-hand side. We didn’t stop, but there are always a couple of good beers on tap here. Turn right into The Waits.

The Floods Tavern (6.35 miles) is just down the road. The Floods is an Elgoods tied pub, the only one in our branch area. It is popular for live music and features a riverside patio area. Elgoods beers on sale on our visit were Cambridge Bitter, Thin Ice, and Greyhound.

Leave the Floods and turn right towards the Nelson Head in Merrylands. Turn right again into Bridge Street, and turn left just before the bridge along the quay.

This leads to the Oliver Cromwell (6.65 miles) This pub is currently CAMRA’s local town pub of the year. It was also our lunch stop for good pub food. The pub has undergone a very sympathetic renovation and extension, which has greatly enhanced it. Six beers are normally on offer.– on our visit the range was Adnams Bitter, Oakham JHB, Woodfordes Wherry, and Coachouse Flintlock.

Retrace your steps to the town bridge, and note the interesting 15th century chapel on the bridge, a rare survivor. Cross the bridge and into London Road.

An Indian restaurant on the left was formerly the Black Bull, now sadly lost as a pub. No planning permission is required to convert a pub into a restaurant. CAMRA is seeking for this to be changed to allow formal public objections to such changes of use.

At the end of the road turn right into Hemingford Road. Follow this road for a mile or so into Hemingford Grey High Street, where you’ll find the Cock (7.35 miles). There is an excellent restaurant available (booking essential) but no bar snacks. An good choice of micro brewed beers is always on offer in the non-smoking bar, such as Nethergate IPA, Woodfordes Wherry, Pot Belly Ayling, and Wolf Gordon Jackal.

On leaving, turn right and continue down the High Street. Turn left into Braggs Lane, then right into Manor Road. This leads into the High Street in Hemingford Abbots, where the Axe & Compass is worth a visit if you have time. From the Axe & Compass, continue into Common Lane. This eventually leads into a meadow and a bridleway at the end of the meadow. Turn left, rather than back towards the river, down Cow Lane. This takes you past the delights of the local sewage works and eventually to the Godmanchester roundabout under the A14. Go right along the footpath around the roundabout into Godmanchester.

This leads into Cambridge Street and the White Hart (11.85 miles), another pub now non-smoking throughout. This food-oriented pub is decorated in a modern bistro style and usually features a couple of real ales. On sale during our visit were Greene King IPA and Adnams Bitter.

Continue down Cambridge Street and left into Post Street and pass the Black Bull pub towards Huntingdon. Follow the road under the A14 and over the river bridge and you will end up back at the Old Bridge Hotel. On our visit the hotel bar was closed for a private party, but it is highly recommended and usually offers Adnams Bitter and a guest beer.

Continue over the ring road into the High Street for a beer in the Samuel Pepys (12.75 miles), with usually a good choice of four beers (on our visit Theaksons Mild, Youngs Bitter, Timothy Taylor Landlord, and Everards Tiger).

At this point the ride ends and you can either explore more of Huntingdon’s pubs (the Market Inn and Victoria are recommended) or make your way back to the railway station.

Roy Endersby