7 Best Lakes In Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire is renowned for its flatness, with many of the county’s watery bits set in flooded fen and marshland. There may not be an abundance of natural lakes in Cambridgeshire but the crafty clay miners who worked the area for centuries are to thank for the vast, deep pits that have long since flooded to create plentiful wildlife habitats.
The Cambridgeshire area is also home to plenty of lovely lake-based country parks. Each has lots of things to do whether you’re one for messing about on boats, skimming stones with the kids, fishing from the shore or exploring lakeside paths while walking in Cambridgeshire.
Here are the seven best lakes in Cambridgeshire.
Milton Country Park
Milton Country Park, just north of Cambridge, has woodland walks, wildlife observation platforms and six lakes. Woolly mammoths once roamed this landscape (a tooth and tusk have been unearthed) where families now play, anglers cast their rods and novices and enthusiasts alike take to the water. There’s an adventure playground for the kids and a sensory garden too.
If you’re a competent swimmer you can take a dip in the lakes or have a go at a variety of watersports. Cambridge Sport Lakes Trust organises canoeing, kayaking and paddleboarding sessions at the park.
If you’re camping in Cambridgeshire, and stretching out those sleeping bag kinks sounds appealing, you can also try SUP yoga (stand up paddleboarding with balancing and poses). Don’t worry about plunging into deep water: the yoga is done on special inflatable boards that are anchored to the shore. Juniors can try it too, as long as they’re at least 1.3m tall.
Go camping at these great sites in Cambridgeshire
Grafham Water
Grafham Water is one of the largest reservoirs in England, surrounded by the lowlands of East Cambridgeshire. It’s a popular place for both cyclists and less agile guests (much of the site is wheelchair-friendly). Walkers can meander serenely around the lake’s edge – though at nearly 10 miles in length it’s a good half-day trek. Strollers can take in the peace with a wander through the woodlands and a peek through the willows where swans and great crested grebes hide out. Less active travellers, meanwhile, can merely watch the sailing boats go by and spy on the anglers who wade into the waters fishing for trout.
Ferry Meadows Country Park
Ferry Meadows is one of the best days out in Cambridgeshire for families and those who just love the fresh air. Part of the vast Nene Park Estate, and just three miles from Peterborough, a huge horseshoe of linked lakes surrounds the park on three sides. Amid the acres of woodland and meadows there are walking trails, play areas, a pitch and putt course and a miniature train. You can even arrive on a bigger loco as the Nene Valley Railway has a station just next to the park.
The lakes and river are the focus of much of the activity here, based out of a large watersports centre. Hundreds of years ago there was a ferry service that ran along the River Nene that runs by the park – that’s how the place got its name. Today, you can take a rowing boat or pedalo out onto the lakes yourself or cruise on the park’s motorboat under the captain’s control.
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Ely Country Park
Along the banks of River Great Ouse, at the eastern edge of the cathedral city of Ely, are important habitats for wildlife, including lakes, reed beds, seasonally flooded meadows and woodlands. Ely Country Park sits at the heart of this area, with the lakes of the Roswell Pits Nature Reserve bordering it on two sides. There are two waymarked trails in the park with views of Ely cathedral and the rivers and fenlands that surround the city. The former clay quarries of the Roswell Pits flooded when works stopped after World War II, and they’re now used by a sailing club with pontoons where fisherfolk sit.
Escape from it all at a rural camping retreat near Ely
Fen Drayton
The Fen Drayton Lakes area is one of the most watery places in Cambridgeshire. A network of lakes, lagoons and ponds between Cambridge and St Ives, Fen Drayton is the site of a vast former quarry where nine gravel pits were flooded in the early 1990s. RSPB Fen Drayton now manages 400 hectares of waterways, riverside meadows, woodland and scrub. Fen Drayton is an incredibly peaceful place to watch the wildfowl, roosting birds, dragonflies, kestrels and woodpeckers.
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Barnwell Pit Lake
Just a kick across Coldham’s Brook from Cambridge United football ground is Barnwell Pit Lake. The name Barnwell is thought to derive from ‘bairn’s well’, in which sickly infants would be dipped as a superstitious ritual. Today, the only dipping that takes place is of the pond variety. At one time, the lake was an old pit that flooded after it was abandoned. It’s a lovely spot just away from the townscape bustle, with lilies growing near the banks and fishing platforms extending a little way over the water.
Choose your campsite near Cambridge
Hinchingbrooke Country Park
Close to the centre of Huntingdon is Hinchingbrooke Country Park, a historical site with open grassland, mature woodland and lakes. Nearby Hinchingbrooke House, now part of a school, was built in the 11th century as a Benedictine Nunnery before passing into the hands of the Cromwell family whose roguish antihero (or hero, depending on your view) attempted to overthrow Charles I during the English Civil War.
The park’s wetlands are made up of two large lakes along with a handful of smaller ones. Fishing for bream, carp, catfish and tench is popular – but don’t be tempted to venture in, as the waters are incredibly deep and particularly cold.
Hitch up and head for a tent or caravan holiday at sites near Huntingdon
Have a while longer to spend in this celebrated English county? Then take a look at the best things to do in Cambridgeshire. And if you’re holidaying in the area with a little wanderlust to explore everything it has to offer and find the best places to stay, then check out our guide to camping in East Anglia.