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(Admins- feel free to move this somewhere else as appropriate) |
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Little Abingdon Scout camp |
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Little Abingdon Scout camp |
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TimB's woodland We once had a linear in some land near Woolpit (near Bury St Edmunds) found by TimB. It was good. Someone who knows about it should possibly add it to this list. |
Ideally, we want a complex area of mature woodland, well tended and clear of rubbish or excessive undergrowth. With clearings, paths, parking, varied terrain, and easily accessible from Cambridge. Munchies and toilets a bonus. And no members of the public wandering through. However, until someone finds one...
Grantchester meadows
Location: Just south-west of Cambridge, all the way to Grantchester. As series of fields, linked by bridges. One conrete path along tohe top of the slope, and a dirt track by the Cam riverside.
Accessibility: Good. Can be driven to, and parking for maybe 8 or 10 cars is nearby. More easily walked of cycled to from the town centre.
Public Interference: Medium. Always someone on the concrete path, frequently walkers by the river, or fishermen.
Condition:Good, due to volume of traffic. The fields tend to become overgrown during summer, but the paths are always passable.
Complexity: Low. One long track, about a dozen fields seperated by gates, bridges and high hedges, mitigated by a nice bit of woodland at the south end.
Overall: It's not the best site. It's open, gets overgrown, and the public walks through. But it is easily walkable to, public access, and no-one gets lost.
Heathfield woods
Location: Off Junction 10 of the M11, through the old military housing village of Heathfiled, north of the Air Museum.
Accessibility: Pretty good. I found this site 'cos there's a sewage treatment works ext to it. It's next to a few farmers fields, with big tracks and gravelled roads. Probably sufficient parking for 3 or 4 vehicles.
Public interference: Minimal. A dead end bit of woodland, no through paths. Might be some fishermen. On a Saturday, few farmers or guys to look at the works, either.
Condition: If there are paths in there, the nettles are hiding them well. A rather painful investigation found a few though. Some glades, but small and few.
Complexity: Low. A few loops of paths, the whole woodland is maybe 300m by 50m.
Overall: It's a fair drive away, and parking is minimal. A small site, not usable during spring/summer due to foliage. No people wandering through, but could be nasty smells from the STW. Lovely mature woodland, but treacherous footing due to fallen trees.
Nine Wells Spring
Location: South of Cambridge, west of Addenbrookes. A local nature reserve, accessed down a farm track. Would require map.
Accessibility: Getting to the farmhouse is easy with any decent car. Getting from there to the LNR is tricky in wet weather, and a walk of perhaps 500m. There's a gravelled area next to the farmouse, parking for probably a dozen cars, but I dunno how the farmer would take it. I will make enquiries.
Public interference: If 2 people go through walking their dog, it's rush hour. Oh, Cambridgeshire Wildlife Trust may drop by. I'll have to ask them too...
Condition: Immaculate. Paths, big trees, small dells, a stream running through it, a monument, pools, meadows at one end, and a good size. That's the wildlife trust for you.
Complexity: Not bad. Not too many paths, but you could get a fair linear without backtracking. Perhaps 500m by 100m.
Overall: As a LNR, we'd have to be careful about smashing through vegetation. The stream through the middle could prove a hazard, but isn't too bad. Permission would have to be sought from the farmer for access and parking, and the CWT for LARPing all over it. It's also a bit remote.
Milton Country Park
Location: North of Cambridge, just off the Milton interchange of the A10 and the A14. Dead easy to get to, but car would be reccomended. They do maps :)
Accessibility: A doddle. Easiest by car, but also cyclable or walkable over the Milton foot bridge. Parking for dozens of cars.
Public Interference: Ah. Probably dependant on where we go and when. On a sunny saturday afternoon, could be hundreds wandering around. On a soggy grey day, maybe a dozen. Also fishermen, during season. If we kept off the main paths, away from the kiddies playground, and kept an eye out for the public, it shouldn't be a problem.
Condition: Excellent. Mown paths, gravelled paths, wood-edged paths, mature woodland with plenty of clearings and bosky dells. Mown and tended clearings, not a nettle in sight.
Complexity: Great. You could run three linears in here at once and they'd never see each other or cover the same ground. 600 by 500m, with a couple of large (deep) lakes for backdrop, 100s of metres of paths, dozens of clearings, you could go round and round for miles...
Overall: Low possibility of smell from Cambridge STW south of the A14. Except at the north end of the park, significant noise pollution from the A14. Public could be a problem. May need permission from park rangers. Other than than, it's huge, complex, well-tended, and also has a small cafe and toilets.
Royston woods
Location: On the far side of Royston from Cambridge. The furthest site, at a 3/4 hour car journey away. A large area of hilly woodland, public access, along the side of a golf course.
Accessibility: Good. Car parking available at one end, for about a dozen cars. Needs a map and plenty of fuel to get to.
Public Interference: Not bad, some walkers go past, there's always the golfers around as long as there's light, but overall, it's pretty quiet.
Condition: Good. Keep an eye out for rabbit holes and barbed wire, and it's clean. A fair few nettles and brambles, but otherwise a lovely bit of woods.
Complexity: Pretty good. Fields and a long wide strip of woodland, the golf course for short cuts and a wider area of woodland and hills at the other end.
Overall: It's a nice site. The woods are extensive and interesting, the hills add flavour, and after dark, the golf course is free. But it's a long drive away...
Location: South-East of Cambridge, in the village, surprisingly, of Little Abingdon. A square off woodland, clearings and paths.
Accessibility: Good. Not too difficult to find, and not too far to drive to/from. Also bus service there and back. Parking for maybe 7 or 8 cars.
Public Interference: None. However, this site needs to be booked. So we either get it to ourselves (for much cash) or not at all.
Condition: Excellent. Clean, well-tended, mowed clearings and minimal undergrowth.
Complexity: Pretty low. 3 major clearings and several paths between them. A few paths looping put and around, and a firepit. Also available is an ouside chapel, toilet facilities and a kitchen.
Overall: This site is used for banquets, some linears, and the 3ygb. It costs to occupy, and can't accomadate a quest-style adventure too well, due to the small size. Nice and private though :)
TimB's woodland
We once had a linear in some land near Woolpit (near Bury St Edmunds) found by TimB. It was good. Someone who knows about it should possibly add it to this list.