MARPA LINE WALKS

WALK 12 - Soham to Ely

Soham’s reopened rail station provides a ­convenient starting point for a riverside walk to Ely along the banks of Soham Lode and Gt Ouse, the cathedral (‘the ship of the fens’) dominating the landscape ahead.
Soham’s station also gives access to local features of historic and natural interest including the ­impressive church tower of 1500-4 and beautiful hammerbeam roof straddling the nave. The famous steelyard is opposite the church. The town’s Millennium Walks and Art Trail invites further exploration, including a feature commemorating the great explosion of 1944 when a wagon in a trainload of bombs caught fire. The bravery of three railwaymen who managed to detach the wagon saved the town from catastrophe.
All trains on the Ipswich, Bury St Edmunds, Ely and Peterborough route call at Soham, including ­Sundays.

Distance 6½ miles (10.5km) - allow about 3-4 hours, but add on time for refreshments, visiting nature reserves, churches, etc. Download the PDF format A4 trifold leaflet (2338 kb)

See also Walk 11 - Newmarket to Soham 11½ miles (5-6 hours)

Walks selected by Roger Wolfe