The Ouse Valley Way is 26miles / 41.6km of varied walking along the River Great Ouse and the surrounding countryside. It winds its way from the enchanting willow lined banks near St Neots to the open fenland of Earith. You can choose to do the 26 miles in one day or break it up into shorter circular walks.

Along the Ouse Valley Way you can:

• Get fresh air and exercise
• Enjoy peaceful surroundings
• Watch the birds and wildlife
• Picnic along the river bank

For information about the Ouse Valley Way, please use the links on the right.

Disabled Access

Most of the paths along the Ouse Valley Way are only suitable for able-bodied people. However, there are hard surfaced paths suitable for those in wheelchair users at Riverside Park in St Neots, Paxton Pits Nature Reserve in Little Paxton, Castle Park in Huntingdon and The Thicket in St Ives. Please refer to the leaflets for more information. For those with slightly limited mobility a number of stiles have been replaced by kissing gates, please phone Hinchingbrooke Country Park on (01480) 451568 for more information.

Ouse Valley Way guide

We only have the middle section of the 150 miles of the Ouse Valley Way running through Huntingdonshire. The source is in Northamptonshire, it winds through Bedfordshire then reaches the sea at Kings Lyn. The footpath runs along the river valley for the whole of the river from the source to the sea.

To get more information, detailed maps and written walk instructions about the whole route look at the website by using the Ouse Valley Way link on the right.  We have hard copies of the six circular walks within Huntingdonshire available for £3 per set.  These are available from Hinchingbrooke Country Park, Paxton Pits Nature Reserve and St Neots Tourist Information Centre.  Alternatively you can phone the Council's call centre on 388388 to order a copy using a card payment.

For further information about the Bedfordshire stretch of the Ouse Valley visit the 'Ivel and Ouse' site by using the link on the right.

History

The whole valley area is low lying and forms the flood plain. Because of the risk of flooding many fields were traditionally managed as hay meadows and for grazing. The meadows that remain are rich in flowers and wildlife. Pleasant farms, meadows and woodlands surround the valley with gently rolling hills and charming river towns and villages.

Over many centuries the river has regularly flooded and changed its course by eroding its banks and depositing gravel. The gravel had been extracted from many areas to build roads and for construction. Many of the gravel pits are now flooded and used for fishing, sailing and wildlife.

Each individual circular route guide for the Huntingdonshire section has a background of information and also interesting facts about areas, wildlife and buildings you may see en route.

Safety

We hope your walk will be very pleasant but please remember:

• The walk should not be attempted if it is flooded or at risk from flooding.
• Never be tempted to swim in the locks and gravel pits, they are dangerous, deep and cold.
• Don't allow children to play next to them.
• Avoid contact with the water, you may be at risk from Weils disease and the water may be affected by blue-green algae.
• Giant hogweed, which looks similar to cow parsley, can cause serious rashes.
• Wear long trousers and a top with sleeves.
• Please keep your dog under control, particularly around cattle, sheep and horses.
• Wear strong, waterproof footwear, the routes can be wet and muddy.

Wildlife

The rich floodplain and abundance of marshland encourages a wealth of botanical interest, including marsh woundwort and purple loosestrife (fantastic for bees, butterflies and hoverflies). Rarities such as cowslip and snakes head fritillary found on the beautiful Portholme Meadow near Godmanchester. You can also see skylarks in the surrounding countryside or on Portholme Meadow. Kingfishers enjoy some of the many quiet stretches of water, dragon and damselflies can be observed flitting around the still tributaries and ditches. Brown hawker dragonflies are often seen at Holt Island Nature Reserve, just off The Waits in St Ives. Those with keen eyes (or a fishing rod and license) may spot saltwater fish such as flounder or smelt as far as the tidal limit of the river at Brownshill Staunch about 1 ½ miles upstream of Earith.