Ferry Meadows or Cherry Hinton
Hi all
we are in the process of planning a few trips for later in the year and are looking at areas we have never been to before. We have always fancied visiting one of the sites above could anyone advise on which one might be best to go to and what places of interest are close by. We like cycling and also a pub close by would be nice for an evening stroll.
Thanks
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Ferry Meadows would fit your bill perfectly, Francis. You've got the whole of Nene Park right next door for cycling and I seem to remember you can get through to some of the surrounding villages from there. The steam railway runs right next to the site and you can get into Peterborough on that (milliehull can tell you far more about Peterborough than I can!) and there is a pub and garden centre within walking distance.
Cherry Hinton, from what I remember, is set in a quarry alongside a busy road and, although good for Cambridge,is nowhere near as pleasant a site.)
Edit - a short drive away is a lovely but busy pub called The Cuckoo at Alwalton which is certainly worth a visit.
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Ferry Meadows every time for me. It has everything on hand but Cherry Hinton disappointed me and I wouldn’t return unless I had a need to visit Cambridge.
I admire your optimism in planning trips, Francis. I've booked one site just in case we can go but I’m not holding my breath.
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Thanks for the reply’s so far. After having a brief look and a chat last night we were edging more towards Ferry Meadows and is also looked very easy to get to not far from the M1. Yes TW optimistic we can get back to some sort of normality soon but who knows.
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Ferry Meadows for me too. Lots of historic stuff around. Beautiful countryside and villages. Train station right nextdoor into Peterborough lots to explore, or out into the country for walks - just get your timings right for the latter. Walking beside the track, buses or taxis from the city means its not so important! Cambridge if you want to do it is best done by Park and ride. Colleges museums shops, American Cemetery on the bus tour. Why not do both, Grafton Water is nice too cycling straight off site around the resoviour. Then of course you've got The Fens plenty there to occupy you. Why not extend your stay and make it worth the fuel? 😉 Kings Lynn has stacks of history and great guided walks......
If you can't do it this year hopefully you can when this madness is over!
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Edit - a short drive away is a lovely but busy pub called The Cuckoo at Alwalton which is certainly worth a visit.
Oh yes visited with our son is round the corner from his Peterborough office. There are lots of others in nearby villages too. Easy cycling especially for you as we don't do hills around here 😂
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A few years ago , the warden (bless him, is no longer with us)said that members come to FM for a few days ,and keep booking on ,and when leaving ,would say how are we going to tell people we have spent our whole holiday at Peterborough
Even Norfolk is an easy day out along the A47 just an hour to Kings Lynn
You can cycle into Peterborough City from the site without going on any roads (about 3 miles) Cathedral well worth a visit
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To me they are two different types of sites. Ferry Meadows has a lot going for it as there is a lot to do within walking distance from the Country Park to a Garden Centre and a Beefeater Pub at the end of the road. Probably more of a site for sitting and relaxing. On the other hand Cherry Hinton is really more of a base for exploring off site as some find it cramped and not very open because its in an old quarry. There is so much to do in Cambridge you could fill a week. Being a University City it cater well for bike riders but its relatively easy to get around on foot. There is also a good pub a couple of hundred metres away. Very regular bus service into the City from near the site.
http://www.davidklyne.co.uk/ferry_meadows_caravan_club_site_.htm
http://www.davidklyne.co.uk/cherry_hinton_cmc_site.html
If you are a member of the C&CC they also have a site in Cambridge which many prefer to Cherry Hinton as its more open although it has less to offer within easy walking distance. Although there is a really excellent Garden Centre within walking distance.
http://www.davidklyne.co.uk/cambridge_ccc_site.html
David
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We aren’t huge fans of the big Club Sites, but we did enjoy Ferry Meadows. Only the hardstandings site was open when we visited, it was February. It’s a great place for a walk and cycling, you have the whole Park to explore, and there’s a decent ride direct from the site off roads straight into Peterborough and it’s fabulous Cathedral. You can’t ride through pedestrianised sections, but it’s an easy push. There’s some nice places to go out to as well not far away, including Fotheringhay, with its ruinous castle and newly restored historic Church. Ely isn’t far either, another very nice place. And of course the Nene Valley historic railway is right next to the site. There are bird and wildlife hides in the Park as well.
Never been to Cherry Hinton, so cant help on that one.
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Francis, I have never understood why people choose to visit a particular caravan site rather than a particular place
If you think Peterborough a more appealing place to visit than Cambridge then by all means go there - but you would be making a big mistake.
However there are two other caravan sites in and around Cambridge which are more attractive than the one in the quarry.
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Unless you want to spend a lot of time in Cambridge (I'd book one of the many walking tours) you'd probably get more out of Ferry Meadows and it's location, the country park next door is very pleasant with waterside walks and cycle ways, also a café and the steam train as others have said. You'd be about an hour from Cambridge so could easily visit but you could enjoy the space and greenery at Ferry Meadows after a day out. I suppose staying in both places might be a good idea if you just want to hop on the bus to very busy Cambridge and then enjoy the slightly slower pace in Peterborough afterwards.
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Francis , just prior to our first of many trips to ferry meadows I remember my wife saying"who on earth would want to take a holiday in Peterborough ". ( No offense Milliehull) .Once there and settled she soon changed her mind . Very straight forward to get to , and as others have said so much to see and do . Cherry Hinton was on our list for this year but theres always next .
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We have stayed on Cherry Hinton several times now however we use the C&CC site at Great Shelford which is far better more open and quieter. Easier to get to from the M11. Both are on a bus route and Great Shelford has good access to several off road cycle routes which can be used to get into the city easily generally flat.
We havent stayed at FM however I have been told by several fellow vanners to make sure that bikes are left well secured on site as the locals can easily gain access and like to 'borrow' them.
Not sure if that is still the case. May have changed from last year.
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Ferry Meadows has been since the early 1980s our bolt hole and have only heard of a couple of cycles stolen from the site ,and they were not secured, as any sensible person should, but then why spoil a "story?"
Another member "perk" is/was last year/you get a discount in both the cafe on production of a current club membership card
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As people have listed the days out from the Peterborough site can I put a plug in for days out around Cambridge?
Glorious gardens at N.T.'s Anglesey Abbey a short drive away. N.T.'s Wimpole Hall with its farm. Duxford air museum, one of the best anywhere. Beautiful olde world Saffron Walden and in the other direction for horse racing Newmarket. Then there are the glorious Suffolk villages, Clare, Long Melford and the icing on the cake, Lavenham not to be missed at any price if anywhere near there. N.T.'s Wicken Fen for a nature walk and finally all the offerings of Cambridge itself.
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I would imagine that the reason most people visit a site is to visit the area and as all sites have their own "attraction"for what ever reason, then it is probably why , as it seems to have gone over your head , you have missed with your post
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Why thank you for explaining it to me. Your helpfulness remains at a level as high as ever.
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We frequently use both sites, they fulfill different purposes but I would like to especially recommend FM in the winter. Its proximity on the edge the Country Park make is an excellent place to take short walks on good surfaces with the opportunity to enjoy an array of water birds. The lakes are very pretty on a frosty morning. Ideal for getting some fresh air without committing to a long hike.
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