Chatteris Airfield Circular Walk

A walk along the Forty-foot drain looping up around the airfield, the route is via public footpaths apart from the last 400m which is along the road.

Technical sheet

22602807
A Manea walk posted on 29/05/22 by SNAPPER489. Last update : 14/06/22
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 10.53 km
  • ◔
    Calculated time: 3h 00 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy

  • ⚐
    Return to departure point: Yes
  • ↗
    Vertical gain: + 6 m
  • ↘
    Vertical drop: - 7 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 52 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 42 m
  • ⚐
    District: Manea 
  • ⚑
    Start/End: N 52.470934° / E 0.096871°

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Sunset

Description

(S/E) Park along the Sixteen Foot Bank (B1098) in the small layby on the other side of the road opposite the bridge.

Cross the road with care, go over the bridge and turn left (South-West) on the footpath and follow the Sixteen-foot river bank down approx. 400m to where the Sixteen-foot drain joins the Forty-foot drain (Tee). Turn right at the Forty-foot drain and follow the Forty-foot bank for 2 miles.

(1) After 2 miles along the Forty-foot bank you will arrive at a building which was formally a public house "The Boat" which is situated where the Chatteris Docks used to be. Turn right (North-East) directly after the building and up the track which runs adjacent to the A141 towards March.

Follow the track which will become a grass path after about 400m. After the grass path, the footpath crosses a small bridge and then skirts around the edge of a field until the corner is reached. Turn left and walk 100m along and then cross the small bridge right (North).

(2) Then head up 500m on the edge of the field until the wooded area is reached on the left-hand side. Follow to the righthand side of the wooded area for another 100m where you will reach the corner of the field with a pond on your left.

(3) Turn right (East) in the corner of the field and follow along for 400m, then take the path to the right of the small drain and follow for 100M.

(4) When you reach Folly farm, turn left (North-East) and follow the patch up the incline for 400m where the storage area is reached, turn right (East) at this point and follow the track down the incline 300m.

(5) Where the footpaths fork bear right and follow the public footpath which goes across the field adjacent to the small drain and then across the airfield itself and all the way until you reach the track/road which goes to the "Parachute and Microlight Centre".

(6) Once the airfield buildings have been passed and before you reach Mount Pleasant farm there is a gate to the left which the footpath goes round to the left, go through here and then follow the track (which zig-zags a couple of times) for approx.1500m. to the Equestrian centre.

(7) Follow the track until to the bridge over the Sixteen-foot drain, cross over the bridge and follow the B1098 road 400m back to the start point on the small layby. (S/E)

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 49 m - Bridge at B1098
  2. 1 : km 3.29 - alt. 45 m - Former Pub 'The Boat'
  3. 2 : km 5.14 - alt. 43 m - Field Edge
  4. 3 : km 5.84 - alt. 49 m - Wooded Area/Pond
  5. 4 : km 6.43 - alt. 47 m - Track Junction
  6. 5 : km 7.17 - alt. 48 m - Track Junction
  7. 6 : km 8.27 - alt. 48 m - Skydiving Centre
  8. 7 : km 9.75 - alt. 50 m - Mount Pleasant Equestrian
  9. S/E : km 10.53 - alt. 48 m - Bridge at B1098

Useful Information

The river bank can get overgrown May-Aug, so best done after cutting in Sept and the Months thereafter.

Car Park : Park along the Sixteen Foot Bank (B1098) in the small layby on the other side of the road opposite the bridge. (Coordinate : 52.470857, 0.096619). Do not park at Mount Pleasant Equestrian but you can put its postcode PE16 6XN to find the starting point.

Always stay careful and alert while following a route. Visorando and the author of this walk cannot be held responsible in the event of an accident during this route.

Reviews and comments

3.7 / 5
Based on 1 review

Clarity of route description
4 / 5
Clarity of route map
4 / 5
Walk interest
3 / 5
John W
John W
• Last modified:

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of walk : 14/07/22
Clarity of route description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Walk interest : ★★★☆☆ Average

This was a pleasant walk on a sunny day. As noted in the guidance the paths alongside the Drains need to be cut (fortunately they were) otherwise it will be hard going. In the middle section of the walk some stretches of path had been absorbed into the edges of crop fields but we just about found ways round.
Plenty of wildlife (butterflies, hares, birds and deer/muntjac) and the old Chatteris port, whilst no longer in existence, with a bit of imagination enabled you to appreciate the thriving area, particularly as a railway line met up with the boats at this point.
There were parachutists overhead as we got nearer to the airfield and the path went by the landing spot and airfield.
I suspect the ideal time for this walk is mid September to mid October when the crops and grass are no longer at their height and before it gets too wet underfoot.

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The GPS track and description are the property of the author.

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