Central England – Shepreth, Cambridgeshire

Distance: 12km/7½ miles
Time: 2-2½hrs
Type: Foraging, farmland and woods
Where: Circular walk from Shepreth via Barrington and Harlton, in the Upper Cam Valley.
Start/End: Shepreth train station (TL393481).
Terrain: Mainly flat footpaths and tracks, with two fairly steep ascents/descents. Some swing gates and a railway crossing.
Maps: OS Explorer 209; Landranger 54.

This pretty walk in the Upper Cam Valley offers plenty of opportunities to forage for a wealth of autumnal fruits in the abundant hedgerow en route (see walk’s Autumn wild food diary for some great recipe suggestions). Starting in the pretty village of Shepreth, the route crosses the River Rhee – a tributary of the Cam – and continues through Barrington, with its fine example of the village green. It then climbs onto the Mare Way, an ancient trackway running along a ridge about 65m/213ft above sea level with superb views of the valley, before descending via a disused clunch pit to Harlton, attractively covered by mature deciduous trees and bushes. You then return to Shepreth via an alternative route back to Barrington.

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