A CIRCULAR WALK VIA REACH
Approximately 9.8km
Distances and directions are for guidance only. Please check your map.
Please enjoy the walk
Written by Trevor Fuller
Starting from the Anchor public house Burwell, Cambridgeshire.
Leave the car park and cross the bridge 50m to your left, turn left and walk along the river for 450m to a gate and go through the gate to join the Weirs road by Hythe Lane Bridge ahead of you. Walk along the road as it follows the stream (keep eye out for Kingfisher and Woodpeckers) for 1.6km to junction with Reach Road (triangular road junction).
Turn left to follow road for 300m to a sign posted path on the right (Devils Dyke walk). Follow this path for 1km to the Devils dyke and climb up the earth bank (good views across the fens) and turn left to walk along the Dyke for 100m to old railway cutting. Go down the bank to old railway track bed and turn right to walk along the bed for 300m towards a railway bridge.
Take the path up the bank (on the left of track) about 100m short of bridge and go through the trees to join road at the base of the bridge. Turn left and walk 200m towards Swaffham Prior to a path on the right. Follow this path for 1.5km as it skirts around the high ground on your right till the path meets a road near the Swan lake grain stores. Cross the road and go along the byway with the stream on your right for 600m to a road bridge across the stream. Go across the bridge and walk 60m to the road and turn left to follow the road for 200m to the village green in Reach (Dykes End public house) .
From the village green take the Burwell road for 1.2 to the triangular road junction with the Weirs road. Turn left to retrace the 1.6 km back to the Hythe Lane bridge.
Go through the gate ahead of you and follow the river for 450m back to the Anchor lane bridge, cross the bridge to return to your starting point and some well deserved refreshment in the pub.
Hope you enjoyed the walk