Walks from Newmarket

A walk through open countryside on the fringe of the Breckland, passing the attractive villages of Chippenham and Snailwell with their old chalk-rock ('clunch') buildings and the rare habitats of Chippenham Fen national nature reserve, before approaching Newmarket, the home of British horseracing.

Chippenham Fen: a National Nature Reserve where fen and breckland habitats merge, home to many rare species.

Newmarket

Time: 6h30 (5h walking, 1h30 lunch)

Lunch: The villages of Chippenham and Snailwell offer good refreshment stops along the way.

Warnings: Keep well clear of racehorses where the path runs alongside exercise tracks or through paddocks near Newmarket.

Walk details: Mid Anglia Rail Passengers Association (PDF).

A walk from isolated Dullingham station to Newmarket over chalk downland, the highlight being the mighty Devil's Dyke, an Anglo-Saxon earthwork rich in chalk-grassland plants and butterflies. Passes the village of Stetchworth and a former inn by the architect Voysey.

The Devil's Dyke: a great Anglo-Saxon defensive earthwork rich in chalk-grassland plants and butterflies.

Newmarket

Time: 4h30 (3h walking, 1h30 lunch)

Warnings: Two miles of walking alongside the busy A1304 (avoidable by bus 12, or by following the adjoining exercise track in the afternoons when horses are absent); keep clear of racehorses.

Walk details: Mid Anglia Rail Passengers Association (PDF).

A route across the fens on well-maintained but rutted field paths and climbing onto Devil's Dyke towards Newmarket. Crosses Newmarket racecourse. Take a copy of the route as turnings are easy to confuse.

The Devil's Dyke (National Trust)

Time: 7h (5h30 walking, 1h30 lunch)

Lunch: A pub at Swaffham Prior, roughly midway, plus pubs at both ends.

Warnings: The route crosses Newmarket racecourse, where access may be restricted on race days.

Walk details: Slow Ways.

A lengthened route taking in Wicken Fen and Devil's Dyke.

The Devil's Dyke (National Trust)

Time: 7h (5h30 walking, 1h30 lunch)

Walk details: Slow Ways.

Reverse direction: Mid Anglia Rail Passengers Association (PDF).

A long route mostly on footpaths and bridleways with some short sections on small roads, passing through several small villages. It leaves Newmarket with a fairly long stretch of road walking on a verge said to be wide, flat and reliably mown. Near Horringer it crosses the National Trust Ickworth Estate and using the estate's tracks and including Open Access Land. Passes through the villages of Ashley, Dalham and Horringer where you can stop, eat, shop or stay overnight, and crosses the National Trust Ickworth Estate (Open Access Land).

Ickworth Estate: a National Trust estate of 1,800 acres with a striking rotunda house and parkland partly laid out by Capability Brown.

Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds (National Trust)

Time: 10h (8h walking, 1h30 lunch, 30m break)

Lunch: A National Trust cafe in Ickworth Park.

Warnings: A fairly long stretch of road walking leaving Newmarket, using a wide mown verge.

Source: An alternative variant of Newbur two (Slow Ways).