Walks you can reach from Whittlesea by train

Highly recommended

Waterway: two thirds beside rivers and canals.

Ely Cathedral: the 'ship of the fens', a great Norman cathedral visible for miles across the flat fenland.

Oliver Cromwell's House

Ely

Time: 5h30–11h30

2 lunch spots: the Five Miles Inn (2h–4h in), or Wren Cafe (3h–6h in)

5 end-of-walk rewards: the Cutter Inn, the Drayman's Son, the Kings Arms, the Minster Tavern, or the Prince Albert

Adapted from: The Rough Guide to Walks in London & the South East (3rd edition).

Similar walk: Slow Ways (inc. GPX).

Open fenland, flat drained farmland, long straight tree-lined farm tracks, hedge-lined meadows, river banks, dykes and catchwater drains, quayside and historic city.

Ely Cathedral: the 'ship of the fens', a great Norman cathedral visible for miles across the flat fenland.

Time: 4h

Warnings: Exposed river banks.

Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).

A walk of outstanding historical and architectural interest on field paths and quiet lanes, passing Rougham and Rushbrooke churches and following a road of Roman origin at Eastlow Hill, with a memorable approach to the historic town of Bury St Edmunds across No Man's Meadows.

Rougham Church: a lofty medieval church with East Anglian flint flushwork and a magnificent timber roof.

Rushbrooke Estate: the little church and parkland surviving from a Tudor mansion demolished in 1961.

St Edmundsbury Cathedral: its Millennium gothic tower, completed in 2005, dominates the approach across No Man's Meadows.

Bury St Edmunds

Time: 4h

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

A long and rewarding cross-country walk, presented in two stages with a break point at Barrow village for those who prefer shorter rambles. From high ground near Desning there are long views towards the Fens, the route threading fields and pastures past the earthworks of ancient Denham Castle; the second half traverses the National Trust's Ickworth estate, with its rotunda house and Capability Brown parkland.

Denham Castle: the surviving earthworks of a medieval motte-and-bailey castle.

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

Bury St Edmunds

Time: 9h

Lunch: Shops and pubs at Barrow, roughly the half-way point (buses from Barrow are infrequent, so check times and stops).

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

Time: 3h30–6h30

Walk details: Slow Ways.

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

Stunningly gorgeous; This is a lovely route, and by far the best of the three options. A lovely route that follows the River Ouse for most of the way through open country, then wiggles into the city centre, taking in housing, Ely Country Park and common land. Mostly off-road and flat along the exposed flood bank, with several stiles and gates and a short steep embankment; muddy in places after rain. Follows the River Ouse, passing through Ely Country Park and common land rich in vegetation and wildlife. Facilities in Ely and Littleport but little en route.

Waterway: two thirds beside rivers and canals.

Ely Cathedral: the 'ship of the fens', a great Norman cathedral visible for miles across the flat fenland.

Time: 2h30–5h

Lunch: No facilities en route between the two towns.

Warnings: Two footpath crossings of railway lines without automated barriers, one on a bend with poor visibility, so listen out as well as look. Several stiles and the likelihood of grazing cattle in the riverside fields. The flood bank is exposed to wind, sun and rain with little shelter.

Walk details: Slow Ways.

A pleasant, mostly flat route across the Fens, largely off-road on grass paths, gravel tracks, green lanes and quiet roads and following the Lodes Way cycle route for the central section. A single stile and a couple of stepped bridges; the landscape is very flat and open. Follows part of the Lodes Way cycle route (NCN 11) and is very well signposted. Wicken Fen National Trust nature reserve, just off-route, has rare birds and dragonflies; look out for them if you detour.

Time: 4h30–9h

Lunch: A pub in Wicken village, plus a cafe, shop and toilets at the National Trust Wicken Fen visitor centre just off the route.

Walk details: Slow Ways.

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

Time: 5h30–11h

Walk details: Slow Ways.

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

Spectacular views. A long, direct route mixing waymarked footpaths, pavements and quiet country roads with no pavement. Narrow and uneven in places, especially crossing fields, with around ten stiles, a flight of steps and gates and several footbridges concentrated on the Drinkstone-to-Rougham stretch. Best broken at Woolpit, roughly the mid-point, which has shops and amenities. Not suitable for cyclists (use National Cycle Route 51).

Time: 6h30–12h30

Lunch: Woolpit has a Co-op, two pubs, a fish and chip shop and a bakery; Rougham has a convenience store en route.

Warnings: There is a fair amount of road walking on minor roads which can have more traffic on weekdays; numerous stiles and uneven field paths make it unsuitable for those with reduced mobility.

Walk details: Slow Ways.

A long, largely flat Fenland route starting along the canal, then a mix of footpaths, farm tracks, gravel and lengthy stretches of road. It is fairly exposed in places, with farm tracks that can be deeply muddy near the sewage works and includes stepped bridges and metal turnstiles. Partly follows the Hereward Way. There are several railway stations on the route, so it can be broken into shorter chunks. Look out for deer, hares, and (in places) wild greengage and plum trees.

Time: 8h30–17h30

Lunch: Cafes and pubs in Ely at the start; few facilities along the way.

Warnings: Follows a busy road for a third of the walk. Long sections follow A-roads with 60mph limits and no pavement, which are not safe for walkers; a footpath crossing near Shippea Hill is not maintained and impassable, forcing a detour. Stepped bridges and turnstiles make it unsuitable for those with mobility issues; one path near Brandon passes through thick, deep mud by the sewage works.

Walk details: Slow Ways.

A walk through forest and farmland that turns difficult in the final third, with a road section on the A134, field paths that are hard to find, a dismantled railway with no crossing and a dual carriageway with no central-barrier gap.

Time: 6h30–13h

Warnings: The A134 near Ingham has no footpath for about 300m, forcing you to walk in the road. A field footpath is blocked by a dismantled railway with no way across, and you must cross a dual carriageway and clamber over its central barrier, which is not safe.

Walk details: Slow Ways.

Scenic route with mixed terrain. Mostly flat and almost entirely off-road, following the river through Nene Park then field paths and quiet lanes between villages and with a short stretch of roadside walking without a pavement between Ailsworth and Sutton. Follows the Hereward Way in part and passes through Nene Park and Burghley Park; a few stiles. Can be navigationally tricky around Sacrewell Farm.

Time: 6h30–13h

Lunch: A couple of pubs and a coffee shop at Castor and Ailsworth, otherwise no eating places until the towns at either end.

Warnings: About 1km of verge-less road walking between Ailsworth and Sutton where you may have to step aside for traffic, plus a crossing of a fast 60mph road. The footpath between Sacrewell Farm and Sutton can be closed during A47 roadworks, forcing a road diversion.

Walk details: Slow Ways.