Local Walks - Oakington & Westwick Parish Council

Local Walks from Oakington or Westwick

There are a number of interesting walks from Oakington and Westwick, usually into the countryside around or to one of the neighbouring villages. These are listed below, for an outline of the routes shown please see the associated schematic map.

The walks are described as starting from either the Oakington or Westwick end, but please note that there is no one-way system for footpaths, you can follow these paths in either direction in whole or in part just as you choose. Equally, although they have varying start points with the villages, you can easily make your way onto the walk from other village locations joining wherever it suits you.

You use these walks at your own risk; there may be the usual hazards of traffic, tree branches or roots, puddles, mud, nettles, brambles or other aggressive plants. Please take care so you do not reduce your enjoyment of our local countryside.

We are pleased to hear of any errors, or changes that you may spot, and we are always pleased to hear your comments about these walks as well as other aspects of transport within the parish.

PLEASE NOTE that from May 2018 to December 2020 building works associated with Northstowe are causing disruptions to access in certain parts of the area. This may at times affect walks 1, 2 and 8, and parts of these walks may be blocked at times.

For an April 2020 update to these walks and some other suggestions please see here.

The Walks

(please click on a walk to see details)

1. Oakington to Longstanton via Dry Drayton Road and Wilson’s Road.

2. Oakington to Longstanton via the Airfield Road.

3. Oakington to Gatehouse Road via Centenary Wood.

4. Oakington to Gatehouse Road via Mansell Wood.

5. Oakington to Gatehouse Road via Westwick Hall.

6. Oakington to Gun’s Lane avoiding the road.

7. Oakington to Histon via Gun’s Lane.

8. Oakington to Rampton via Cuckoo Lane.

Schematic Map

(Derived from an original courtesy of Cambridgeshire County Council).

Their full multifunction map can be seen at: http://my.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/myCambridgeshire.aspx
and you can choose various features to display as well as the Public Rights of Way shown here.

The Guided Busway Path

There is no specific walk here relating to the path by the Guided Busway, though it is an excellent path. This is for a number of reasons:

It is tarmac, and although good for cycling that is generally less interesting for walking
It is essentially straight, and once on it you just keep on going straight ahead to your destination
There are many places you can reach along it, none of which really stand out as a target for a walk
It is right alongside the Guided Busway, so every few minutes or so you have the pleasure of a bus rushing past.

But there are other reasons why you might want to use it:

It is generally not muddy, unless you get to Fen Drayton where it does often flood
It is level and doesn’t suffer from the hazards of a grass or woodland path, so it is great if you have a wheelchair or buggy
From time to time, if walking, it has a bus stop which you can use to continue onward, or to return with your feet up to Oakington.

If there is ever a cycling section on this website we expect the Busway to feature strongly.