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The Mere Way is a two and a half mile (four kilometre) walk from Landbeach to North Cambridge.
The Mere Way is the local name for part of Akeman Street, the major Roman road that once ran from Cirencester to St. Albans and then on to Biggleswade and Cambridge before heading off into the fens. The Mere Way fragment runs from Landbeach to Kings Hedges in north Cambridgeshire.
The Romans built in straight lines where possible to cover the shortest and quickest route. They had a standard method of construction: like others, the Mere Way would have been built up from hard packed clayey silt topped by a layer of compacted sand and gravel metalling, with drainage ditches to each side. Akeman Street was built around 2 AD, probably on the line of an earlier road.
These days all that remains of a once major road is a green land with old hedges on either side. The Mere Way is a public byway with a traffic regulation on it meaning that it can be accessed only on foot, bicycle or horseback. The walk can be stated and Landbeach or Kings Hedges. It is a linear walk and therefore makes use of the local buses.
Both ends of the Mere Way are well served by public transport, making it an ideal linear walk. A regular bus service runs from Drummer Street bus station to Landbeach. Leave the bus opposite the post office and turn left at the crossroads to begin the walk.
Frequent buses at the Kings Hedges end of the walk depart from Northfield Avenue back to Drummer Street. For more information on the buses please contact Cambus on (01223) 423554.
The closes pubs on this walk are the Golden Hind on the corner of Kings Hedges road and Milton road and The Slap-Up Pits at the crossroads of Landbeach and Waterbearch on the A10. There are several more pubs in Waterbeach.
A. Start by the village hall at the crossroads in Landbeach. If you have travelled by car, park in the car park next to the village hall. Cross over the road to visit Worts Meadow. This was once the site of a medieval village and has an old moat and pond.
B. Exit by the same gate, turn left and walk down Cockfen Road. Follow this road round to the left. You are now on Akeman Street. For the first mile this is a tarmac road. In the summer the roadside verges are alive with the colour of chalk grassland flowers such as Greater Knapweed and Field Scabious attracting many insects including butterflies such as Orange Tip, Brimstone and Meadow Brown.
C. At Punch Farm the Mere Way becomes a green land. It can be muddy in winter so wear strong shoes. Notice the hedgerows either side of the track. Look out for Spindle, which is especially noticeable in the autumn with its bright pink fruits. It is so called because the hard wood was used for spindles in spinning wheels. There is also Elm in the hedgerow, which is the food plant of the White Letter Hairstreak butterfly that is becoming quite rare. Look up into the sky for this small white butterfly as it flutters around at the top of the trees.
D. When you reach Butts Lane, cross the road with care and continue along the Mere Way. Listen for the Yellowhammer, which can often be heard singing its distinctive 'little bit of bread and no cheese' song and for the tuneful call of the Skylark, a ground nesting bird that is undergoing a rapid decline nationally.
E. At the A14 follow the tarmac road under the road bridge and then bear right to rejoin the roman road.
F. Cross over the disused railway line. This railway once ran from Cambridge to St. Ives and was closed in the 1960s. Head through the kissing gate onto the final section of the Mere Way.
G. This section of the roman road was overgrown and completely impassable until spring 1999. For some reason the byway designation stops at the boundary between South Cambridgeshire District Council and the City Council. Because there was no access along it the path became overgrown. However the City Council has now granted permissive access on foot and the path has been re-opened.
H. At the end of the walk notice the ancient hedgerow on your right. This may be the only know ancient hedge in Cambridge. Look out for the large coppiced Hazel and a mature Field Maple tree.
