What’s it like to take a Grantchester day trip from Cambridge?
The postcard-perfect village of Grantchester in the English countryside is just an hour’s walk from Cambridge, through picturesque meadows and along the River Cam.
In this guide I’ll show you how to get to take a Grantchester day trip from Cambridge and what to see and do around the village when you arrive.
Table of contents
Grantchester day trip from Cambridge: the scenic route
The route from Cambridge to Grantchester is a big part of the experience on this day trip.
There are different ways to get there. I chose the most picturesque route, walking along the river, with wide meadow views, willow trees, ducks and kayaks.
Here are the directions for a Grantchester day trip from Cambridge Market Square:
Walk about 10 minutes from the market and turn into Silver Street. You’ll reach Silver Street Bridge, from which you can take some good photos of the Mathematical Bridge.
Without crossing Silver Street Bridge, go down the stairs and head to Scudamore’s Mill Lane Punting Station.
Walk along the water. It’s lovely and cheerful with many colourful boats. You’ll see the Graduate Hotel to your left.
When you reach a fork, turn right (away from the water) into Sheep’s Green and follow the path there. It’s a beautiful short walk in this green space. I went on a sunny day and it was very lively.
When you reach the road (The Fen Causeway) cross it and enter Lammas Land park.
Walk through Lammas Land, another lovely green space. When you see the swimming pool, exit Lammas Land and enter the Paradise Local Nature Reserve (after the car park).
At this point everything became quieter all of a sudden.
I walked under the trees along the River Cam, it was calm and serene, and I felt quite fortunate to have found such an idyllic place so close to the city.
After walking through Paradise Local Nature Reserve, exit and turn right into Grantchester Meadows Street.
The name may be a bit confusing. This is a street in the suburban Newnham neighbourhood of Cambridge that leads you to the actual meadows. It’s a quiet street with very nice houses.
Continue on that street and you’ll soon reach the river path and the actual Grantchester Meadows.
Walking through the meadows along the river on a sunny day was a real treat.
It was quiet, maybe because it was on a weekday and there were very few other people around.
I enjoyed the peacefulness and the vibrant colours of the flowers and trees, especially the deep green of the willow tree that looked so bright in the sunshine.
I saw ducks and swans along the way and the occasional kayak passing by. With the wide meadow views it all felt very tranquil.
The walk through the meadows should take about 20 minutes, but I stopped to take so many pictures along the way that it took me much longer. It was nice to lose track of time in such a beautiful place.
The path leads you to the village, directly to the gate of the popular Orchard Tea Garden.
Grantchester self-guided walk
The Orchard Tea Garden
The Orchard Tea Garden is the first main stop in this Grantchester village self-guided walk.
When I entered I saw plenty of apple trees in a large garden.
The weather was nice, so everyone was sitting outside under the apple trees, around tables or in deck chairs scattered around.
It was very pretty and put a big smile on my face, which I only noticed when other people smiled back at me.
You can stop there for hot or cold drinks, scones and cakes, or even lunch (there are a few other places in the village for lunch, that I’ll mention later in this guide).
The Orchard Tea Garden began serving teas in 1897 and is historically associated with poet Rupert Brooke, who studied at King’s College, as well as other intellectuals who used to sip tea in the garden, such as philosophers Bertrand Russell and Ludwig Wittgenstein.
You’ll see Rupert Brooke’s poem, The Old Vicarage, Grantchester on display at the garden.
Rupert Brooke used to live in the Orchard House and in the Old Vicarage, right next to the tea garden.
He moved in the same social circles as the Bloomsbury Group.
That was an early 20th-century group of modernist writers, artists, and intellectuals, including Virginia Woolf, E.M. Forster, John Maynard Keynes, and Vanessa Bell.
You may have heard of the Bloomsbury Group as a London collective, but they would also visit Grantchester to see Rupert Brooke and frequented the Orchard Tea Garden.
Church of St Andrew and St Mary
After leaving the Orchard Tea Garden, I saw a large church.
The Church of St Andrew and St Mary is one of Grantchester’s most recognisable sights, especially if you’ve watched the ITV series Grantchester, in which a local vicar helps the police solve crimes.
Parts of the church date from the 12th century, with later medieval work added over time.
The church is open to visitors, so you can have a look inside. I stepped inside and it was very quiet. I liked the organ and stained glass windows.
High Street, cottages, and pubs
I continued along the street and came across some impressive houses.
It’s a very pretty stretch of the village. This is where I found Grantchester’s postcard village appeal, with the old cottages and thatched roofs.
This is also where you will pass the main pubs: The Green Man, The Red Lion and The Rupert Brooke. Another pub called the Blue Ball Inn sits a little farther out on Broadway, if you want to take a slightly longer walk (with more charming houses along the way).
Anyhow, every spot in the village is just a few minutes walk away.
I liked how each of the pubs had a completely different design. The Red Lion is a traditional, fairy-tale English cottage look, while the Rupert Brooke pub has a very contemporary and minimalist front entrance.
You can take a break for drinks or have a meal at any of the pubs, or possibly get a takeaway for a picnic in the meadows.
Return to Cambridge city centre
To go back to Cambridge, you can exit the village next to Blue Ball Inn (look for the sign).
I decided to go back to the Orchard Tea Garden and simply retrace my route out of Grantchester through the meadows and along the river.
If you’re walking back late in the day, keep an eye out for the changing light.
Save this Grantchester day trip from Cambridge walk on Pinterest
