Clayhithe to Bottisham Lock

Parked on the little gravel car park near The Bridge at Clayhithe (the name of a pub, but it is by a bridge). Room for about half a dozen cars, but it was almost empty.

Crossed the road brige and walked anti-clockwise around the loop. The first leg up to the lock was very peaceful, with several swans, coots and mallard bobbing along the river.

Bottisham Lock is actually quite far from Bottisham, over 3 miles away as the crow flies. Presumably it’s named as such because if you’re at Waterbeach, it’s the lock that leads towards Bottisham.¹

We were on foot, but the lock is well suited for bikes. There is a metal bike gutter on the south side of the lock. Next is the sluice, which only has two steps up.

From the lock we turned around, heading back south on the western side of the Cam. The path follows the top of a grassy ridge between some private property, but quickly opens up into countryside again.

The path mostly follows the Cam, but then wiggles around the sailing club and joins Clayhithe Road. As a pedestrian the crossing is staggered, the footpath carries on about 25 meters to the right on the other side of the road. Though it’s hard to miss, because the alternative is falling in a dyke.

The last few hundred meters follow a gravel footpath that runs parallel to, but is a good distance from, the main road.

Took an hour, a very pleasant walk. Lots of bugs unfortunately, especially near the sailing club, where the path veers away from the river.