Walks And Walking – Milton Country Park Cambridge and Histon Village

Walks And Walking – Milton Country Park Cambridge
And The Historic Villages Of Histon And Impington

Milton Country Park is just to the north of Cambridge and was created from old gravel pits. The 95 acre site is now a haven for wildlife with a network of over 2 miles of walking routes, tracks and pathways suitable for all of the family, bicycles and wheelchairs.Milton Country Park was originally used as farmland but between 1930 to 1960 it was used for the extraction of sand and gravel for the construction industry. Previously, the first materials taken from the land was clay by Romano British potters nearly 2,000 years ago.

Walks And Walking - Milton Country Park Cambridge - Main Quarry Lake

Walks And Walking - Milton Country Park Cambridge - Quarry Lake

Quite close by is the village of Impington where there was once a large Iron Age fort, called Arbury Camp, built by the Iceni to defend against the Celts which was later taken over by the Romans. Evidence of this is the Roman Road at Mere Way that cuts through the edge of Impington and heads out towards The Fens.

Walks And Walking - Milton Country Park Cambridge - Mere Way Roman Road

We were staying with friends in Histon, the next village along from Impington and about a 5 minute drive from Milton Country Park, a beautiful village with an interesting story of its own. Histon is famous for The Histon Giant, who can be found on the village sign by the green.The man in a stove hat holding a large rock was Moses Carter from early 1800, who was a local 7 foot tall strongman, who once carried a large stone from a quarry site to The Boot pub.

Walks And Walking - Milton Country Park Cambridge - Histon Village Sign

Walks And Walking - Milton Country Park Cambridge - Histon Village Pond

We went to The Boots for Sunday lunch and the food was slightly disappointing but the service was very good. In Histon you are spoilt for choice with 5 pubs all along the High Street! While in Histon we walked to the green and playground. The playground reminded me of my youth with some well preserved swings, slides and roundabouts built by Wicksteed of Kettering and looked like they have been there since the company was formed in 1918.

Walks And Walking - Milton Country Park Cambridge - Histon Village - Any Guesses?