How long is the Cambridge, Ely and the Wool Towns of Suffolk route?

This route takes 5 days taking in 6 stops.

Where does this route start and end?

The route runs from Cambridge, Cambridgeshire to Cambridge, Cambridgeshire in Cambridgeshire and Suffolk, England.

When is the best time to travel this route?

The best time to travel this route is May to September.

How active is this route?

Activity level: Easy-going. Easy-going and accessible for most fitness levels.

What transport do I need for this route?

This route works best with a car.

What budget do I need for this route?

Mid-range spending — expect comfortable accommodation and a mix of dining options.

What type of accommodation suits this route?

Mixed accommodation works well along this route.

What is the pace of this trip?

Relaxed — plenty of time to linger at each stop.

What type of trip is this?

This route is well-suited to: Culture, Food & drink, Scenic, Classic road trip.

Cambridge, Ely and the Wool Towns of Suffolk

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The route · 6 stops

3 overnight bases · 2 day trips · 1 stop on the way

Cambridge

2 nights

The world's second-oldest English-speaking university fills Cambridge with Gothic chapels and stone courts. Two nights give time for King's College Chapel, the Backs where the colleges meet the River Cam, the Fitzwilliam Museum, and the covered Market Square. The classic Cambridge afternoon is punting on the Cam.The world's second-oldest English-speaking university fills Cambridge with Gothic chapels and stone courts. Two nights give time for King's College Chapel, the Backs where the colleges meet the River Cam, the Fitzwilliam Museum, and the covered Market Square. The classic Cambridge afternoon is punting on the Cam.

Recommendations

Day trip from Cambridge

2
Ely
A day trip from Cambridge: The Ship of the Fens rises with improbable drama from the flat Cambridgeshire plain. Ely Cathedral's octagonal lantern tower is unique in English Gothic architecture. Oliver Cromwell lived here for a decade; his house on St Mary's Street is now a museum about the English Civil War period.A day trip from Cambridge: The Ship of the Fens rises with improbable drama from the flat Cambridgeshire plain. Ely Cathedral's octagonal lantern tower is unique in English Gothic architecture. Oliver Cromwell lived here for a decade; his house on St Mary's Street is now a museum about the English Civil War period.
Recommendations

On to Bury St Edmunds

Bury St Edmunds

1 night

The shrine of St Edmund, martyred in 869, made Bury one of medieval England's greatest pilgrimage centres. The abbey ruins and cathedral stand in a walled garden at the foot of Angel Hill, one of England's finest town squares. Greene King has brewed on this site since 1799.The shrine of St Edmund, martyred in 869, made Bury one of medieval England's greatest pilgrimage centres. The abbey ruins and cathedral stand in a walled garden at the foot of Angel Hill, one of England's finest town squares. Greene King has brewed on this site since 1799.

Recommendations

Day trip from Bury St Edmunds

4
Sudbury
A day trip from Bury St Edmunds: Thomas Gainsborough was born in Sudbury in 1727; his house on Market Hill is now a gallery holding the world's largest public collection of his paintings. Two unmissable villages are within 15 minutes by car: Lavenham's timber-framed market square and Long Melford's enormous wool church and stately homes.A day trip from Bury St Edmunds: Thomas Gainsborough was born in Sudbury in 1727; his house on Market Hill is now a gallery holding the world's largest public collection of his paintings. Two unmissable villages are within 15 minutes by car: Lavenham's timber-framed market square and Long Melford's enormous wool church and stately homes.

On to Saffron Walden

Saffron Walden

1 night

A market town of remarkable coherence, Saffron Walden has a Norman castle ruin, almshouses, and Tudor buildings around a medieval market place. Audley End House, one of England's grandest Jacobean mansions, is a mile outside town. The 17th-century turf maze on the common is one of only eight surviving in England.A market town of remarkable coherence, Saffron Walden has a Norman castle ruin, almshouses, and Tudor buildings around a medieval market place. Audley End House, one of England's grandest Jacobean mansions, is a mile outside town. The 17th-century turf maze on the common is one of only eight surviving in England.

Recommendations

On the way

Cambridge
Quick stop
Return to Cambridge on the B184 and A1301 north through the Cambridgeshire countryside. Stop at Duxford Imperial War Museum, Europe's largest aviation museum, 12 miles south of Cambridge off the M11, before returning the car or catching the train from Cambridge Station.Return to Cambridge on the B184 and A1301 north through the Cambridgeshire countryside. Stop at Duxford Imperial War Museum, Europe's largest aviation museum, 12 miles south of Cambridge off the M11, before returning the car or catching the train from Cambridge Station.
Recommendations

Cambridge, Ely and the Wool Towns of Suffolk