Dogging in Cambridgeshire: area guide

The lie of the land in Cambridgeshire

Cambridgeshire is among the flattest places in England. Cambridge is the main city in the south, and Peterborough, a second city, sits at the north-west edge. Ely, Huntingdon, St Ives, St Neots, March, Wisbech and Chatteris are the other main towns.

The north of the county is Fenland, drained farmland that lies at or below sea level, cut by straight rivers and ditches. The south and west are gentler, with low chalk hills near Cambridge and the Great Ouse valley around Huntingdon. There is no National Park or National Landscape here.

Cambridge draws commuters and students. Peterborough draws traffic from the East Coast Main Line. Between them are wide, open Fen roads. Even there, an empty stretch can fill up on a quiet night, for reasons you would never guess.

Getting about safely

The main roads are fast. The A14 crosses the county from Huntingdon to Cambridge and on to Suffolk. The A1(M) runs from Huntingdon to Peterborough, the M11 links Cambridge to London and the A47 runs from Peterborough towards Wisbech and Norfolk. The A10 links Cambridge and Ely to King's Lynn. Crashes on the A14 cause long delays, especially near Huntingdon.

Rail runs from Cambridge to London King's Cross and Liverpool Street, and Peterborough is on the East Coast Main Line. Ely is the junction for Norwich, King's Lynn and the Fens. Late services are fewer than in the day, and the Fen branch stations are often unstaffed. Check your last train before you leave.

Fen roads have special dangers. Many run beside deep, unfenced drainage ditches, and the peat soil makes the road edges soft and uneven. Fog sits thick on the flat land in autumn and winter, and there are few street lights. In wet spells the Ouse Washes flood, and roads near them close. Mobile signal is mostly good, but gaps appear in remote Fenland. Keep your phone charged and tell someone your plans. Take a torch and a spare layer, because the flat land gives no shelter from wind or cold.