Walk and cycle

Alconbury Weald is criss-crossed with walk and cycle routes, away from the road, for you to explore the area, get close to nature and stretch your legs.

To help people get out and about, Alconbury Weald has a series of wayfinding routes set up, with signs to help you navigate your preferred route, or find a new one!

More routes will come forward as the development rolls out, but in the meantime, please try the walks shown on the map below.

Willow route 1.5 km

The Willow Route is our Health and Wellbeing walk, as it takes you through a range of spaces good for your physical and mental health: hear the water of Hallowes Brook, before walking by the allotments, with the orchard trees on the boundary; pass Swynford Park’s exercise areas – such as the Games Area and skate park, before heading back to the ponds on Carnaile Road and the wildflower route along the perimeter of Ermine Street – which has been designed to support swifts and House Martens foraging, and living in specially designed bricks in the homes. Finish up in Somning Park, with a rest in the picnic area and when refreshed head back the same way – or take a short cut along the tree-lined Senliz Road.

Mindful route 1km

This route includes a walk along Scots Pine Way, with its mature pine trees, boulders and step features. Use the woodland walk to wash your worries away – and leave your phone and the worries of the World behind. This is a perfect 1k route for a busy working from home day, as well as a circular walk for picking up the kids from school. Smell is one of our most powerful senses, and the spring flowers of the Bird Cherry tree on this walk have a subtle almond scent. They provide an early source of nectar for bees, as well as small black berries for birds and small mammals.

Nature route 850m

This route explores both Scots Pine Way and Garland Park, but also takes you passed the large Lime trees at the front of Swynford Road. Each of the Large-leaved Lime trees here were approximately 55 years old when planted, weighed over 8.5 tonnes and required a 200 tonne crane to plant them on top of the mound! Lots of different birds live and nest in this area and you can listen out for the sounds of Goldfinch, Dunnock, Robin, Pied Wagtail, Blackbird and Song Thrush.

Green route 550m

This route allows you to explore some of the “Bee-roads” put in to provide pollen for our bees, and support the wider insect population which is a vital part of nature’s fragile eco-system, and vital to support the birds and mammals which are a core part of Alconbury’s biodiversity strategy.

As part of creating future habitats, phase 1 of Alconbury Weald will see 51,130 trees planted, from 81 different species. Together these trees will remove over 1.24 tonnes of airborne pollutants, and store over 170 tonnes of carbon, every year.

Why not extend this route with a stroll through the allotments, making a total 850m stretch!