CTC Cambridge

More info:
https://bitaboutbritain.com/eleanors-cross-hardingstone

The controls are placed in order to make the route very flexible. You can do it in either direction, or start at a train station en route. Different routes can be taken, such as using the old Great North Road parallel with the A1 (although this is unpleasant at evening rush hour, and finding the cycle path at the Norman Cross memorial (well worth a look) is difficult in the dark. You can use e-brevet to start the route at a different point: instructions here (pdf).

Controls:

• 0km Sawtry Services
• 9.8km Winwick
• 45.5km Wing
• [no control at Stamford, although do have a look around - it's a pretty town]
• 72.7km nr Willow Brook Farm Shop (has cafe and plenty of parking – you could ask about leaving a car here all day)
• 97.3km Glatton
• 101.9km Sawtry Services

Useful train stations:

• Stamford
• Peterborough

Cafes/toilets/water etc:

• 0 / 101.9km Sawtry Services: all the usual motorway services. Can be busy at the weekend.
• 20km Barnwell country park just before Oundle: public toilets with handy tap outside, cafe further into park.
• 21km Oundle: Beans cafe, Tesco Express. Off route: Waitrose, Coop & public toilets.
• 32km Bulwick: village shop and cafe open Tues-Sat 9.30am to 3.30pm.
• 61km Stamford: Wetherspoons opposite Eleanor Cross. Cafes, shops etc most slightly off route
• 64km Burghley House: private stately home but with National Trust-style cafes and toilets.
• 80km Ferry Meadows country park, Peterborough: toilets, cafes, taps just off route.
• 81km Peterborough: Left onto Wistow Way for Tesco Express
• 100km Sawtry village: Co-op, fish and chip shop

Points of interest and things to watch out for:

• 9.8km Winwick to Thurning: Road can be very icy in winter (stream drains down sheltered section of road). Consider B662 to Clopton (gritted), straight over A605, and R for road through Stoke Doyle instead.
• 39km Harringworth: Longest masonry viaduct in the UK. Now used infrequently.
• 45.5km Wing: Turf maze on left. One of eight in England, apparently this is a labyrinth in a standard Chartres design.
• 55km Ketton: mainly interesting because of what’s no longer here – Ketton Stone. This pretty creamy, yellowy, sometimes pink limestone was used extensively in notable buildings including many Cambridge colleges (eg Wren library at Trinity [best viewed from a punt], buildings at Clare College, and the frontage at Emmanuel College), Burghley House and at Sandringham as well as plenty of local buildings in Ketton and Stamford. Also look out for buildings using local Collyweston stone slate for roofing (also used on the Round Church in Cambridge). At one time, winter frosts were used to split the slate.
• 61km Stamford: Eleanor Cross on left. Tall pointy modern recreation of original. There's a Wetherspoons opposite.
• 64km Burghley House on right: enormous 16th century stately home made of Barnack limestone and Ketton stone in Capability Brown-designed parkland. Cafes, toilets.
• 67km Barnack: nature reserve on right in village called Hills and Holes. Barnack limestone first quarried here by the Romans. Used in the building of Peterborough and Ely cathedral, many Cambridge colleges, widely throughout Fenland including Crowland bridge, Bury St Edmunds and odd places in London such as within the Tower of London and Roman remains of London Wall. Would be a great picnic spot.
• 79km Path runs alongside Nene Valley Railway. Steam trains at the weekend. Choo choo!
• 80km Ferry Meadows park in Peterborough: may be some flooding in spring. Not my local patch, please report back if changes needed.