moving - advice for 30 mile radius of Cambridge

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poghag

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Hi Horse & Houndies

Am moving my life to near Cambridge - don't know the area at all. Ideally will be west of Cambridge because Mr Poghag drives to Somerset every fortnight... ultimate dream is a patch of cheap, rubbish land I might be able to build a paddock paradise system on.... so would go further afield to get the lie of the land where it might not be too expensive (Bedfordish?).

Until then, I'm looking for potential decent hacking areas or any advice for where to start yard-hunting (DIY - ideally barefoot-friendly ie not loads of lush grazing).

I'm all ears! xxx
 
I think you'd get more for your money north west of Cambridge so the areas around Huntingdon, kettering and Corby. Obviously the nearer you get to Cambridge the more it will cost. If you stray much further south than Wellingborough I think it will cost more, Beds is enough of a commuter county for prices in general to be higher.
I was relocated to Beds for my work but chose to live in Northamptonshire, not many miles different but a postcode that makes it affordable
 
I agree with WelshD. I live in the Kettering area, although the town itself isn't much cop, it does have good access roads, sitting right on the a14 corridor and in close reach of the m1, m6 and a1, and is only about an hours drive (if that) from Cambridge City centre. If this is a consideration, you could try looking at www.wellandvalleyfeeds.co.uk, which covers the Kettering, Rothwell, Desborough & Leicestershire borders, or maybe www.bletsoes.co.uk which is probably more suitable as this covers the Thrapston, Oundle and Huntingdon areas.
 
Great - will check all that out, thanks all so far.

Will probably be a year or two till we actually buy, so till then, where's there decent hacking? Are there any big stretches of common land or is it bridleways and fields always?
 
Cambridgeshire:

SW of Cambridge (Wimpole-Royston-Harlton area) - lots of bridleways that link up, some hills, mature woodland, mixed farming, posh villages, high prices.

SE of Cambridge (Newmarket-Saffron Walden-Haverhill) - ditto. Big private estate around Carlton area (Thurlow Hunt/RAF Weston) which allows riding 10 months of year (presumably join the hunt if you want riding 12 months of the year?). Posh villages, high prices, hills, mature woodland, mixed farming.

NE of Cambridge (Burwell/Soham/Ely/Six Mile Bottom) - flat, mainly treeless, big dykes, not many bridleways, lots of droves (some private no access), mainly arable farming, big skies, mixed villages.

NW of Cambridge (Willingham/Cottenham/Ramsey/Swavesey/Haddenham) - flat, treeless the further north you go, big river flood plain (Ouse and Cam), big dykes, not many bridleways tend to be local circle or few around each village but don't link up with other villages, mainly arable farming or RSPB/floodmeadows, big skies, mixed villages.

If you live near the A14, there are no bridleway bridges so you have to cross at the vehicular junctions.

The Ouse only has bridges at St Ives and Earith, nothing inbetween so you can't ride from say Over to Somersham without doing a huge 20 mile circle although the villages are only 4 miles apart.

On plus side, the St Ives-Cambridge guided busway has a parallel tarmac bridleway for its entire 18km length which is a godsend - enabling each village's limited bridleways/byways to be linked up with each next village's.

Property prices fall the further north you go. Cheapest property is Wisbech/Downham Market Way or into south Lincs.

Cambridge is a hotspot targetted for development by government so land prices are expensive.

Equestrian-wise there is Manor Farm EC at Houghton, Keysoe at Keysoe, something at Somersham whose name I can't remember, Waresley ( beautiful), Milton (n of Cambridge, ag college), Peakirk and a couple of others near Peterborough.

Also Ely eventing centre and Potton event horse and Alconbury event course. (Waresley too).

Riding clubs are HuntingdonDRC, OverDRC, Cambridge DRC, SaffronWalden DRC.

Energiser/tack thefts are fairly commonplace in the area so lock it, mark it or lose it. I think the proximity of A14 and A1 give the thieves quick getaway routes, plus lots of fields are down lonely droves or in middle of nowhere so they can raid undisturbed.

You might want to look at Rutland/Market Overton area if your hubby works west. Bridleways there are beautiful, lot of investment over recent years, and property prices are currently cheaper than Cambridge, and you've got easy access A1 too. hills/trees/very quiet and traffic-free in places.
 
Suechoccy said:
Cambridgeshire:

SW of Cambridge ... hills/trees/very quiet and traffic-free in places.
Click to expand...

Suechoccy - I am so grateful with your incredibly detailed reply. Huge thanks for taking such time! I will save and print and pour over with Mr. Poghag later! Brilliant advice and bless your care. xxx
 
that's all great advice, very detailed.
I used to live in the Kettering area and it's not cheap if you want land. Now up near The Wash in South Lincs, an hour and a bit to Cambridge, and you get a lot more for your money. The hacking around here is fantastic, because it's flat with hardly any hedges it is so safe, drivers can see you a mile away and vice-versa. Safe to take baby horses out straight away. Ely area would be similar if you found the right road I think (so, not a cut-through to anywhere!)
 
If you head for Bedford watch the area hacking wise. NE corner - border with Cambs & Northants eg Thurleigh/Keysoe/Riseley/Yelden/Dean have excellent hacking but some villages are less well blessed, esp to the south of Bedford. The other side of the A6 may be a bit much commuting wise. No commons but mostly arable so few gates. Also that area is much prettier than people tend to expect.
Comp wise in that area you have Keysoe, Houghton Hall (aka Manor Farm) & for XC/BE Carlton all very close. MKEC, Ely, Lordsbridge, , Potton, Alconbury, Aston Le Walls etc are all very doable as well.
Keysoe Riding club are very active & are based at Keysoe.
 
Gosh, I live west of Cambridge and even I found suechoccys reply interesting (thinking about getting my own place with better hacking). Thanks!
 
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