Walk The Hereward Way

Itinerary

Day 1 Oakham to Stamford – 16 miles
Day 2 Stamford to Peterborough – 16 miles
Day 3 Peterborough to March – 20 miles
Day 4 March to Ely – 21 miles
Day 5 Ely to Brandon – 21 miles
Day 6 Brandon to Harling Road – 16 miles

The most popular direction to do this walk is from West to East (taking advantage of the prevailing wind), but if you would prefer to go from East to West then this can be easily arranged. Both ends of the walk are near train stations in Oakham and Harling Road

Enquire Now

The Hereward Way was created in the mid-1980s. It is 110 miles long and links the Viking Way with the Peddar’s Way. It runs through Rutland, Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire and Norfolk, from Oakham to Harling Road near Thetford. It is named after Hereward the Wake who was an 11th Century Anglo-Saxon nobleman. Hereward led resistance to William the Conqueror in the East of England from his base on the Isle of Ely.

The Hereward Way is one of the flattest areas of England and so the going is relatively easy. However, bear in mind that this path is off the beaten track and that you will have to contend with nettles blocking your way in places.

Price

The price for a holiday walking the Hereward Way is from £725 per person (based upon 2 people sharing). This includes:

Personalised itinerary for walking the Hereward Way on a self-guided basis over 6 days
7 nights’ bed & breakfast accommodation on a double or twin room basis (this includes B&B for the night before you start and the day you finish). There is no accommodation available at Harling Road so you will need to catch the train for the short journey to Thetford
Taxis for drop-off/pick-up where the B&B is not within easy walking distance of the Path
Advice on travel arrangements to and from the start and finish points
Ordnance Survey Explorer maps which can be downloaded onto the OS App
Kit checklist – covering boots & socks, clothes & waterproofs, and other useful kit
Helpline – you can call us at any time

NB. Baggage transfer is not available for the Hereward Way

Solo traveller price is £945. This is because most B&Bs do not have single rooms and so will charge almost as much for one person as for two.

Key Information

Time of Year: this walk can be done at any time of year, although if you choose to go between November and March then you will have to contend with winter weather conditions and shorter daylight hours. Therefore, we would suggest that the best time to go is between April and October.
Terrain: The terrain is easy to moderate. For much of its length, the path is relatively level. The walking surfaces are generally good, but can be muddy and overgrown in places depending upon the time of year.
Way marking: The route is well signposted with signs showing the Hereward Way logo.
Bed & Breakfast: We always aim to book good quality B&B accommodation as near as possible to the path. Despite the fact that the Hereward Way is a popular long-distance walk, there are not a huge number of B&Bs actually on the path itself or within easy walking distance. This means that sometimes the only option is to book B&Bs that are away from the path and arrange pick-up/drop-offs by taxi.
Refreshments: Compared with some other routes, this walk is actually quite good for places en route where you can get a cup of coffee (and maybe even a bacon butty or cake!) while not having to deviate from the path. Whether these will be open depends upon the time of year, day of week and time you happen to be passing.