The Hereward Way

The Hereward Way was created by members of Peterborough Ramblers Association in 1985/6 and is a recognised national long distance walking path that stretches 110 miles from Oakham in the county of Rutland, passing through the flat farmland of the Fens on to the Brecklands and Thetford Forest to Knettishall Heath in Suffolk, linking the Viking Way with Peddars Way.

Since 2016 the WakeHereward Project has sought to utilise the Hereward Way as a source to raise the profile of Hereward the Wake as it is the only national monument to Hereward, while in the process promoting the Hereward Way as a hiking trail. The project has arranged two fundraising events that took place on the 2nd June, commemorating the anniversary of Hereward's sacking of Peterborough Monastery and his subsequent retreat to Ely Monastery in 1070. The first in 2016 was a hike along the Hereward Way by David Maile which raised £400 towards Hereward memorials and the second in 2021 was when Lewis Kirkbride raised £2500+ for ManHealthy Charity. Each hiking fundraiser event covered the 40+ miles from Peterborough Cathedral to Ely Cathedral, representing Hereward's journey some 950 years earlier at the time of the Norman Conquest. Events that the WakeHereward Project arrange on 2nd June are named 'Hereward Rising!' - aptly describing his despoiling of Peterborough with his rebel army and Danish cohorts, before making his stand against the might of William the Conqueror.

Last November the WakeHereward Project was involved in the promotion of the Hereward Relay & Ultra organised by March Athletic Club by providing Hereward re-enactor Rory G who gave a speech at the start of the race and presented medals at the finish, as well as appearing at different locations along the route, encouraging the runners as they passed through the change-over points at Whittlesey, March and Welney. All these events have garnered media attention through Tv radio and the local newspapers, bringing focus on to the Hereward Way as a hiking trail and enriching the route and the relay, as well as the fundraising events, with the deep charm of the Hereward legend.

This year on June 2nd 2024 the WakeHereward Project are arranging another 'Hereward Rising!' event to mark the 954th Anniversary of Hereward's raid on Peterborough and especially to bring a greater focus on the Hereward Way, while implementing a plan to help with the ongoing upkeep and sustainable development of the Hereward Way as a memorial to Hereward and an important national walking pathway.

The WakeHereward Project is currently in consultaion with other relevant organisations and bodies to bring these plans to fruition and more will be posted here in the coming weeks as the project develops.

Ste creates record time along the Hereward Way!

Ste Lingard is no stranger to long distance hiking, having raised thousands of pounds for charity over a number of years striding across various parts of England. Each year he hikes the 40+ miles 'Beating the Bounds' which entails walking the perimeter boundary around his hometown St. Helens for MIND, the mental health charity.

Ste is a Historian and Heritage Consultant, who came to national prominence in 2016 when he hiked the 300+ miles from York to Battle Abbey in 11 days, tracing the footsteps of King Harold's fateful journey and his forlorn attempt to halt the advance of William the Conqueror, 950 years after the fact.

The Battle of Hastings in 1066 also formed the background story to his 40 mile cross-fen ultra hike on Sunday 2nd June along the Hereward Way Long Distance Path, named after the folk hero of the Fens, Hereward the Wake. The rebel leader defied the Conqueror for five torrid years, not least of all when he burned down Peterborough and sacked the monastery, making off with its gold and silver valuables to fund his rebellion some 954 years ago to the date on 2nd June 1070.

It's recorded that Hereward returned to his island headquarters at Ely Monastery after his raid on Peterborough, marking the significance of Ste's lengthy 40 mile hike from Peterborough to Ely - Cathedral to Cathedral, the 5am start at daybreak being the time of Hereward's raid all those years ago.

The 6 mile hike to Whittlesey is the easiest part of the route, mostly on footpath heading east on the north bank of the River Nene, crossing at the Millenium Bridge to the south side of the Nene and on into Whittlesey, with Ste arriving at the Black Bull Pub 20 minutes ahead of schedule at 06:40am.

The aims and objectives of the hike are several and the hike itself was the beginning of the Hereward Way Project created by the WakeHereward Project.

Hereward Way Project - Aims & Objectives

To publicise the Hereward Way to Hikers and Ramblers
Promote Health & Wellbeing through walking exercise
Assess the state & condition of the Hereward Way
Assess the Waymarkers and Signage along the Hereward Way
Raise awareness of Hereward & his exploits & the significance of the date of 2nd June
To set a record time for future competition & charity events
To lay foundations for an annual charity event on the 2nd June
Utilise & publicise Pubs on the route as Stages of Hereward Way
Place Heritage signs promoting the Hereward Way in relevant Pubs
Solicit an objective assessment of the Hereward Way by an independent heritage consultant *
Engage with relevant partners to assist in the Hereward Way Project
Present a Report on findings to the relevant Local Authorities
To oversee the ongoing maintenance and upkeep of the Hereward Way
To utilise the Hereward Way and Hereward the Wake to promote Cultural Heritage Tourism into the Fens region

Supporting Ste throughout the day was the folk hero of the Fens and the legend who the Hereward Way is named after, Hereward the Wake, as ever performed by the talented actor and medieval re-enactor Rory G.

Hereward's role along with David Maile of the WakeHereward Project was to support Ste during the course of the hike and also to take stock of the condition and routing of the Hereward Way and log the Hereward Way waymarkers and signage.

Here at Poplar Tree Bridge Hereward has discovered that the signs for the Hereward Way directing towards Angle Corner Bridge to the west and Beggars Bridge to the east has been destroyed, through weathering and wear and tear and is in need of replacing. It is included in the Report to Cambridgeshire County Council.

Coming out of Whittlesey, past the train station and joining onto Whittlesey Dyke hiking along its north bank the sun rising high at 7am, Ste passed over Angle Corner Bridge joining up with the Twenty Foot River and under the railway arch and on through Beggars Bridge and hooking a sharp right into Turves at Bridgehouse Farm.

Ste arrived at the Three Horseshoes Pub ten minutes ahead of schedule at 8:40am and his stop was short.

The Three Horseshoes has been at the centre of the local news in recent weeks, due to its closure and proposed sale to developers, Whereby it is due to be bulldozed and houses built on the plot. A local action committee is trying to save the pub, which is seen as an important hub of the Turves community, a small hamlet some 6 miles west of March with a small population of 500 or so.

In this project's vision of encouraging more ramblers and hikers along the Hereward Way, the Three Horseshoes is recognised as an important stopping point for the hiker that needs to take a break, relax and move on. An oasis in the Fenland 'desert' in the Summer Sun or Winter Fen Blow bite, a place of recreation and good humour, which once boasted the best Sunday Roast around, will be sadly missed by many.

Let's hope something can be done to save the pub with all parties involved being happy with the outcome.

Hiker & Fundraiser

Ste Lingard is Hiking the Pubs!

along the Hereward Way

commemorating the Hereward Rising!

2nd June 1070 - 2nd June 2024

The focal point for the Hiking event on Sunday 2nd June will be the well-known charity fundraising hiker Ste Lingard who has kindly agreed to lend his services to the Hereward cause and boost the popularity of the Hereward Way as a long distance hiking route. Ste has raised thousands of pounds for the national mental health charity Mind through a number of different hikes over the years.

Ste is a Heritage Consultant in his native Lancashire and he founded and hikes the annual ‘Beating the Bounds’ charity hike around his hometown of St. Helens, where he is also Chairman of St. Helen’s Town Football Club. ‘Beating the Bounds’ is an ancient custom still observed in many parts of England where locals walk the geographic boundaries of their locality for the purpose of maintaining the memory of the precise location of these boundaries. The practice remains an important local civic ceremony and is a custom that was kept before the Norman Conquest.

Ste’s charity hiking brought him to national prominence in 2016 when he emulated the journey King Harold made from Stamford Bridge to Battle in October 1066. Walking the 300+ miles in 10 days while raising a considerable amount for Mind Charity.

Ste’s purpose will be to cover the whole distance of the 41.75 miles in one day and establish a hiking record which each year on June 2nd other hikers will be able to come along and try to beat.

Ste will be setting off from Peterborough Cathedral at 5am and will be aiming to be in Ely, arriving at the Cathedral sometime around 7:15pm later on that day. The hospitality establishments that subscribe to the event and the ongoing project will be the check-in points for Ste and those undertaking the challenge in the future years.

Hereward Way Flyer Hiking the Pubs 2024.jpg

Location/Estimated Time of Arrival/ Address & Post Code/Reservations

PETERBOROUGH Cathedral 5 am (START)

Minster Precinct, Peterborough pe1 1xs

(6 miles to)

WHITTLESEY Black Bull 7:00 am

18-20 Market St, Whittlesey pe7 1bd 01733 203314

(5.4 miles to)

TURVES Three Horseshoes 8:50 am

344 March Rd, Turves pe7 2dn 01733 840414

(6.6 miles to)

MARCH The Ship 11:00 am

1 Nene Parade, March pe15 8td 01354 607878

(7 miles to)

CHRISTCHURCH Dun Cow 14:00 pm

Green Ln, Christchurch pe14 9pg 01354 638323

(4 miles to)

WELNEY Lamb and Flag 15:45 pm

Main Street, Welney pe14 9rb 01354 610242

(7.4 miles to)

LITTLE DOWNHAM Anchor 18:45 pm

25 Main St, Little Downham cb6 2st 01353 699333

(3 miles to)

ELY Cathedral 19:45 pm (FINISH)

Minster PLace, Ely cb7 4dl

(1 mile to)

ELY The Hereward (End)

45 Market St, Ely cb7 4lz 01353 772050

Ste Lingard at the finish line at Ely Cathedral after his 40 mile hike along the Hereward Way, joined by Hereward (Rory G).

'Take the Hereward Trail across Hereward Country in Search of Hereward....'

Hereward Way David M Whittlesey signpost fundraiser 2016 SIE.jpg

Hereward WAy 2016 Angle Bridge TRain.jpg

Hereward Way Fen Causeway btwn March and Christchurch 2016.jpg

Hereward Way New Bedford River Bank image 2021.jpg

Hereward Way Hereward RElay Main image Hereward and runners at Peterboro AC.jpg

Some images from WakeHereward Project's fundraising events along the Hereward Way and also an image of Rory G as Hereward at the start of the March Athletic Club Hereward Relay & Ultra which sets off from the Embankment Athletic track in Peterborough and not Peterborough Cathedral and then along the Hereward Way.