The Bull and The Boot

If you venture into horsey country, around Dullingham, you could do a lot worse than pop into The Boot:

Brighter and less road-y than I've made it look

There's a beer-garden around the back, possibly with a horse grazing near by, possibly not. It has the feel of an impending beer festival, probably something to do with the barrels that are hanging around. This is one of two pubs in Dullingham but the other looks more like somewhere to eat, whereas this is the 'pub'; regulars playing cribbage, watching the racing on the telly, glancing askance (but not in a particularly bad way) at interlopers, and so on. The barmaid said hello cheerfully then looked rather crestfallen when I asked for shandy; can't say I blame her.

Go a bit further to Burrough Green and you could sit outside The Bull instead:

This looks a lot sunnier but it was the same day!

On my visit this had a lot more in the way of german automobiles driven by race-goers in hats. The staff seemed normal though. It's one of those strange villages with a massive Green, a bit like Barrington. Overall very pleasant but maybe not the same character as The Boot.

The Bell, Bottisham

Some tables caught the sun.

You might easily pass this by without realising there's a beer-garden squirreled away round the back. It's not entirely lovely but perfectly allright.

Inside, The Bell gives the impression of being a sleepy village pub, which mostly has the same regulars in it, chatting to the landlord. There were a lot of teapots on display too.

Great Wilbraham to Westley Bottom

Great Wilbraham is a lovely village to pootle around. It's just a shame that The Carpenters Arms has no beer garden, and doesn't open till 6:30.

Nevertheless, this is a nice place to ride to from Fulbourn, after which you can head down Mill Lane toward the Chalk Pit scarplings and wind turbines. Or stick on the road to Six Mile Bottom or Bottisham, if you don't mind a bit of traffic. What if you don't want traffic, nor scarplings? The answer is the public byway from Butt Lane:

Expert lighting. You can just about see the black street-sign for Butt Lane on the house on the right.

At the end of Butt Lane the byway is marked with a signpost, it's straight on but pretty soon you have a couple of opportunities to mis-navigate:

Keep left!

Left again, unsigned. Ignore the siren call of the wind turbines.

After this you can't really go wrong. The track is grassy and moderately bumpy, but there are no scarplings, nor scary rocks.

Friendly grass

You dip pleasantly down and then up again, it's not too steep though. A power line crosses overhead, but manages to be scenic:

Scary Iron Giant

And before you know it, you've reached the crossing with the biggish road to Six Mile Bottom:

Trusty steed. Actually it had a dodgy valve on the rear inner-tube that was making me paranoid.

Here you can abort byway-ing left or right, chances are though that you'll be keen to carry on straight over the road.

The other side. Note car-preventing rock

It carries on in much the same vein, after a while there's a little right-left jink and eventually you have a choice of right or left following some telegraph poles. Turn right for Westely Bottom.

Update: You could turn left instead for Bottisham, but although it's mostly fine, you end up at a wreckers yard/caravan camp (it honestly isn't clear which) with lots of fly-tipping to clamber over. Not recommended!

Follow the telegraph road

You probably can't see the upcoming bridge in the above photo but it's not far.

Bridge over the A11. More rocks.

Hello cars

Over the bridge there's an intriguing track on the left which may or may not lead to an interesting tumulus, but you want to carry straight on. This part is noticeably more bumpy, and for some reason less fun. Horsey types may be interested in some sort of training area on the right - we're getting near Newmarket - but it's very obscured and you have to walk halfway into hedge to see anything.

Next there's a crossing of the busy Six Mile Bottom to Newmarket road:

Straight over the strangely manicured busy road

The terrain changes now to gentle gravel with minor pot-holeage. Before long you reach a moderately scary level junction.

More expert lighting. There's a cheerful notice from the Samaritans...

Here you are advised to open both gates before proceeding. Or if you're stupid like me you could manhandle your bike through the spring-loaded walky-gate and realise what you should've done afterwards.

And that's it, you're now on the road from Westley Bottom to civilisation. This is guaranteed to be pretty quiet, since it ends at the aforementioned hamlet. Nearby are The Boot, Dullingham, or the marvellous Grange Road.

The White Swan

Dusk makes it look like Yorkshire

This is on the old 'hidden' high street of Stow cum Quy, feeling oddly like a northern terrace. There's no beer garden, but some tables out front.

It's a local village pub; knot of regulars at the bar; mini-library; some sort of raffle thing; sultry barmaid, jaded bar-man; a general air of wary slowness. But it's friendly enough.

Nearby:

• Fen Ditton via High Ditch Road
• Horningsea via Honey Hill 
• The Swaffhams and Bottisham
• The Wilbrahams