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A
Archery
Nene Bowmen meet in Ferry Meadows through the summer on
weekday evenings and at weekends using the archery field at
the north end of Oak Meadow. During the winter they use an
indoor venue at a nearby school. They also hold "taster
days" as well as running courses for beginners interested in
finding out more about the sport. For more information,
visit the
Nene
Bowman website.
B
Barbecues
There are permanent barbecue stands near the coach park and
the Watersports Centre car park in Ferry Meadows. There is
no charge for their use and they are not bookable, bring
your own charcoal and utensils. You may bring your own
barbecue provided that it is off the ground. Please take
care; the grass in summer and autumn can be very dry and
burn easily.
Please see our code
of conduct & download
resources leaflets
Basketmaking – See
craft groups
Bird Watching
The varied habitats in Nene Park and its location on a river
valley migration route attract a wide range of species. Over
222 have been seen and more than 90 have been recorded
breeding in the Park. A species list for the park is
available in the resources as a PDF
download.
In Ferry
Meadows you can watch the Birds and other wildlife from the
two hides overlooking our specially created wetland nature
reserve. Woodlands in the Park, both new and ancient are
worthwhile exploring for birds with a good variety of
species to be seen. Bluebell Wood has a bird feeding area
sponsored by
Vine House Farm, that attracts a great variety of
woodland species and is the ideal location for whiling away
time just watching the comings and goings of woodland birds.
Please download our species list
Peterborough Bird Club holds their annual Bird Fest in
Ferry Meadows. Information about birds, the club and its
activities and bird watching in the area can be found on
their website.
Bird Ringing
A Constant Effort Ringing site is operated on the Nature
Reserve as part of a national scheme organised by the
BTO.
By consistently ringing birds in the same location changes
in populations of species can be studied over the years. The
information gathered is an important contribution to
building the national picture of changes in bird
populations. So far the furthest recovery of a bird ringed
in Ferry Meadows is Morocco. Bird ringing, when in progress
can be viewed from the footpath around the nature reserve.
A copy of the most recent
ringing report is available as a PDF download in the
resources section. Previous reports are available on
request.
C
Cafes
There are two cafes in Ferry Meadows offering a range of
refreshments and light meals.
The Visitor Centre Café, operated by Teatime
catering opens from Easter or the 1 April until the first
Saturday in November. The café reopens at weekends from
January. Telephone 01733 234493
Watersports Catering operate the Cafe and
licensed bar at the Watersports Centre which is open daily
to all Park visitors throughout the year. All cakes and
meals are home made - telephone 01733 370293
Canoeing - see
water sports
Caravanning & Camping
One of the Caravan Club's most popular sites is at Ferry
Meadows. It is open all year round and welcomes caravanners
and campers. It is open to non-members. For information
about the Club and the site visit its
website.
Group Camping
There are two group campsites both with a lakeside setting
near the Watersports Centre in Ferry Meadows. These are
available for organised groups such as Scouts &Guides,
Schools & Colleges, Social Clubs and similar organisations.
Download the leaflet
for more information or for group enquiries and booking
please contact us.
Please be aware of the 2.1m height barrier at the entrance
to Ferry Meadows.
Craft Groups
Nene Park Basketmakers
Sustaining and developing the traditional craft of making
willow baskets in the city. For more information on the
group
click here
Peterborough Scribes
Calligraphy is the art of beautiful writing. The club brings
together those with an interest in its many styles and
techniques and meets at the Visitor Centre in Ferry Meadows.
For more information on the group
click here
Peterborough Guild of Spinners, Weavers &
Dyers
The Peterborough Guild of Spinners, Weavers and Dyers are a
small friendly group who meet regularly (usually on the
first Saturday in the month) in the Park to practise and
promote spinning, weaving, dyeing and related crafts
including basket making. Beginners and experts welcome.
Lectures, workshops & demonstrations. For more
information, visit the
Association
of Guilds of Weavers, Spinners, Dyers website
Cycling
Explore the many miles of lakeside and woodland
footpaths/cycle ways in Nene Park that link with the
City-wide network and provide easy access to and from the
City. Bring your own bikes or hire them from the Watersports
Centre see cycle hire below.
Please download our code
of conduct
The Green Wheel
The Peterborough Millennium Green Wheel is a continuous
network of cycleways, footpaths and bridleways providing
safe continuous routes around and into the city, through
picturesque stone villages, the Fens and the scenic Nene
Valley. While contributing to a sustainable transport
system, it also celebrates over 3000 years of local social,
cultural and economic history through colourful
interpretation boards and a series of sculptures
More information about the Green Wheel can be found on
Peterborough Environmental City Trust's website
A plan of the Green Wheel showing routes around and into the
city is available from the Visitor Centre for £2.00 or from
the Tourist Information in the Cathedral precincts.
National Cycleway Network
Route 63, part of the national cycleway network from Burton
on Trent to Wisbech via Leicester & Peterborough goes
through Nene Park. For more information visit the
Sustrans website
Cycle Hire
Cycles for all the family can be hired from Lakeside Leisure
at the Watersports Centre in Ferry Meadows. For more
information visit the
Lakeside Leisure website
D
Dog Walking
Dogs are permitted in the Park providing they are kept under
close control. Responsible dog owners help us to keep the
central area of Ferry Meadows clean and pleasant for all
visitors by cleaning up their dogs' mess and using the dog
bins provided.
To help, bags are available free from the Visitor Centre
Shop, the Information Centre, or from any member of the
Trust's Staff. (Page Link) code of conduct.
Also for a great information booklet “You and your dog in
the countryside” telephone 0870 120 6466 and quoting Ref.
No. CA205 or go to the
Countryside Access website
F
Fishing
Coarse fishing is available on a day ticket on Overton and
Gunwade Lakes in Ferry Meadows and on the River Nene through
Nene Park. A close season operates on the Lakes and River
from 14 March to 15 June, inclusive. Closed season fishing
is available on Gunwade from Pegs 65 -97.
More information can be obtained from Peterborough and
District Angling Association.
Club Sec: Lyndsey Horsman, Tel: 01733 575606
Match Sec: Ken Wade
kwade40819@aol.com
There are two stands close by the Watersports
Centre car park for disabled anglers which are accessible to
wheelchairs.
Flying model aircraft
For safety reasons model flying is confined to members of
recognised clubs by arrangement with the Trust. Several
classes of non motorised models are flown in Ferry Meadows
by members of local clubs.
Peterborough Model Flying Club, meet
in Ferry Meadows on Oak Meadow on Friday evenings throughout
the summer. For more information visit the
Peterborough Model Flying Club website
British Association of Radio Controlled
Soarers BARCS holds regular model glider flying events
in Ferry Meadows throughout the year with members and
enthusiasts representing most soaring disciplines. For more
information visit the
BARCS
website
Dates of any special events can be found on the
Events page
G
Golf
There are two 18-hole courses in Nene Park at Thorpe Wood
and Orton Meadows. Both are "pay and play" and offer
professional shops, repairs and coaching.
More information can be found on their respective websites,
Thorpe Wood Golf Course &
Orton Meadows Golf Course
Pitch & Putt
There is a 12 hole par-three pitch and putt course at Orton
Meadows Golf Course. Ideal for a family mini golf
tournament? For more information visit the
Orton Meadows Golf Course website
H
Horse Riding
There is a network of horse routes in Nene Park linking to
local bridleways from Ferry Meadows and the west. The coach
park in Ferry Meadows is the most central and convenient
place to un-box for riders transporting their horses with
close access to the horse route nearby. Riders in the Park
are requested to stay on designated routes.
Download a map is
available of horse routes in the Park and the adjacent area.
Please be aware of the height
barrier at the entrance to Ferry Meadows.
Lynch Farm Equestrian Centre on the
edge of Ferry Meadows offers a range of facilities including
tuition. For information please telephone 01733 234445 or
visit
Lynch Farm Equestrian Centre website
If you are riding in or exploring beyond the
Park, you will find the Ordnance Survey 1:25000 Explorer 227
map of Peterborough useful:
click here
K
Kite Flying
The central area of Ferry Meadows is a favourite location
for kite fliers of all ages with all types of kites. Great
Ouse Kite Flyers also hold a number of meetings each year
and organise the Kite Festival held here each summer.
Dates can be found on the
Events page and on the
Club's website
For safety reasons, power kiting with boards and buggies is
not permitted in the park.
M
Miniature Railway
A miniature railway carries passengers in Ferry Meadows
between the Main Car Park to close to the Watersports
Centre. It runs at weekends from Easter to the end of
October and on weekdays in school holidays, weather
permitting. For more information visit the
Ferry Meadows Railway website
Model Boats
Peterborough Model Power Boat Club holds its Club and open
meetings on Osier Lake at Orton Mere. For more information
visit the
Peterborough Model Power Boat Club website
N
Nene Valley Railway
The Nene Valley Railway is one of the best known standard
gauge steam preservation railways in the country and home to
that very special engine, Thomas. The railway runs for seven
and a half miles between Yarwell Junction and Peterborough
through the length of Nene Park with stations in the Park at
Ferry Meadows and Orton Mere.
For information and timetables visit the
NVR
website
Talking Timetable 01780 784404 or enquiries 01780 784444
O
Orienteering
For a great way of exploring Ferry Meadows try navigating
your way around the Orienteering course. The course in Ferry
Meadows has been designed as an introduction to the sport of
Orienteering and is a fun way of exploring the Park. It is
suitable for groups and families who enjoy the challenge of
finding their way in the great outdoors. You can run, jog or
walk and choosing your route to the red and white markers is
fun. It doesn't matter how young, old or fit you are, you go
at your own pace. If you like excitement, fresh air and
exploring the countryside, then Orienteering could be the
sport for you.
Because the Park is open countryside, rather
than the wooded or hilly terrain of advanced courses, a
compass is not necessary, though of course you can use one
if you wish.
There is a choice of two leaflets, a "Short
Course" for beginners showing the first 10 control
points and the other showing all 21 control points -
Orienteering Course. Both leaflets have a maps and
simple instructions of how to use the course. These are
available as downloads here at the Visitor Centre Shop and
Watersports Centre.
For more information about orienteering in Ferry Meadows
contact the Visitor Services
Officer.
For information about orienteering locally and nationally
contact the following links, the
West
Anglian Orienteering Club or
British Orienteering
P Play
In Ferry Meadows on Coney and Oak Meadows there are acres of
wide open grass space for all sorts of games; cricket,
frisbee or rounders, kick a ball or fly a kite.
There are
three well equipped play areas that are maintained to the
highest standards, the one near the Visitor Centre Café
being specifically for younger children.
R
Rowing - see
Watersports
Running
Nene Park is a favourite with many local joggers and
recreational runners. A number of clubs also hold road races
and sometimes cross country races in the Park. Club details
and event dates are on the
Events page
S
Sailing & Sail boarding - see
Watersports
Self guided Wildlife & Heritage Trails
The Wildflower Walk
This focuses on areas within Ferry Meadows Country Park
which are all within a short walk of the Visitor Centre.
These areas have been sown with arable weeds rarely seen in
fields today. During the summer they bloom with vibrant
coloured flowers that not only look visually attractive but
on warm sunny days are buzzing with nectar seeking insects.
They also give a snapshot of how some of the arable fields
in the Nene valley may have looked before the turn of the
last century and the advent of modern agricultural methods
and chemicals.
Download a copy,
also available from the Visitor Centre and Information
Centre.
The Willow Trail
Looks at the history of Willow growing in the Nene valley
and illustrates the value of one species in the working
landscape. The accompanying leaflet may be
downloaded or picked
up from the Visitor and Information Centre.
Sculpture
In recent years Nene Park Trust has commissioned three works
by the Sheffield based sculptor Jason Thompson.
The first was the "The Guardian". Carved from
a standing dead sycamore tree he overlooks the southern
osier bed in Bluebell Wood, it reflects the history of the
osier bed, the craft of basketmaking, and stories about
local character who tended the bed in the past.
The second was "The Sheepwash" also in
Bluebell Wood. Sited alongside a pond in the wood, its theme
is the past use of the pond to wash local sheep flocks
before shearing. It is carved on a large panel of Oak
timbers.
Completed in 2002, the third piece “The
Sentinel” stands at the entrance to Ferry Meadows on Ham
Lane. Making use of a substantial Elm tree that succumbed to
Dutch Elm Disease it draws its inspiration from the long
history of Ferry Meadows and its wildlife.
Peterborough Sculpture Trust’s has a
collection of contemporary sculpture that is based largely
in Thorpe Meadows. For more information visit the
Peterborough Sculpture Trust website. W
Walking and Rambling
There are miles of pleasant walking in Nene Park through
meadows and woods, along lakesides and riverbanks. Most of
the paths in Ferry Meadows and towards the City Centre are
surfaced and suitable for wheelchairs. To the west most
paths are un-surfaced countryside footpaths; their condition
can vary according to the seasons and weather. When using
any of the routes in Nene Park always ensure that you are
suitably dressed with appropriate clothing, footwear and
safety gear for walking.
If you are walking in or exploring beyond the
Park, you will find the Ordnance Survey 1:25000 Explorer 227
map of Peterborough useful,
click here
'Walking the way to Health Initiative'
WHI is an initiative of the British Heart Foundation and
Natural England. Described by health experts as 'almost
perfect exercise', walking requires no equipment or expense
and is the ideal way for most people to become more active.
Seven out of every ten people in this country are not
physically active enough to benefit their health. For
information on Health walks in the park please visit the
WHI
website
Walking the Nene Way
This is a long distance footpath that follows the River Nene
from its source in Northamptonshire to the Wash. A leaflet
covering the 10 mile section of the Nene Way through Nene
Park is available from the Visitor Centre or may be
downloaded.
Why not combine a walk with a train ride on board the
Nene Valley
Railway, you can download
download a leaflet.
For more information on the Nene Way visit
Explore Northamptonshire,
Cambridgeshire County Council or the
Ramblers Association websites
For information on the Green Wheel - see
Cycling
Watersports
Canoeing
Proteus Canoe Club based at Orton Staunch. They meet all
year round and welcome beginners and experienced canoeists
alike. Information about the Club and its activities can be
found on
Proteus Canoe Club website and our
Orton Mere page
Canoeing, including launching and hire, is
available at the Watersports Centre in Ferry Meadows
For more information visit the
Lakeside Leisure website
Rowing
Peterborough City Rowing Club is based at Thorpe Meadows
alongside a purpose built 1100 metre course. The Club has a
strong interest in introducing young people to the sport and
hosts the biggest Club regatta in the country on the course.
All ages are welcomed whether interested in recreational or
competitive rowing.
Information about the Club and its events can be found on
the
Club's website
Sailing and Sailboarding
Lakeside Leisure offers launch and storage, hire and courses
and personal tuition as well as a range of chandlery,
clothing and equipment at the Watersports Centre in Ferry
Meadows. For more information visit the
Lakeside Leisure website
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