Castor & Sutton Land

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A large area of the Nene valley stretching west of Ferry Meadows towards Sutton is owned by Nene Park Trust and can be explored by foot and even horseback using a network of routes.

A seven mile section of the Nene Way and Hereward Way, two long distance paths, follow the course of the river through Nene Park from the Nene Valley Railway station at Wansford finishing in the city.

Please exercise caution as some routes close to the river are prone to flooding especially after heavy rain and may be impassable. Many routes cross fields with livestock, please follow the countryside code.

If you are walking in or exploring beyond the Park, you will find the Ordnance Survey 1:25000 Explorer 227 map of Peterborough useful.

The western part of Nene Park is steeped in history. Archaeological excavations in the area have unearthed an amazing amount of artifacts especially from the Roman settlement of the valley. Please note that metal detecting on Nene Park Trust land is not permitted.

To see some of the archaeological treasures discovered in the Nene Valley visit Peterborough Museum & the history of Peterborough on the Peterborough City Council website.

The Western part of Nene Park is an agricultural landscape that has traditional pattern of land use evolved over the centuries. Riverside meadows are still predominantly used as permanent pasture and the higher river terraces used for arable. There are many features attractive to a wide variety of wildlife.

In particular the Castor Meadows Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) has a rich variety of meadow wildflowers best experienced in spring and early summer. There are Countryside Stewardship agreements in place over large parts of the Nene Park Trust owned land with the aim to maintain the Landscape and heritage features of the valley.