Huntingdon
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Huntingdon

Huntingdon

Cambridgeshire market town on the Great Ouse, best known as Oliver Cromwell's birthplace.

Huntingdon is a small market town on the River Great Ouse in Cambridgeshire, best known as the birthplace of Oliver Cromwell. The Cromwell Museum, housed in the former grammar school where he studied, tells the story of the man who overthrew a king and briefly turned England into a republic.

The town has a handsome medieval bridge connecting it to Godmanchester across the river, and the surrounding Ouse valley is flat, green, and good for walking and cycling. The vast traditional flood meadow of Portholme, one of the largest in England, stretches between the town and the river. Hinchingbrooke House, the former Cromwell family home on the western edge of town, opens occasionally for visitors. Huntingdon is a practical stop on the way to or from Cambridge, about twenty minutes north by train.

Guide

Getting There

Huntingdon has a direct train connection to London King's Cross, with the journey taking about an hour on fast services. Cambridge is about twenty minutes to the south. The station is in the west of town, a fifteen-minute walk from the town centre and Cromwell Museum.

By road, Huntingdon sits on the A14 and is easily reached from the A1 trunk road. It is about 100 kilometres north of London by road — under two hours in normal traffic, considerably longer during commuter hours on weekdays. There is free and paid parking in the town centre.

Peterborough, about 35 kilometres north, is accessible in around twenty minutes by train or car and has a cathedral and extensive Roman remains at Flag Fen that make a worthwhile combination day trip.

Guide

Things to Do

Huntingdon's attractions are modest in number but focused: the Cromwell Museum is the main draw, the medieval bridge and riverside are pleasant, and the former priory and castle ruins add historical texture. This is a quiet market town, not a destination in itself, but it rewards a few hours.