Huntingdon

Huntingdon's hotels suit visitors who want a comfortable, well-located base for exploring Cambridgeshire without the higher prices of central Cambridge. The town has a good spread of options, from the Huntingdon Marriott Hotel with its leisure facilities on the edge of town to the historic George Hotel, a former coaching inn on the High Street that has been welcoming travellers for centuries. Budget and mid-range chain hotels cluster near the A14, convenient for anyone breaking a journey along the Great North Road corridor or attending business in the area.

For something with more character, the Old Bridge Hotel beside the River Great Ouse combines comfortable rooms with one of the town's best dining rooms and a riverside terrace, making it a popular choice for a short break. Smaller B&Bs and guesthouses scattered through Huntingdon and neighbouring Godmanchester offer a quieter, more personal alternative, often within walking distance of the Market Square and riverside park. Wherever you stay, Huntingdon's compact centre and good transport links mean you are never far from the town's historic sights, and Cambridge, Peterborough and St Ives are all realistic day trips by car or train.

Huntingdon rewards a wander on foot, with most of its sights within easy reach of the Market Square. Highlights include:

• The Cromwell Museum — housed in the former Huntingdon Grammar School building on Market Hill, where Cromwell himself was once a pupil, this small but well-regarded museum tells the story of his life and the Civil War through portraits, personal items and interactive displays.
• Huntingdon Town Bridge — a 14th-century stone bridge over the Great Ouse linking Huntingdon to neighbouring Godmanchester, and one of the best-preserved medieval bridges in the country still carrying traffic.
• Riverside Park — a long, undeveloped stretch of the Great Ouse through the town, popular for riverside walks, picnics, cycling and watching the rowers and narrowboats go by.
• All Saints' Church — a largely 15th-century parish church on the Market Square whose font is traditionally said to have been used to baptise Cromwell.
• Hinchingbrooke Country Park — around 170 acres of lakes, meadows and mature woodland on the edge of town, with waymarked walking and cycling trails and good birdwatching.
• Hinchingbrooke House — a historic manor house once owned by the Cromwell family, now part of a local school, which opens its grounds and rooms for guided tours on selected summer Sunday afternoons.
• The Huntingdon Town Trail — a self-guided route linking the timber-framed Falcon Inn, the remains of the Norman motte-and-bailey castle by the river, and other historic corners of the old town.
• Godmanchester — Huntingdon's equally historic neighbour across the bridge, worth combining with a visit for its own riverside walks and ancient street pattern.

The Old Bridge Hotel on the banks of the Great Ouse has long been one of the area's best-regarded places to eat, with a relaxed dining room and terrace looking over the river. In the town centre, The Falcon Inn is a historic half-timbered pub with a good range of ales, while riverside and Market Square cafes provide casual options for a coffee or lunch between sightseeing. Godmanchester, just across the bridge, adds further pub and restaurant choices for anyone happy to extend their walk.

Cambridgeshire's flat, water-threaded landscape around Huntingdon is gentle rather than dramatic, but the Ouse Valley has genuine appeal for campers who enjoy riverside scenery, easy cycling and quiet countryside within reach of a historic town. As with anywhere in England, wild camping without the landowner's permission is not legal here, so pitching up in Hinchingbrooke Country Park or along the riverbank without prior arrangement is not an option; instead, the area around Huntingdon has a number of established campsites and caravan parks, particularly along the Ouse Valley towards St Ives and Godmanchester, offering pitches for tents, campervans and touring caravans within easy reach of the river.

Many of these sites make the most of the flat, water-meadow terrain, with level pitches, good access for larger units, and proximity to towpaths that are ideal for cycling into Huntingdon itself or further along the Great Ouse towards St Ives and beyond. The gentle gradient of the valley also makes it a comfortable choice for families and less experienced campers, without the steep climbs or exposed conditions found in hillier parts of the country. Anglers are well served too, with the river and nearby gravel-pit lakes offering coarse fishing close to several sites.

The best camping season around Huntingdon runs from late spring to early autumn, when long daylight hours, generally settled weather and the full range of local campsite facilities are all in play; many smaller sites reduce services or close entirely over winter. For those who would rather skip the tent altogether, a growing number of glamping options in the surrounding villages offer pods, shepherd's huts and safari tents with proper beds and heating, giving a taste of the outdoors without sacrificing home comforts. Whichever way you camp, Huntingdon's combination of riverside scenery and genuine history makes it a worthwhile, low-key base for a Cambridgeshire break.