A Tale of Two Cambridges
Online – 5 miles / 8 kms – Circular
Celebrating Framlingham’s Danforth Family American connections – original founders of ‘Newtowne’, later Cambridge Massachusetts – and the town’s Cambridge (UK) college connections which still exist to this day.
About the walk
PARK – START – FINISH : Elms Car Park, New Road, Framlingham IP13 9DR
TERRAIN : Generally flat with some gentle inclines. Urban, countryside, field margin footpaths; tracks, tarmacked lanes, pavements. Footbridge. Stout footwear recommended. Some paths can get muddy off season.
OS MAP : Explorer 212
A bit of background & what you will see
The Puritan Danforth family left Framlingham for The New World in 1634. Walk along roads named in their honour and pass by New Street Farm where it is believed that they lived and worked. One of the New England towns which they founded later became Cambridge Massachusetts.
Pembroke Hall College Cambridge once owned Framlingham Castle and is still Lord of the Manor to this day! It also provided St Michael’s Church with its famous Thamar organ. The Cambridge college received its Framlingham lands and title from one of its old boys – Sir Robert Hitcham. In his will Hitcham left monies for the care of the community’s poor and for education. Walk past his almshouses (built of reclaimed Tudor bricks from the castle!) and the playing fields of Sir Robert Hitcham’s Primary School towards fine Victorian redbrick Framlingham College.
Walk Directions
Start from the car park’s vehicle entrance, turn right. Proceed along New Road. Turn left at the first footpath sign. Follow the path up and across Pigs Meadow, passing the front of Framlingham College.
Cross College Road (B1116) and take the footpath through Danforth Close and Danforth Drive. Cross Mount Pleasant (B1119) and follow the road through the housing to pick up the footpath through the wood and across the field to New Street.
Turn right up New Street and take the driveway (towards New Street Farm) on the left, turning off to the right at the footpath sign. Follow the edges of the field, cross the field to the copse. Cross the next field then the footbridge before turning right and along the path to the minor road.
Follow the road, taking the second footpath right towards Brunswick Farm. Turn left along the drive and left along the road.
Turn right and follow the footpath across the fields past Red House Farm and over the next field to Brook Lane. Turn right along Brook Lane, taking the left turning up Vyces Road to College Road. Turn right then take the first left into New Road to get back to the Elms car park.
Framlingham Town Council Postcard Walks #2
