We’re a Ramblers group aimed mainly at people in their 20s, 30s and a bit beyond, offering guided hikes and social events across Herts, Beds and south Cambs.
This walk is for up to 25 people, including the leader.
Join us for a unique and unforgettable day trip to the Whittlesea Straw Bear Festival in Cambridgeshire! This lively event celebrates Fenland traditions with a vibrant procession, folk music, dancing, and the famous "Straw Bear" – a person dressed in a costume made of straw.
The event starts with the Straw Bear(s) leading a parade into town at 10:30am, then continuing to meander around Whittlesey (yes, there are two spellings of the town’s name), with colourful teams putting on displays of Morris and Molly dancing throughout the day, culminating in an afternoon finale in the market place. The Straw Bear custom dates back to at least the mid 19th century and was revived in 1980. More information on the history and festival can be found at www.strawbear.org.uk
The plan is to enjoy the dancing and festivities in town during the morning, then go for an optional walk after lunch to explore some of the nearby countryside, before returning for the dancing finale around 3pm.
Procession
The initial procession of the Straw Bear and dance groups is set to start at 10.30am. Based on last year’s event, this is likely to follow a short route from the Manor Leisure Centre, heading up Station Road towards Market Street and the marketplace (by the Buttercross and George Hotel). The town will be busy so if we don't manage to meet before the parade we'll find everyone afterwards. Feel free to explore the town and festival at your own leisure and meet the group at any point. There will be dance displays throughout the day in different locations plus other activites such as storytelling (and several pubs!)
Lunch
Various takeaway lunch options should be available (supermarkets, fish & chips, kebabs, Subway etc) or bring a packed lunch to save on queuing.
Friday Night
For anyone wanting to make a weekend of it, things kick off with a ceilidh (barn dance) on Friday evening at the Whittlesey Indoor Bowls Complex. Details and tickets (£12) available on the Straw Bear website. The walk leader plans to attend!
Please note the walk and event are not suitable for dogs.
For information about walking with the group, including our dog policy, please visit the Stag Walkers website.
Booking your place: Please book your place using the free Meetup website/app. Join the Stag Walkers Meetup group and click the 'Attend' button on the event page.
Please do not turn up for a walk without booking, as places are limited.
If the walk is fully booked, please click 'join waitlist' then please check back regularly as you will likely get a place. The waitlist gives priority to single bookings so if you wish to bring a guest, we recommend booking separately.
Unless you opt in to further communications, we will only use contact information you provide to get in touch about the walk.
This is a circular walk.
The start time is when we aim to start walking and the finish time is an estimate.
Walks are graded Easy, Leisurely, Moderate or Strenuous in increasing order of difficulty. Please read the walk description to check it is within your abilities and contact the group if you are unsure.
Please:
We are a Ramblers group, non-members are welcome to try us out for three free walks before joining Ramblers as a full member.
As a charity we ask that non-members consider making a voluntary donation to Ramblers until they purchase membership. We suggest £3-4 per walk. You can donate in person or online.
The Ramblers’ Association is a company limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales. Company registration number: 4458492. Registered Charity in England and Wales number: 1093577. Registered office: Stone King LLP, Boundary House, 91 Charterhouse Street, London EC1M 6HR.
The Buttercross, 1-4 Market St, Whittlesey, Peterborough PE7 1AF. Whittlesey is situated about 7 miles east of Peterborough and can be reached by both road and rail. If catching the train, take the Thameslink service to Peterborough which departs Stevenage at 8.45am (also calls at Hitchin, Biggleswade, St Neots and others), arriving at 9.36am, then change for the 9.52am Greater Anglia service to Ipswich. Whittlesea is the first stop, arriving at 10am. Return trains in the afternoon leave Whittlesea at 3.31pm and 5.31pm. If you plan to drive, please see the festival website for further information, last year it recommended using the Park & Ride setup at Sir Harry Smith Community College (which was close enough to walk from) and also noted some road closures.
