Only around 100 people live in the peaceful hamlet
A tiny hamlet near Cambridge provides scenic riverside views and picturesque cycle routes. Everything is starting to bloom as it gets closer to spring, which means the world looks brighter once more.
For those not wanting to venture far from Cambridge, one idyllic hamlet is the perfect place to visit in spring. This is Upware, a tiny hamlet between Chittering and Wicken.
Located on the east bank of the River Cam, Upware is a pretty place to walk in the warmer weather. Along the river edges, people can also admire the boats that line the river.
With Upware being so far away from roads, it will also be a quiet place to enjoy a walk. If you don’t want to walk, Upware also has some excellent cycle routes.
It is a popular place for flat and rural cycling, which also takes cyclists through the Wicken Fen Nature Reserve. For cycling, it is connected to the Lodes Way and National Cycle Network route 11.
As well as its tranquil views, Upware also has an interesting history. It is known to have existed since at least the 10th century and it is thought its name comes from a fishing weir on the river at the time.
No one lived in Upware in the 13th and 15th centuries, according to historical records. Forward to the 19th and 20th centuries and there were only 10 houses in the hamlet.
In the 1760s, it had its own pub called the Black Swan to serve those who travelled along the river. The Black Swan later became the Lord Nelson in 1806, and then the Five Miles from Anywhere: No Hurry from around 1850.
The pub building was rebuilt in 1811, but closed by the 1950s after a devastating fire. The current building was built in 1980 and it reopened as the Five Miles from Anywhere Inn in 1995. Today, only around 100 people live in Upware.