Trip to Shippea Hill and taxi to Ely

[district]

I am visiting Shippea Hill station early next week. Can anyone recommend a taxi firm who will take us back to Ely after our visit? I don't want to get there, call a local firm and them think I'm taking the mick and messing around by asking to be picked up there so preferably would like to hear from anyone who has made the pilgrimage to Shippea Hill and taxied back.

Would anyone else like to share anecdotes or experiences of visiting this station?

 

[bspahh]

I got a mince pie on Christmas Eve http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=139448

We walked back then. Its about 9 miles. In spite if its name, its not very hilly. Rome2Rio says it will be about £20 for a taxi https://www.rome2rio.com/s/Shippea-Hill-Station/Ely-Station

Some local taxi firms are Fencabs, who are based in Prickwillow www.fencabs.co 01353 669 966
You could also try A10 Taxis 01353 661010

 

[district]

I got a mince pie on Christmas Eve http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=139448

We walked back then. Its about 9 miles. In spite if its name, its not very hilly. Rome2Rio says it will be about £20 for a taxi https://www.rome2rio.com/s/Shippea-Hill-Station/Ely-Station

Some local taxi firms are Fencabs, who are based in Prickwillow www.fencabs.co 01353 669 966
You could also try A10 Taxis 01353 661010

Many thanks. I hope you enjoyed your mince pie! I did the walk from Berney Arms to Reedham recently and that was 5 miles and nearly killed me (although I was getting intoxicated along the way so perhaps that was a contributing factor!)

Thanks again.

 

[36270k]

Littleport is only about 6 miles away along the A1101

 

[Kite159]

Littleport is only about 6 miles away along the A1101

Beware there are no pavements (at least until the turnoff for the Drainage Museum)

 

[bspahh]

If you want to walk from Shippea Hill to Ely station, this is a nice quiet route on decent paths https://goo.gl/maps/YtReX7Vy9yH2

It is 8.3 miles. The first bit from Shippea Hill to Prickwillow is along farm tracks to Spooner Farm. Then its on along the bank of the Lark and the pavement through Prickwillow, past the drainage engine museum http://www.prickwillowmuseum.com/ and the art gallery http://prickwillow.org/?page_id=42

When you get to the edge of Prickwillow, turn left and then immediately right. This takes you along the Hereward Way path https://www.ldwa.org.uk/ldp/members/show_path.php?path_name=Hereward+Way

You then cross the road, turn right. There isn't a proper pavement here, just a grass verge, but its only for about 100 metres. Then cross the river at Cuckoo Bridge. From here you should be able to see the 442s in storage at Potters http://www.railforums.co.uk/showpost.php?p=2864334&postcount=1217

Follow the path around the perimeter fence, cross the bridge and look out for Kingfishers, then walk across the car park for the factory to get to the path along side the river into Ely.

Once you are there, Peacocks tea room is just near the river www.peacockstearoom.co.uk It is nice, but not that cheap. There is a new Sainsbury's a quarter of a mile away, or you can go up the hill to the city centre, the cathedral and the main shopping area. The shops in Ely have everything you need, and very little that you want.

 

[swt class 450]

I am visiting Shippea Hill station early next week. Can anyone recommend a taxi firm who will take us back to Ely after our visit? I don't want to get there, call a local firm and them think I'm taking the mick and messing around by asking to be picked up there so preferably would like to hear from anyone who has made the pilgrimage to Shippea Hill and taxied back.

Would anyone else like to share anecdotes or experiences of visiting this station?

I have been here before but never by train. Back in December 2016 i took a train to Brandon than walked to Lakenheath then walked to Shippea Hill then walked to Ely and got a train home. I would only recommend doing this in the winter as in the summer it will be far too hot as there is hardly any trees to get any shade from the sun and heat.

Brandon to Lakenheath took me 1 hour and 4 minutes. Lakenheath to Shippea Hill took me 1 hour and 56 minutes. Shippea Hill to Ely took me 2 hours and 18 minutes. So in total i was walking for about five hours plus i spent time at both Lakenheath and Shippea Hill so the total time was about six hours. It was certainly a lot of walking.

I presume you are planning on getting the Saturdays Only service that calls at Shippea Hill at 19:27? The only other service is the Monday to Saturday service which calls at 07:28 but you would have to wake up extremely early for that!

Shippea Hill is definitely worth a visit. There is not much there but it is a nice rural station. And its quite a good place to do a bit of trainspotting.

 

[pdeaves]

I don't want to get there, call a local firm and them think I'm taking the mick and messing around by asking to be picked up there so preferably would like to hear from anyone who has made the pilgrimage to Shippea Hill and taxied back.

Alternatively, could you get the taxi there and then train onwards?

 

[Bishopstone]

If you want to walk from Shippea Hill to Ely station, this is a nice quiet route on decent paths https://goo.gl/maps/YtReX7Vy9yH2

It is 8.3 miles. The first bit from Shippea Hill to Prickwillow is along farm tracks to Spooner Farm.

Whilst undoubtedly a short-cut, this track does not appear to be a public right of way. The Hereward Way long distance path takes the walker on the B1382 and A1101 between Shippea Hill and Prickwillow.

 

[bspahh]

Whilst undoubtedly a short-cut, this track does not appear to be a public right of way. The Hereward Way long distance path takes the walker on the B1382 and A1101 between Shippea Hill and Prickwillow.

You are right that the track is not a public right of way. However, it is a well-made farm track. I'm sure that the landowners would rather not attract hikers on a long distance footpath. I don't know that the footfall of people walking from Shippea Hill, to Ely, typically before 8am, would be an practical issue.

The route along the road is not good for walking. The Google Streetview images are from 2011, and show a rough grass verge. I'm pretty sure its still like that. The roads have long straights, and the traffic can go very fast, on a surface that is quite bumpy. They don't have much traffic on them, but get quite a few accidents. I knew someone who was killed at the B1382 and A1101 junction in 2011.

 

[Bishopstone]

You are right that the track is not a public right of way. However, it is a well-made farm track. I'm sure that the landowners would rather not attract hikers on a long distance footpath. I don't know that the footfall of people walking from Shippea Hill, to Ely, typically before 8am, would be an practical issue.

In all likelihood the walk would proceed without incident. However, I thought it was worth noting as there is a small risk of:

i) Being challenged by the landowner/farm manager.
ii) Encountering a nasty 'get off my land!' type. The Tony Martin shooting incident happened barely ten miles from Shippea Hill, and also at an unsocial hour.
iii) Biggest risk - not being a right of way, the landowner is entitled to gate the track at any time.

I agree the alternative road walk looks unattractive. It's an expedition I'd like to attempt, but I'd be bringing a hi-vis jacket for the A-road stretch, and even then would feel nervous.

 

[Essexman]

I'm doing this trip this week. I've bought an OS map and was planning to walk along the farm track, so pleased to see it's a route others have tried. Looks like it's going tob e hot, even at 7.30am.

 

[PeterY]

Good luck District with your visit to Shippea Hill. It's certainly becoming a well know station. For me, living in Hertfordshire and the train times it's too awkward, for me to visit.
I did pass though yesterday (17th June) and looked out for the station. Some very remote stations between Ely and Norwich.

 

[Kite159]

Needless to say when the latest estimated usage figures are published, I wouldn't be surprised if Shippea Hill hasn't move off the bottom. A bit like Tees-Side Airport

 

[Bevan Price]

If you go on a Thursday morning, there is a bus service from Prickwillow to Ely at 10:05

http://www.travelineeastanglia.org....itdLPxx_spTr=1&itdLPxx_operatorCodeForTTB=LOR

And later, there is a 12:45 Prickwillow to Littleport.

Otherwise, the nearest buses seem to be at Lakenheath - about every 2 hours between Thetford, Lakenheath & Mildenhall (with connections to Bury St. Edmunds at Brandon or Thetford.

http://www.coachservicesltd.com/wp/timetables-maps/

 

[Essexman]

I did the trip today. I was the only passenger alighting as one would expect.

It’s a really nice walk, although somewhat hot even at 7.30 this morning. Took me four hours but with loads of stops to cool down under some of the very few trees on the way. There are no shops or pubs on the way. There is a café at the drainage engine museum in Prickwillow but it didn't open until 12.00.

The lane that’s marked on the map by the station is private. A sign indicates that it's private and trespassers will be prosecuted but I must have walked past without noticing it! Anyway there were lots of vehicles going up and down in relation to crop picking and no one challenged me.

It will all be in my next book – Remote Stations.
I’m visiting 40 of the most remote stations in Britain. Started with Corrour and will end with Altnabreac.

 

[Kite159]

Kildonan is quite remote

At least you won't have to do a long walk at Altnabreac