Nikki Leighton heads off camping when she takes her two dogs to a park in Cambridgeshire that comes with its own fishing lake
Entrance and Fields
We were looking for a place to visit that catered for touring and non-touring so that we could enjoy a trip away with family. Having visiting other Tranquil Parks’ sites, we recognised that this site would also be of a high standard. On arrival at the site we were greeted by the friendly Mickie, who made our check-in seamless. We received a booklet which gave us information on the site’s amenities, including fishing, the one-stop shop and an on-site cafe. Fishing is included in the pitch fee for Waterside which meant that we could fish directly from our pitch from 7am until after dusk or 9:30pm. The only stipulation to the fishing is that reception staff need to see any landing nets dipped before issuing a fishing permit, which needs to be obtained before setting up to fish. The fish in the lake consist mostly of mirror and common carp weighing in at a maximum of 7lb. If you want bigger specimens, The Pit boasts a greater variety of fish weighing up to 27lb, for an additional fee. Other than the main caravan park there are three other areas that you can choose from on site. ‘The Paddock’ has a mix of grass and hardstanding pitches, and also has a designated camping corner, suitable for tents up to 6x4m. Woodside is smaller and more private, accommodating six fully serviced pitches for motorhomes, caravans and trailer tents, and has direct access to the woodland walk. Finally, there is Waterside where we had one of 20 fully serviced pitches surrounding a lake, inclusive of its own swim for the duration of our stay. Unlike most touring pitches, this set up was different in that we were able to position our caravan nose in first to allow us the pleasure of taking in the views of the lake while enjoying a cup of tea or coffee in the morning. The site also has six luxury self-catering lodges with hot tubs. Three have private gardens, ideal if you have dogs staying with you, which we found advantageous while spending time with family at their lodge. There are a mix of one- and two-bed lodges, which are all dog friendly and also offer an optional log burner for the cooler months. The one-stop shop within reception supplies locally produced jams and preserves as well as your everyday essentials. It offers a variety of fishing bait, light tackle and other supplies should you get stuck for anything during your stay. It also sells an array of dog treats, food, toys, poo bags and even dog ice cream. A booklet also provided details of three circular walks ranging between 3.2 and 4.9 miles directly from the site into Doddington.
View from our Caravan
In the village there are two dog friendly pubs, The George and The Three Tuns, as well as a newsagents and One-Stop convenience store, all of which are on the larger walking route detailed in the booklet. While we tend to visit sites where dogs go free, we made an exception for our visit on the basis that everything this site had to offer for ourselves and our two Springer Spaniels, Hollie and Lily. There is a 2km mowed dog walk weaving around the lakes and through the woodland, plus a large secure fenced off-lead area with some agility equipment. On speaking with reception staff, the site has plans to add dog washing facilities as their winter project ahead of next year’s season. On our first evening we decided to sample the on-site cafe, which is open Tuesday to Sunday evenings 5–8pm. Run by a lovely couple of 47 years, Pauline and Colin, the cafe is more of a summer house, but the food is extremely good value for money and Pauline is an attentive host who cannot do enough to make sure you have everything you need. The cafe only serves soft or hot drinks, but encourages you to bring your own drinks if you wish to.
Ely Cathedral
The following morning we travelled 21 miles south towards Huntingdon to visit Hitchingbrooke Country Park. It has a mix of open grassland, meadows, woodlands and lakes covering 180 acres. There are some wildlife areas which require you to put dogs on a lead, but otherwise the majority of the park enables dogs to run free as long as they are under control. During peak times the park also has a dog friendly cafe, which serves all day breakfast baps and a variety of other lunch and cake options. Just 12 minutes’ drive into March is the Black Rock Grill & Smokehouse based within the Three Lions pub. Dogs are allowed in the bar or in the large outdoor seating area. They have an extensive menu and portion sizes are extraordinarily generous; the staff offered us a bowl of water for the dogs straight away, and couldn’t give our girls enough attention. I think they were secretly surprised at how quiet and relaxed they were for two young springers. The following day we decided to visit the city of Ely, about 25 minutes from the site. There are a couple of long-stay car parks in the city which are free, but we recommend parking at the Fisherman’s car park situated next to Ely Country Park. We did the Kingfisher circular walk through the park and along the river, to allow the dogs to cool off with a swim, before walking into the city. Our first port of call was Ely Cathedral, the heart of the city, and the first historic place we have found to welcome dogs on leads. Within its grounds were a number of sculptures; one in particular was of a weary looking seated man, as pictured with Hollie between his legs. We later discovered that he was one of many sculptures exhibited at the cathedral as part of Sean Henry’s ‘Am I My Brother’s Keeper?’ which was on display between April and September 2024.
Agility at Fields End
ELY CENTRE
We discovered a number of dog friendly cafes, tearooms and pubs in the city of Ely, but decided to lunch in an outside seating area of the Ely Grazing Company. They supply an array of food platters as well as hot and cold food and drink options. To our surprise there was a craft, food and vintage market being held in the market square. I couldn’t help but stop by a stall called Macs Munchies, which sold homemade dog treats, cakes and bakes. On the way back to the carpark we decided to stop by a real ale and craft beer cafe called 3 at 3, which welcomes dogs onto their terrace. For the ale connoisseur, they house a bottled beer library of over 150 different real ales. Should you not feel like eating out, Doddington does have its own Fish Bar, which caters for more than just fish and chips. While we didn’t get a chance to sample it, there is also a takeaway located in Doddington called Stacked and Loaded which had an array of unique burger combinations. One of the most quirky is the Yankee Stack. While not everyone’s cup of tea, peanut butter and chilli jam on a burger sounded intriguing. Needless to say our trip in North Cambridgeshire was enjoyable, but we do feel Cambridgeshire as a whole has a lot more to offer so we plan to find a site more centrally located to allow us the opportunity to explore the historic landmarks of Cambridge itself and other areas of its surrounding green and woodland spaces.
Lodges at Field End
FACT FILE
Fields End Water Caravan Park. Lodges and Fishery (adults only)
ADDRESS Benwick Road Doddington, March, PE15 0TY
CONTACT Via website or phone 01354 740199
PRICE Peak season (July-August) £42 per night. Additional Charge options, awning, £1 per night, dogs £1.50 per dog.
WEBSITE fieldsendwater.co.uk
