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Location notes
On the northern outskirts of Cambridge. The bridge is over the Cambridge to Newmarket line.
Railway type and traffic
Usual traffic is the Cambridge to Ipswich local service. Operated by National Express East Anglia the service will usually be worked by Sprinter units, 150/156s.
Environment
You will be standing on a footbridge in the middle of a common, close to a residential area (and not far from Cambridge United's Abbey Stadium). Locals are generally friendly. The bridge itself is of lattice construction so there are no problems seeing over the sides.
Road directions
There are slightly shorter ways from the A14 junctions, but they are likely to hit traffic jams. Cambridge is quite a congested city! Coldhams Lane is busy road in itself.!.
From A14 Cambridge northern by-pass, travelling eastbound:
Leave at the B1047 (Fen Ditton, Horningsea) junction, and turn right towards Cambridge and through Fen Ditton. At the traffic lights (T junction) turn right, and follow the 'joint' directions below.
From the A14 Cambridge northern by-pass, travelling westbound:
Leave at the A1303 (Cambridge, Stow-cum-Quy) junction and turn left at the roundabout (1st exit) onto the A1303 towards Cambridge. After passing Cambridge airport and entering the built-up area, follow the 'joint' directions below.
Joint directions:
Turn left at the roundabout (1st exit) into Barnwell Road, and then, immediately after the railway bridge, turn right (3rd exit) at the roundabout beside Sainsbury's into Coldham's Lane. About 0.5 miles along this road Coldham's Common appears on the right; park here and walk across the common to the footbridge you can see (past the children's play area).
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Cambridge - Coldham's Common map co-ordinates
From A14 Cambridge northern by-pass, travelling eastbound:
Leave at the B1047 (Fen Ditton, Horningsea) junction, and turn right towards Cambridge and through Fen Ditton. At the traffic lights (T junction) turn right, and follow the 'joint' directions below.
From the A14 Cambridge northern by-pass, travelling westbound:
Leave at the A1303 (Cambridge, Stow-cum-Quy) junction and turn left at the roundabout (1st exit) onto the A1303 towards Cambridge. After passing Cambridge airport and entering the built-up area, follow the 'joint' directions below.
Joint directions:
Turn left at the roundabout (1st exit) into Barnwell Road, and then, immediately after the railway bridge, turn right (3rd exit) at the roundabout beside Sainsbury's into Coldham's Lane. About 0.5 miles along this road Coldham's Common appears on the right; park here and walk across the common to the footbridge you can see (past the children's play area).
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Cambridge - Coldham's Common map co-ordinates
Parking
Park on Coldham's Lane or one of the side roads.
Public transport
Walk from Cambridge railway station - about 1.25 miles.
Go through the station car park to the far corner, by the cycle bridge, and turn right along Devonshire Road. At the end turn right on Mill Road, over the railway bridge, and then 3rd left into Sedgewick Street. Continue along its length (it becomes Cromwell Road by the vehicular width restrictions), and you eventually reach Coldham's Lane - the footbridge is visible across the common.
Walk from Drummer Street bus station - about 1.25 miles.
Cross Christ's Pieces (the 'park' area beside the bus station) to its far corner and the Four Lamps roundabout (by Wesley Methodist Church). Turn right at the roundabout along Maid's Causeway and at the big roundabout go straight ahead into Newmarket Road (use the subways), staying on the right hand side of this dual carriageway. At the traffic lights turn right into Coldham's Lane, and continue over the railway bridge - Coldham's Common is on the left, and the footbridge will be visible.
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Go through the station car park to the far corner, by the cycle bridge, and turn right along Devonshire Road. At the end turn right on Mill Road, over the railway bridge, and then 3rd left into Sedgewick Street. Continue along its length (it becomes Cromwell Road by the vehicular width restrictions), and you eventually reach Coldham's Lane - the footbridge is visible across the common.
Walk from Drummer Street bus station - about 1.25 miles.
Cross Christ's Pieces (the 'park' area beside the bus station) to its far corner and the Four Lamps roundabout (by Wesley Methodist Church). Turn right at the roundabout along Maid's Causeway and at the big roundabout go straight ahead into Newmarket Road (use the subways), staying on the right hand side of this dual carriageway. At the traffic lights turn right into Coldham's Lane, and continue over the railway bridge - Coldham's Common is on the left, and the footbridge will be visible.
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Amenities
Asda supermarket 0.25 miles west along Coldham's Lane (over railway bridge and turn left at the roundabout); Sainsbury's supermarket 0.5 miles east along Coldham's Lane (see road directions). Other shops (including chippy and other take-always) on Mill Road (see walking directions from railway station). Plenty of pubs within 0.5-1 miles, many serving food, and several listed in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide - head towards station or city centre for most of them. City centre just over 1 mile away.
Accommodation
Several hotels and Bed and Breakfasts in the area.
Sun Compass
Sun Compass using Suncalc by brought to you by Vladimir Agafonkin:
It might be necessary to adjust the time to suit your visit, this link should open with the current day.
Cambridge - Coldham's Common
Streetmap links
Cambridge - Coldham's Common general view map
Cambridge - Coldham's Common close up map
Windows Local Live Link - image quality may vary
Cambridge - Coldham's Common
It might be necessary to adjust the time to suit your visit, this link should open with the current day.
Cambridge - Coldham's Common
Googly map
Cambridge - Coldham's Common general view map
Cambridge - Coldham's Common close up map
Windows Local Live Link - image quality may vary
Cambridge - Coldham's Common
Who likes this location on facebook
Railway Gen Group
Photographic notes
The line runs north west - south east, and when the line was singled in the 1980s the down (eastbound) line was retained. The best shots are of eastbound trains (or going away shots of westbound trains) from mid to late morning until late afternoon (or later with the sun off the nose) - stand on the footbridge steps. Shots from the north side of the line earlier in the morning are not possible due to line side bushes. In winter, beware of shadows from line side vegetation. Use a standard lens.
For videographers there may be a little faint background traffic noise - Coldham's Lane is quite busy.
For videographers there may be a little faint background traffic noise - Coldham's Lane is quite busy.
General views - All photographs © Brian Carter unless otherwise stated
Fig 1 - Looking north west
Taken on 31st March 1999 at around 12.30, with the angle of the light being perfect. It shows the front of a Cambridge-Ipswich working.
Disclaimer
All information contained within this is site is © Trainspots. The images used on this site remain the property of the original photographer, as credited at the top of the page, and are used with their kind permission.
The information on these pages is supplied for the benefit of railway enthusiasts who carry out a harmless hobby, and through the medium of photography and video, actually promote the railway industry. Railway enthusiasts can also act as eyes and ears against railway vandalism, and as such should surely be encouraged to do so by the supply of adequate information such as is found on this website.
This site has been created to assist railway photographers in their travels around the country. It is based on the personal knowledge and experience. No liability can be held against the web site or its contributions for incorrect information. Trainspots will endeavour to check all information and corrections will be accepted and posted accordingly.
Advice as to the locations general environment is given as a guide on each page. This information is a GUIDE only. ALWAYS be careful with your equipment, Trainspots can not be held responsible for your personal security. Avoid leaving your property on display for all to see, be aware of your surroundings at all times. There are, sadly, people who will not think twice about trying to steal your equipment.
Trainspots DOES NOT condone trespass and none of the information on this site should be taken as a right to trespass on either railway or private land. To the best of our knowledge all locations are publicly accessible areas, where they are not contact information will be given to the appropriate authority for permission to be obtained.
The content of this site is created and intended for all age ranges but the content of sites linked from this site are not subject to the same intentions. Trainspots will attempt to check links for validity but as time passes and the site grows this will not always be possible. Broken, or indeed updates to, links should be submitted to the editor for inclusion in the updates. All links external to the Trainspots site are opened in a new browser window. Trainspots has been running now for over 10 years and there are imitation sites and guides to railfotspots. But we are a free site and we continue on the path we started out on over a decade ago to provide a useful guide to UK Railway Photographic Locations.
The information on these pages is supplied for the benefit of railway enthusiasts who carry out a harmless hobby, and through the medium of photography and video, actually promote the railway industry. Railway enthusiasts can also act as eyes and ears against railway vandalism, and as such should surely be encouraged to do so by the supply of adequate information such as is found on this website.
This site has been created to assist railway photographers in their travels around the country. It is based on the personal knowledge and experience. No liability can be held against the web site or its contributions for incorrect information. Trainspots will endeavour to check all information and corrections will be accepted and posted accordingly.
Advice as to the locations general environment is given as a guide on each page. This information is a GUIDE only. ALWAYS be careful with your equipment, Trainspots can not be held responsible for your personal security. Avoid leaving your property on display for all to see, be aware of your surroundings at all times. There are, sadly, people who will not think twice about trying to steal your equipment.
Trainspots DOES NOT condone trespass and none of the information on this site should be taken as a right to trespass on either railway or private land. To the best of our knowledge all locations are publicly accessible areas, where they are not contact information will be given to the appropriate authority for permission to be obtained.
The content of this site is created and intended for all age ranges but the content of sites linked from this site are not subject to the same intentions. Trainspots will attempt to check links for validity but as time passes and the site grows this will not always be possible. Broken, or indeed updates to, links should be submitted to the editor for inclusion in the updates. All links external to the Trainspots site are opened in a new browser window. Trainspots has been running now for over 10 years and there are imitation sites and guides to railfotspots. But we are a free site and we continue on the path we started out on over a decade ago to provide a useful guide to UK Railway Photographic Locations.
