Project summary
The Sawston Greenway will be an active travel route to make it easier for walkers, cyclists and horse riders to travel from Sawston into Cambridge. It is one of twelve Greater Cambridge Greenways. These will make it easier both to travel in a pleasant and sustainable way into and out of Cambridge and to enjoy our countryside for leisure purposes. They will also help to make local journeys such as school and nursery runs safer and easier. In some cases these are new routes, or routes with new sections, while others will be based on existing paths.
The map below is indicative and not to scale. You can download a high-res pdf of this map and a cycling time guide from the Related Documents section below. As the project progresses, we will update each section.
Key benefits
- Green active travel into and out of Cambridge for walkers, cyclists and horse riders
- Easy and safe travel to work places, local schools and colleges, including Sawston Village College and Cambridge sixth form colleges and schools, shops and transport hubs.
- Improved access to Shelford Station and a safer crossing of the railway
- Links to the Trumpington section of the Busway, via the Addenbrooke’s spur
- Links to the Linton Greenway via Ninewells residential development.
- Links to the National Cycle Network 11 to Whittlesford Station and beyond
Current status
A public consultation has taken place and the report was approved by the GCP Executive Board on 01 October 2020 (see the Agenda Pack pages 43-56 for the Greenway Report). Following the Board's approval, we have started the process of detailed design.
Latest update
- As part of the detailed design work, we will carry out site surveys and liaise with landowners and others along the planned route.
- The choice of surface material for each part of the Greenway will take into account the surrounding environment and landscape as well as the needs of the path users. The Greenway path must be useable in all weathers and all seasons.
- We will make sure that off-road sections are well signposted.
- Safety will be a top priority when the Greenways are on or near public roads.
- Finally, the Greenways project aims to make improvements to the environment. We will create places to sit and enjoy the surroundings as well as supporting wildlife and developing bee-friendly corridors.
Project details
The Sawston Greenway runs for 7.2 miles with an additional 1.8 miles of extra routing.
The draft route has two spurs from Sawston. The first starts at Sawston Village College and continues along Cambridge Road. The second starts on the A1301 by-pass near the proposed Huawei building (formally the site of Spicers). It continues to Stapleford via the Dernford Reservoir site and a path alongside the railway. There will be an improved off-road path direct to Shelford Station. The route will continue along a widened Genome path to Francis Crick Avenue on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, before ending at Long Road Sixth Form College and Cambridge Academy for Science and Technology on Robinson Way. We will install a new roundabout at the junction with Long Road. Making use of existing routes around the Cambridge Biomedical Campus it is possible to link with the Linton and Melbourn Greenways. There are also existing routes leading into Cambridge.
As a Quick Win, we have improved a pathway section along Cambridge Road and the A1301 between Sawston and Stapleford. This is to make travel to school safer for Sawston Village College students and other pathway users.
