A good view does a lot for a pint. Cambridgeshire is better known for flat fields than lookouts, but that is exactly why its riverside gardens, cathedral corners and hilltop villages feel special: when the land is this level, a river bend or a rise of a few hundred feet changes everything. We went looking for pubs where the setting is the point, and found them on the Cam, the Great Ouse, the Nene and the New Bedford River, on village greens and at the top of the county’s highest village.
This guide covers fourteen pubs across Cambridge and the south, Huntingdonshire and the Great Ouse, and Ely, the Fens and Peterborough. Every one was checked in November 2026 against at least two sources, and where we found limited hours, access problems or winter flooding nearby, we have said so.
Details were accurate at the time of research in November 2026. Opening hours change, especially in winter, so please check each pub’s own website or social media before you travel.
Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire
In and around Cambridge the views are mostly of water: the Cam sliding past Midsummer Common and Fen Ditton, and the meadows south of the city at Grantchester. Further south the land lifts towards the chalk of the Hertfordshire and Essex borders, and the views open out over fields and village greens.
The Fort St George, Cambridge
Indoor and outdoor
- A riverside pub on Midsummer Common, with parts of the building dating from the 16th century
- The pub was originally built on an island and takes its name from Fort St George in Madras
- The large main bar has river views, and a large patio looks out over Midsummer Common
- The snug has an open fire and a tiled floor, which makes it a good winter choice when the patio is too cold
- Run by Greene King, with Greene King IPA among the beers on the bar
- Open from noon every day, until 11pm Monday to Saturday and 10pm on Sunday
- Dogs are welcome, and tables can be booked online through the Greene King website
- The pub is listed as an Asset of Community Value
Address: Midsummer Common, Cambridge CB4 1HA
Website: greeneking.co.uk/pubs/cambridgeshire/fort-st-george
Phone: 01223 354327
How to book: Online through the pub’s page on the Greene King website
The Fort St George is the easiest riverside drink in the city, because you can walk to it from the centre in a few minutes across the common. On a summer evening the patio fills with people watching rowing crews and narrowboats on the Cam, with cows grazing the common behind them. The building is low and old, and the snug is the place to be on a wet afternoon. It gets very busy on warm weekends, so arrive early for an outside table. Parking around the common is limited, so walk, cycle or use the park and ride.
The Plough, Fen Ditton
Indoor and outdoor
- A village pub at Fen Ditton, just downstream of Cambridge, with a very large garden running down to the River Cam
- The straight stretch of river in front of the garden is known as Plough Reach, named after the pub
- The pub promotes its garden as a place to watch the Cambridge bumps rowing races on the Cam
- A fire pit in the beer garden extends the outdoor season into cooler evenings
- Open from 11:30am daily, until 10:30pm Monday to Saturday and 10pm on Sunday
- Food is served through the day, with lunch, dinner and Sunday menus published on its website for 2026
- The pub has its own car park, is family friendly and has a real fire inside
Address: Green End, Fen Ditton, Cambridge CB5 8SX
Website: theploughfenditton.co.uk
Phone: 01223 293264
How to book: Online through the pub’s website, or by phone
The Plough is the pub to choose when you want the river without the city crowds. The garden slopes to the Cam, and on race days during the bumps the bank fills with supporters shouting crews along the reach. On an ordinary weekday it is calm, with rowers, swans and the odd cyclist on the towpath opposite. You can walk here along the river from Cambridge, which makes it a good end point for an afternoon on foot. Book ahead for Sunday lunch, especially in summer.
The Green Man, Grantchester
Indoor and outdoor
- A 17th century building, possibly older, first recorded as a pub in 1847
- The pub reopened in early 2023 after a three year closure and a major refurbishment
- Its long, narrow garden runs down to a footpath that leads to Grantchester Meadows and the river
- A covered and heated terrace with its own grill and bar means you can sit outside in cooler months
- Inside are low ceilings, oak beams, a log burner and a secluded snug
- Dogs are welcome in all areas, including the dining room and terrace
- There is a level side entrance and an accessible toilet, although the front entrance has a step
- The pub takes card payments only
Address: 59 High Street, Grantchester, Cambridge CB3 9NF
Website: thegrantchestergreenman.com
Phone: 01223 953661
How to book: Online through the pub’s website or OpenTable
Grantchester is the classic walk out of Cambridge, and the Green Man is the pub whose garden points straight at the meadows. Sit at the far end and you are looking towards the path the walkers and punters use, rather than at a car park. The pub appeared in the TV series Grantchester, so expect the occasional visitor taking photos. Inside it is properly old, with beams low enough to duck under. It suits a long lunch after the meadow walk, and the heated terrace makes it worth a visit outside summer too.
The Three Tuns, Great Abington
Indoor and outdoor
- A compact 16th century free house facing the village cricket green in Great Abington
- There is seating at the front, looking towards the green, and a grassed area beyond the rear car park
- The kitchen is known for its Thai menu, cooked by chefs from Thailand, with takeaway available
- Nine en suite bedrooms sit in a purpose built block behind the pub
- Greene King IPA is the regular beer, usually with two changing guest ales
- The pub won Cambridge and District CAMRA’s rural LocAle Pub of the Year award in 2017
- The bar closes in the afternoons from Monday to Thursday, and food at weekends is evening only
- The number 13 bus stops about 100 metres away
Address: 75 High Street, Great Abington, Cambridge CB21 6AB
Website: thethreetuns-greatabington.co.uk
How to book: Through the pub’s website
This is a village pub with a village view. On a summer Saturday you can sit out front with a pint and watch the cricket on the green opposite, which is about as gentle a way to spend an afternoon as the south of the county offers. The building is small inside, with two bars and wood panelling. The Thai food is the surprise, and many people come for that alone. Great Abington sits just off the A11, so it is easy to reach from Cambridge or on the way back from the coast.
The Pheasant, Great Chishill
Indoor and outdoor
- Described by both the parish and CAMRA as the highest pub in Cambridgeshire
- The building dates from the 1630s and keeps dark exposed beams and original features
- A large beer garden and patio look out over the rolling fields around the village and catch the summer sun
- Run by Nutwood Pubs
- The pub is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays; the kitchen serves lunch and early evening food from Wednesday to Saturday, and lunch on Sundays
- A monthly quiz runs on a Wednesday evening, and Thursday is pie night
- The pub is dog friendly and family friendly, with an accessible toilet
- Wood fires burn in winter
Address: 24 Heydon Road, Great Chishill, Royston SG8 8SR
Website: nutwoodpubs.com/pheasant
Phone: 01763 299999 (option 2)
How to book: By phone or email through the pub’s page on the Nutwood Pubs website
Great Chishill sits on the chalk ridge near the Hertfordshire border, and it is the nearest thing Cambridgeshire has to a hill village. The pub garden faces open, rolling farmland, a view that surprises people who think the whole county is flat. It makes a good destination for a walk or a bike ride, though the climb up to the village is real by local standards. Inside it is beamed and cosy, with fires in winter. It is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, so plan a visit for later in the week.
Huntingdonshire and the Great Ouse
The Great Ouse runs through the heart of Huntingdonshire, past St Neots, Huntingdon and St Ives before it reaches the edge of the Fens at Earith. The pubs here are almost all about the river: old bridges, marinas, moorings and water meadows that flood in winter.
The River Mill, Eaton Socon
Indoor and outdoor
- A pub converted from a flour mill on the River Great Ouse at Eaton Socon, on the edge of St Neots
- The patio looks over the river and the marina, and moorings are available for boaters
- Upstairs there is a galleried restaurant above the bar, and downstairs opens onto a pond viewing deck
- The pub opens at 9am for breakfast, which makes it a good early stop on a riverside walk
- Dogs are welcome downstairs, on a lead and off the furniture
- Step-free access is via the car park entrance, and there is a disabled toilet
- There is parking for more than 20 cars, and buses 905, 61 and 63 stop about 400 metres away
- It closes at 6pm Monday to Thursday, 9pm on Fridays and Saturdays and 7pm on Sundays
Address: School Lane, Eaton Socon, St Neots PE19 8GW
Website: therivermillpub.co.uk
Phone: 01480 219612
How to book: Online through the pub’s reservation page, or by phone for groups of more than ten
The River Mill is a big, busy family pub with one of the best waterside positions in the St Neots area. Boats come and go from the marina all day in summer, and the patio is the place to watch them. The Ouse Valley Way passes close by, so it suits walkers heading between St Neots and Paxton Pits. The pub runs regular events, including Sunday lunches with live music through November 2026. It closes at 6pm early in the week, so it suits a daytime visit midweek.
The Bridge House, St Neots
Indoor and outdoor
- A 16th century riverside pub and restaurant on Market Square, beside the bridge over the Great Ouse
- A riverside patio at the back is popular in summer
- There are two bars with exposed beams, one with an open fire and leather chairs
- The building had a major refurbishment in 2013
- An a la carte menu runs alongside a Sunday roast, and a supper club menu is served on weekday afternoons
- Step-free access to the bar, restaurant and main toilets, but there is no accessible toilet
- Dogs and families are welcome, and there is a pool table
- The X5 bus stops nearby
Address: 1 Market Square, St Neots PE19 2AP
How to book: Through the pub’s Facebook page
The Bridge House is the town centre choice for a drink by the river in St Neots. Step through to the back and the Great Ouse is right there, with the town bridge alongside. It is a handy stop if you are visiting the market or walking the riverside park. The interior is old and beamed, with a fire in the cooler months. We could not find a website, so use its Facebook page or call in to check times.
Floods Tavern, St Ives
Indoor and outdoor
- An Elgood’s pub on The Broadway in St Ives, right on the River Great Ouse
- The riverside terrace looks across to the 15th century St Ives Bridge and the Holt Island nature reserve
- An outdoor bar opens on the terrace in summer
- The building was a bank until 1977, and the name refers to the regular flooding of the river next door
- The pub was refurbished in autumn 2023
- Up to two cask ales come from Elgood’s Brewery in Wisbech, including Cambridge Bitter
- There is a step at the front, step-free access through the side door and no accessible toilet
- Winter opening hours are limited, so check the Facebook page before a cold weather visit
Address: 27 The Broadway, St Ives PE27 5BX
Website: facebook.com/floodstavern
How to book: Through the pub’s Facebook page
St Ives Bridge, with its chapel built into the middle, is one of the best known sights in Huntingdonshire, and Floods gives you a front row seat. On a summer evening the terrace bar is the place to be, with boats on the river and the meadows beyond. The name is honest: this stretch of river does rise in winter, and the riverside walks nearby can go under water. The pub is a short walk from the town centre. Live music runs on Friday and Saturday nights in summer.
The Crown, Earith
Indoor and outdoor
- A village pub on Earith High Street with a riverside garden overlooking the Great Ouse
- Free moorings are available for customers arriving by boat
- There is a public bar with pool and darts and a separate lounge
- Two changing cask ales are served, with no fixed regular beer
- Open from noon every day, until 10pm most nights and midnight on Fridays and Saturdays
- Food is served from Tuesday to Saturday at lunchtime and in the evening, and on Sunday until 4pm, but not on Mondays
- Families and dogs are both welcome, and there is parking
Address: 48 High Street, Earith, Huntingdon PE28 3PP
How to book: No website found; check the pub’s CAMRA WhatPub listing or call in
Earith is where the Great Ouse meets the Fens, and the Crown’s garden looks over the river close to where the Bedford rivers begin their straight run north east. Beyond the village the land flattens into the Ouse Washes, and on a clear evening the sky seems to go on for ever. This is a down to earth local rather than a dining pub, which is part of its appeal. Boaters can tie up for free and walk straight into the garden. Roads across the washes nearby, including the Sutton Gault causeway, can flood in winter, so check before driving across from the Ely side.
Ely, the Fens and Peterborough
In the north and east of the county the views get longer and the water gets straighter. Ely Cathedral stands over the surrounding fen, the New Bedford River cuts a dead straight line across the landscape, and the Nene runs through the middle of Peterborough.
The Dyke’s End, Reach
Indoor and outdoor
- The last pub in Reach, on Fair Green at the northern end of the Devil’s Dyke, the Anglo-Saxon earthwork that runs for 7.5 miles across the chalk
- A front garden overlooks the village green, and a rear garden sits among fruit trees
- The pub was saved from closure by villagers; the freehold now belongs to the parish council and a covenant keeps it as a pub
- It is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, opens from 5pm Wednesday to Friday and from noon at weekends
- Food is served at set times each day it is open, so check before planning a meal
- There is bar billiards and a real fire, and Friday is fish and chip night, by pre-order only
- Family and dog friendly, with an accessible toilet and parking
- The Stagecoach T4 bus stops about 50 metres away
Address: 8 Fair Green, Reach, Cambridge CB25 0JD
Website: dykesendreach.co.uk
Phone: 01638 743816
How to book: By email or phone through the pub’s website
Reach is a small fen-edge village with an unusually large green, and the Dyke’s End sits right on it. Walk the Devil’s Dyke from the south and you come down off the bank almost at the pub door, which makes it one of the best finishing points for a walk anywhere in the county. The front garden looks across Fair Green, where the Reach Fair is held every early May bank holiday Monday. Inside it is a proper village local with a log burner and bar billiards. Remember it is shut on Mondays and Tuesdays, which catches out a lot of walkers.
The Minster Tavern, Ely
Indoor and outdoor
- A pub on Minster Place directly opposite the west tower of Ely Cathedral
- CAMRA describes it as the oldest pub in Ely
- The pub was refurbished and launched a new menu in January 2026
- Opens at 10am on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, when breakfast is served, and at 11am the rest of the week
- Run by Stonegate, with Fuller’s London Pride and Hobgoblin Gold among the regular beers
- A quiz runs on Tuesday nights, and live sport is shown
- Dogs are welcome, and get a free drink and biscuits
- It is a few minutes’ walk from the High Street shops
Address: 1 Minster Place, Ely CB7 4EL
Website: pubsmiths.co.uk/minster-tavern-ely
Phone: 01353 668492
How to book: Online through the pub’s website
Most pubs with a cathedral view see it from a distance across the fen. At the Minster Tavern the west tower is across the road, close enough that you have to lean back to see the top. It is a good place to wait for evensong, or to rest after climbing the cathedral towers. The pub itself is a straightforward town pub with sport on the screens, so come for the location rather than a quiet corner. For the classic long view of the cathedral, walk ten minutes downhill to the riverside and look back up the hill.
The Three Pickerels, Mepal
Indoor and outdoor
- A family run pub and restaurant on the bank of the New Bedford River at Mepal, west of Ely
- New riverside decking is used for drinks and dining outside in summer
- The bar overlooks the river and is dog friendly
- The building reopened after a major renovation and now has boutique bedrooms, some with riverside balconies
- One changing cask ale is served, and there is a real fire in the front bar
- Disabled access is listed throughout the building
- Christmas party and Christmas Day menus for 2026 are on the website
Address: 19 Bridge Road, Mepal, Ely CB6 2AR
Website: thethreepickerels.co.uk
Phone: 01353 777777
How to book: Online or by phone through the pub’s website; booking is recommended for event nights
The New Bedford River, also called the Hundred Foot Drain, was dug in the 1650s to drain the Fens, and it runs dead straight to the horizon in both directions. The Three Pickerels sits right beside it, and the decking puts you at the water’s edge with open fen sky above. Between here and the Old Bedford River lie the Ouse Washes, which flood in most winters and attract huge numbers of wildfowl. It is an easy drive from Ely or Chatteris on the A142. The renovation has pushed it upmarket, so treat it as a place for a meal or a special drink rather than a quick half.
Charters, Peterborough
Indoor and outdoor
- A pub on the lower deck of the Leendert-R, a 1907 Dutch cargo barge moored on the River Nene by Peterborough’s Town Bridge
- The barge carried sand and grain in Holland, Belgium and Germany until 1990 and opened as Charters in September 1991
- The pub describes its riverside beer garden as the largest in Peterborough, with covered areas on two levels and an outside bar
- Normally around eight real ales and eight real ciders are on
- Live music plays on Saturday evenings and Sunday afternoons
- A riverside pizza kitchen runs from Friday evening and through the weekend, depending on the weather
- Step-free access reaches the garden areas only, and there is no accessible toilet
- It can be very busy on Peterborough United match days
Address: Town Bridge, Peterborough PE1 1FP
Website: charters-bar.com
Phone: 01733 315700
How to book: By phone, or see the events page on the pub’s website
We featured the East restaurant on the barge’s upper deck in our restaurant guide, but the real draw for a drink is downstairs and outside. The garden runs along the Nene beside Town Bridge, with boats passing and the Embankment just downstream. It is a short walk from Peterborough station and the city centre, and the Nene Valley Railway is close by. Inside the barge the room is long, narrow and low, and you never quite forget you are on a boat. Charters holds an Easter beer festival and an international food festival, so check the events page for dates.
The Boathouse, Thorpe Meadows, Peterborough
Indoor and outdoor
- A large pub and restaurant built in 1989 at one end of the rowing lake at Thorpe Meadows, west of Peterborough city centre
- The large beer garden overlooks a tributary of the River Nene and is very popular in summer
- There is an undercover patio area for less settled weather
- Run by Chef and Brewer, part of Greene King, and open from 9am on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays for breakfast
- A small children’s play area makes it an easy choice for families
- Dogs are welcome in selected areas and in the gardens
- There is a car park and a disabled toilet
- Paths along the Nene through Nene Park start close by
Address: Thorpe Meadows, Peterborough PE3 6GA
Website: chefandbrewer.com/pubs/cambridgeshire/boathouse
Phone: 01733 898469
How to book: Online through the Chef and Brewer website
Thorpe Meadows is Peterborough’s rowing lake, and on a training morning you can watch crews working up and down the water. The Boathouse is a chain pub and makes no secret of it, but the setting is calm and green and the garden is big. It works well as a stop on a walk or ride along the Nene between the city and Ferry Meadows. Families like it because there is space to run around and a play area. Expect it to be busy on sunny weekends and at Sunday lunchtime.
Seasonal Highlights
Spring: The Reach Fair on Fair Green outside the Dyke’s End on the early May bank holiday Monday, the Charters Easter beer festival on the Nene in Peterborough, and longer evenings bringing the Cam back to life outside the Fort St George and the Plough from April.
Summer: The May Bumps on the Cam past the Plough at Fen Ditton in June, the summer outdoor bar on the riverside terrace at Floods Tavern in St Ives, cricket on the green opposite the Three Tuns at Great Abington, and evening sun on the garden at the Pheasant in Great Chishill.
Autumn: Event nights at the Three Pickerels in Mepal, as in October 2026, Sunday lunches with live music at the River Mill in Eaton Socon through November, and the first fires lit at the Green Man in Grantchester and the Dyke’s End in Reach.
Winter: Christmas Day 2026 bookings at the Fort St George, Christmas 2026 menus at the Three Pickerels and the Minster Tavern, the New Year’s Eve party at the Pheasant in Great Chishill, the Lent Bumps on the Cam in late winter, and flooded washes and wildfowl beyond the New Bedford River near Mepal.
A Note From Inside Cambridge
A view is only worth the trip if the pub is open when you get there, so we checked every one of these against recent listings and the pubs’ own websites. Some are closed early in the week, and riverside places often cut their hours in winter, so a quick check saves a wasted drive.
If you run one of these pubs, or you have a favourite view we missed, please get in touch. We would love to hear about the riverside garden, green or hilltop that should be on next year’s list.
Before You Go
- Check opening hours before you set off, especially early in the week, as the Dyke’s End and the Pheasant are both closed on Mondays and Tuesdays
- Riverside gardens are weather dependent, so look for pubs with covered or heated terraces, such as the Green Man, Charters and the Boathouse, if the forecast is mixed
- Roads across the Ouse Washes, including the Sutton Gault causeway near Mepal and Earith, can flood between November and March, so check before driving across
- Riverside paths along the Great Ouse at St Ives and St Neots, and along the Cam, can flood or turn muddy in winter, so wear proper shoes if you are walking in
- Several of these pubs can be reached by boat, with moorings at the River Mill, the Crown in Earith and Charters
- Book ahead for Sunday lunch and for summer weekend tables outside, which go first at the Plough and the Green Man
- The Green Man takes card payments only, so do not rely on cash there
- Use the park and ride or walk for the Fort St George, as parking near Midsummer Common is very limited
- Check dog rules before you go, as some pubs allow dogs in the bar and garden only
