Nene Park is Peterborough’s long green corridor along the River Nene, running west from the edge of the city centre past Thorpe Meadows, Orton Mere and Ferry Meadows towards the A1. It opened in 1978 and is run by Nene Park Trust, a charity that charges nothing to walk in and calls its parking fees a vital source of income. Ferry Meadows is the part most people know, with its three lakes, cafés, play areas and miniature railway, but the quieter ends of the park are worth knowing too.
We have mentioned Ferry Meadows in our family, walking, fishing and dog guides. This is the full version: fifteen things to do across the park, with the 2026 parking tariff, opening hours, the works and plans you will hear about, and the paths that go under water in a wet winter.
Details were accurate at the time of research in November 2026. Opening hours, prices and event dates change, so please check nenepark.org.uk or each operator’s own website before you travel.
Ferry Meadows
Ferry Meadows is the country park at the centre of Nene Park, just under three miles from Peterborough city centre off the Oundle Road. Gunwade, Overton and Lynch lakes sit between the Visitor Centre at one end and the Lakeside area at the other, and almost everything below is clustered around one or the other.
Ferry Meadows Visitor Centre
Indoor and outdoor
- The Visitor Centre is the place to pick up park maps, trail leaflets and advice from staff on wildlife and what is running that day
- Autumn and winter opening is 10am to 4pm, seven days a week, and the centre closes on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day
- The shop stocks local food and drink, gifts, handmade items, toys, family essentials and dog treats
- A pre-loved children’s bookshop sells books for £1 to £2, and young readers can collect stamps on a Bookworm Club card
- Children can use a free craft table, with craft kits available for a small donation
- Duck food is sold for a donation, because bread is not good for the ducks
- Mobility scooters can be borrowed free for up to two hours during shop hours, with donations welcome
- A Changing Places toilet sits next to the main toilet block and opens with a Radar key during park hours, and there are accessible toilets in both toilet blocks and in the cafés
Address: Ferry Meadows, Ham Lane, Peterborough PE2 5UU
Website: nenepark.org.uk/things-to-do/ferry-meadows-visitor-centre
Phone: 01733 234193
How to book: No booking needed; call ahead to borrow a scooter
Start here if it is your first visit. The staff know which paths are flooded, which hide has been busy and whether the boat is running, and the free map makes sense of a park that is bigger than it looks from the car park. The children’s bookshop is a small thing that families come back for, at a price that makes it easy to say yes. Buy a bag of duck food rather than bringing bread, as the trust asks. The boat jetty and the miniature railway are both a few steps away.
Ferry Meadows Café and Lakeside Kitchen and Bar
Indoor and outdoor
- Ferry Meadows has two cafés, both run by Meadow Brown Restaurants, which signed a further ten year lease with Nene Park Trust
- Ferry Meadows Café sits next to the Visitor Centre and looks out over Overton Lake
- Lakeside Kitchen and Bar is at the far, Lakeside end of the park, overlooking Gunwade Lake, and also takes bookings for private functions
- Both list opening hours of 9am to 4pm on weekdays and 9am to 5pm at weekends, staying open until 6pm when it is busy, and all hours depend on the weather
- Hot food stops before closing time: the Ferry Meadows Café kitchen usually shuts between 3pm and 4pm, and the Lakeside kitchen closes an hour before the café
- Breakfast at Lakeside is served until 11:30am
- Menus include full breakfasts, wraps, burgers and a children’s menu, with a Nene Park lamb burger at Ferry Meadows Café and pizzas at Lakeside
- Lakeside only takes table bookings for groups of 10 or more, which need a pre-order and full payment
- Thorpe Meadows has a separate café run by a different operator, covered in the next section
Address: Ferry Meadows, Ham Lane, Peterborough PE2 5UU
Website: lakesidekitchenandbar.co.uk (both cafés)
Phone: Ferry Meadows Café 01733 234493; Lakeside Kitchen and Bar 01733 233218
How to book: Walk in; Lakeside takes table bookings for 10 or more
The two cafés split the park neatly. Ferry Meadows Café is the one by the main car park and the play areas, so it fills first on a sunny Saturday, while Lakeside is a longer walk and usually calmer, with lake views from inside and out. Neither is cheap, with a full breakfast at around £14. If you want a hot lunch, eat before 3pm, because the kitchens close well before the doors do.
Otter, Badger and Fox Play Areas
Outdoor activity
- Ferry Meadows has three natural play areas named after animals, spread between the Visitor Centre and Lakeside
- Otter Play, close to the Visitor Centre, is designed for younger children, with sand, water, rocks, trees, a slide and cradle swings
- Badger Play, a few minutes’ walk from the Visitor Centre, was refurbished in March 2026 for slightly older children
- The new Badger Play has bird nest turrets, climbing trunks, a slide, accessible swings and a wooded area for den building
- The rebuild was funded by a grant of £87,232 from FCC Communities Foundation after the old wooden equipment wore out
- Fox Play, near Lakeside, is the biggest, with 13 pieces of equipment including two zip wires, a climbing tower, tyre swings and a four-seat seesaw
- Pump-operated forest fountains at Fox Play mean children will get wet, so pack a towel and spare clothes in warm weather
- Fox Play includes an accessible upright swing and a wobbly bridge that wheelchair users can cross
- Thorpe Meadows has a smaller fourth playground beside its café
Address: Ferry Meadows, Ham Lane, Peterborough PE2 5UU
Website: nenepark.org.uk/things-to-do/play-areas
How to book: No booking needed
The play areas are built from timber, rope and natural materials rather than bright plastic, and they suit the park. Otter is the toddler choice and is right by the café and toilets, which matters with small children. Fox is the one older children ask for, mainly because of the zip wires, and it is a fair walk from the main car park, so it pairs well with lunch at Lakeside. Badger is the newest after its 2026 refurbishment. On a summer weekend all three get busy by late morning.
Nene Outdoors: Watersports, Bikes, Climbing and Archery
Indoor and outdoor
- Nene Outdoors is the trust’s watersports and activity centre on Gunwade Lake, open to the public from March to October with hours that vary through the season
- Swan and dragon pedalos, rowing boats, stand up paddleboards, kayaks and canoes are hired in 30 minute sessions, and two slots can be booked back to back
- Buoyancy aids, equipment and use of the changing rooms are included in the hire
- Qualified sailors can hire dinghies and windsurf boards, and accredited sailing courses run for adults and children
- Indoor climbing wall sessions for ages 4 and over and indoor archery for ages 8 and over run for 45 minutes on selected school holiday dates
- Bike hire covers adult and children’s bikes, mountain bikes and e-bikes, plus a tandem and a trike, and helmets are free with every hire
- Two waymarked cycle routes start from the park: the 4 mile Family Trail from Lakeside on blue markers, and the 7.5 mile Boathouse Trail on blue and red markers
- Winter bike and pedalo hire runs on the Saturdays of November 2026, from 10am to 3pm
- The centre is cashless, so pay by card or contactless
- An accessible changing room has a height-adjustable bench, a hoist and a shower during centre hours, and you need to bring your own sling
Address: Nene Outdoors, Ferry Meadows, Ham Lane, Peterborough PE2 5UU
Website: nenepark.org.uk/things-to-do/watersports-activities
Phone: 01733 234193
How to book: Online at tickets.nenepark.org.uk, at reception, by email or by phone; bikes through the hire link on the trust’s cycling page
Nene Outdoors is the busiest corner of the park in the summer holidays, when the pedalos are out on Gunwade Lake all afternoon. A dragon pedalo is the easy win with younger children, while teenagers tend to head for the paddleboards. The Family Trail is flat and traffic-free, so it is a good first ride for children who have just lost their stabilisers. Plans for a separate Lakeside Activity Centre, with indoor climbing, bouldering, a small café and a play area on the site of the former Lakeside car park, were resubmitted in July 2026. If they are approved and funded, the trust expects building to start in early 2027, with the first phase opening in early 2028.
Wyndham Boat Trips on Overton Lake
Outdoor activity
- Wyndham is an electric, near-silent passenger boat built by Landamores in 2020
- The boat is named after Wyndham Thomas, chief architect of Ferry Meadows in the 1970s
- Public trips last 45 minutes and take in Overton Lake and a stretch of the River Nene, with wildlife spotting on the way
- Tickets cost £11 per person, or £3 for children aged 4 and under
- Public trips run at weekends and every day in the school holidays, leaving from the jetty opposite the Visitor Centre
- The captains leave on time, so be at the jetty a few minutes early
- Wildlife trips last an hour and a half and cost £19 per person, and family wildlife trips and combined boat and bat walks run at certain times of year
- A gently sloping ramp and a hydraulic lift can take up to two manual wheelchair users at a time, and wheelchair users are asked to arrive about 15 minutes early
- Well-behaved dogs are welcome on board
- Private hire for up to 12 guests costs £158 for an hour, and you can bring your own refreshments
Address: Boat jetty opposite the Visitor Centre, Ferry Meadows, Ham Lane, Peterborough PE2 5UU
Website: nenepark.org.uk/things-to-do/take-a-boat-trip
How to book: Online at tickets.nenepark.org.uk or at the Visitor Centre
The boat trip is the gentlest way to see the park, and the electric motor means you hear the birds rather than an engine. Children like the moment the boat leaves the lake and noses out onto the river. The wildlife trips are better value if you are keen, with more time on the water and a guide who knows where the kingfishers sit. The lift is a genuine step forward for access, and the trust now lists it as part of the boat.
Ferry Meadows Miniature Railway
Outdoor activity
- A 10¼ inch gauge miniature railway that has run at Ferry Meadows since the park opened to the public in 1978
- It is run by a separate group, Ferry Meadows Railway, rather than by Nene Park Trust
- Trains leave from the main welcome area by the Visitor Centre car park and run to Lakeside, past views of Overton and Lynch lakes
- A single costs £2 and a return £3
- Trains run every weekend, weather permitting
- One carriage is a wheelchair coach, so wheelchair users can ride without leaving their chair
- The fleet includes a half-size Darjeeling B Class steam locomotive built by the railway’s own Laurence Hall, which arrived in 2012
- The railway’s operators also bring family events to the park, such as The Big Jump inflatable fun park and pop-up fairground rides
Address: Main welcome area, Ferry Meadows, Ham Lane, Peterborough PE2 5UU
Website: ferrymeadowsrailway.co.uk; nenepark.org.uk/things-to-do/miniature-railway
How to book: Check that trains are running before you go, especially on weekdays outside the holidays
The little railway is a Ferry Meadows tradition, and plenty of Peterborough parents rode it as children. It doubles as transport: take the train one way to Lakeside for Fox Play and the pedalos, then walk back round the lakes. The ride is short, so it is a treat rather than an outing in its own right. Do not confuse it with the full-size Nene Valley Railway, whose steam trains also stop at Ferry Meadows and are covered further down.
Ham Mere Bird Hides and Wildlife Watching
Outdoor activity
- Two bird hides in Ferry Meadows overlook Ham Mere
- Heron Hide has a bird feeder in front of it, so small birds are almost always in view
- Ham Mere dries out in long dry spells, so water birds can be thin on the ground after a hot summer
- Two viewing platforms look over Heron Meadow and one over Goldie Meadow, where winter brings snipe, egret, wigeon, gadwall and shoveler
- A newer platform at Gunwade Lake looks over a reedbed, and all the platforms are wheelchair accessible
- Sand martins breed in a nesting box on Lynch Lake every year and can be heard from March to October
- Floating tern rafts on Overton Lake have helped the tern population grow
- Otters and kingfishers use the River Nene, where a riverside boardwalk gives a good view
- The trust recorded 510 wildlife species across the park in 2025
- A rare American wigeon spent time on Gunwade Lake in January 2026, after being found by a local birder
Address: Ham Mere, Ferry Meadows, Ham Lane, Peterborough PE2 5UU
Website: nenepark.org.uk/things-to-do/wildlife-watching
How to book: No booking for the hides; guided wildlife walks and wildlife boat trips are booked through Nene Park
Ham Mere is the antidote to a busy Sunday at the lakes. A short walk from the café you can be sitting in a hide with only the feeder birds and the odd heron for company. Winter is the best season, when the restored water meadows hold ducks and waders and the light is low across the grass. Spring is good on the riverside boardwalk for butterflies and dragonflies. Bring binoculars, and check the trust’s news for the guided walks, which are cheap and well led.
Parking at Ferry Meadows
Outdoor activity
- Entry to the park is free, but every vehicle pays to park, every day, including Blue Badge holders, who pay the standard tariff and must display their badge in the marked bays
- Cameras read your number plate as you drive in, so there is no ticket; pay at a machine by entering your full registration, or pay online through the Nene Park website
- After paying you have 30 minutes to leave, and the exit barrier lifts when the camera recognises your paid registration
- Prices from February 2026 are £2.60 for up to an hour, £3.60 for two hours, £5.20 for three, £6.40 for four, £7.40 for up to eight hours and £7.80 for longer
- An annual Ferry Meadows parking membership costs £110, or £130 for the Plus version that also covers Orton Mere and Thorpe Meadows
- Parkrun runners can apply for a separate Saturday morning parking arrangement through the trust’s parking memberships page
- Vehicles can get in from 6:30am to 6:30pm until 28 March, to 9pm from 30 March to 27 September, and to 7pm from 28 September to 25 October; on foot or by bike the park is open at all times
- A 2.1 metre height barrier sits at the entrance to Ferry Meadows, so oversized vehicles with a Blue Badge need to arrange access in advance
Address: Main entrance off Oundle Road (A605), Peterborough; use PE2 5UU for sat nav
Website: nenepark.org.uk/parking-at-ferry-meadows
How to book: No booking; memberships are bought online through the trust’s parking pages
Parking is the one thing regulars grumble about, and the Blue Badge charge in particular. The money goes to a charity that gets no entry fee, which is the trust’s answer, and the camera system is at least quick. Over a long summer day the £7.80 top rate adds up, so anyone visiting more than a dozen times a year is better off with the £110 membership. Pay before you walk back to the car rather than at the barrier, and remember the 30 minute window.
Orton Mere, Thorpe Meadows and the Embankment
East of Ferry Meadows the park narrows into a green strip along the Nene towards the city. Orton Mere, Woodston Reach and Thorpe Meadows are quieter than the main park, cheaper to park at and busy with clubs, and the river path carries on to the Embankment by Peterborough city centre.
Orton Mere and Woodston Reach
Outdoor activity
- Orton Mere is a calmer lakeside area east of Ferry Meadows, with its main car park and an area map by the entrance
- Parking is free for the first 10 minutes, then £2.40 for an hour or £5.20 for up to 24 hours, and the car park is open at all times
- The main paths are tarmac and fairly flat, with mown grass routes around the pond
- Woodston Reach, a small wood of ash and hawthorn just east of Orton Mere, has a carved wildlife bench at Woodston Rest made from the park’s own oak and sycamore
- Paths at Woodston Reach have muddy patches, a couple of narrow footbridges and steep slopes between the woodland, Orton Mere and the housing estate next door
- Peterborough and District Angling Association runs the fishing here, with day tickets and annual memberships, and the same association runs the Gunwade and Overton lakes at Ferry Meadows, which can be fished all year
- Proteus Canoe Club is based here with direct river access and specialises in slalom, with a beginner-friendly course of easy grade 2 water at the sluice for most of the year
- Peterborough Model Power Boat Club sails on Osier Lake, reached by a tarmac path to a gravel platform
- Orton Mere station on the Nene Valley Railway is here, and marked horse routes with blue horseshoe signs run through the area
Address: Orton Mere, off Oundle Road, Peterborough; the railway uses PE2 7DA for sat nav
Website: nenepark.org.uk; fishinginpeterborough.co.uk for fishing
Phone: 01733 234193 (Nene Park Trust)
How to book: No booking for the park; fishing tickets through Peterborough and District Angling Association, and you need a rod licence from age 13
Orton Mere is where locals go when Ferry Meadows is heaving. It has the same river and the same wildlife without the crowds or the play areas, and a full day’s parking costs £5.20 against £7.80 at Ferry Meadows. The canoe club’s slalom poles hang over the sluice all year, and when the river is high in winter the water there gets lively. Woodston Reach is small, but its woodland path is a pleasant loop for a dog walk. Orton Mere has no café or toilets of its own; the nearest are at Thorpe Meadows, about 1.7km along the rowing lake.
Thorpe Meadows and the Embankment
Outdoor activity
- Thorpe Meadows is a quieter park just east of Ferry Meadows, built around a purpose-built rowing lake beside the Nene
- Peterborough City Rowing Club has been based on the lake since 1983, and its adult Learn to Row courses for anyone aged 16 or over run as eight two-hour sessions
- The Peterborough Summer Regatta ran on 15 and 16 August 2026, and the Sue Ryder Dragon Boat Festival brought around 60 teams to the lake on 20 June 2026
- The free Sculpture Trail links 13 permanent artworks over 2 miles (3.2km) and takes about an hour
- Thorpe Meadows Café is run by Tea and the Gang, which took over and reopened it at the end of July 2026 after the previous café closed suddenly
- The café currently opens daily from 8am to 5pm, is dog friendly and serves coffee, matcha, toasties, sandwiches and home-made cakes
- A small playground sits next to the café
- Parking is free for the first five minutes, then £2.40 for an hour or £5.20 for 24 hours, and the car park is open at all times
- From Orton Mere you reach Thorpe Meadows by crossing the Nene Valley Railway through self-closing gates and the footbridge over the lock, and the path on the north side is steep
- Downstream, Peterborough City Council’s Embankment has visitor moorings about 10 minutes’ walk from the city centre
Address: Thorpe Meadows, Peterborough; the Embankment, Peterborough city centre
Website: nenepark.org.uk/parks-places/thorpe-meadows; peterboroughcityrowing.co.uk
How to book: No booking for the park; Learn to Row through the rowing club
Thorpe Meadows feels nothing like Ferry Meadows. It is long and open, with crews sliding up and down the lake and the sculptures turning up along the bank. The trail is free and flat, which makes it a good hour’s stroll with a pushchair, and the café back at the car park now has a steady operator after a wobbly summer. Both sides of the rowing lake have flooded in wet winters. Keep walking east along the river and you come to the Embankment, with the cathedral a short walk beyond.
Nene Valley Railway Through Nene Park
Outdoor activity
- The Nene Valley Railway is a volunteer-run heritage steam and diesel railway running 7.5 miles between Yarwell Junction, Wansford and Peterborough Nene Valley, through the middle of Nene Park
- Two stations sit inside the park: Overton for Ferry Meadows and Orton Mere
- The Ferry Meadows station opened in 1977 on the site of the original Overton station of 1845, and took the name Overton for Ferry Meadows in 2017
- Overton has no car park of its own, so drivers park in Ferry Meadows and pay the park’s charges
- A ride one way and a riverside walk back is the classic Nene Park day, whichever end you start
- Trains run on selected days to a published calendar, so check before you go
- The main station, booking office and a free car park are at Wansford, just west of the park off the A1
- Christmas at the Railway: Santa’s Reindeer Rescue runs from Wansford on selected dates from late November to Christmas Eve 2026, booked through the railway’s website
- The railway told the BBC it started 2026 in a trickier financial position after a quieter Christmas, following a £300,000 appeal in 2025
Address: Overton for Ferry Meadows and Orton Mere stations in Nene Park; Wansford Station, Stibbington, Peterborough PE8 6LR
Website: nvr.org.uk
How to book: Online or at Wansford; check the calendar for running days
The steam trains add a lot to the park. On a running day you can hear the whistle from the lakes. Families with young children often start at Wansford, where the engines and sheds are, ride to Ferry Meadows for lunch and the play areas, and ride back. The railway is run by volunteers and has been open about money, so a ticket does real good. Check the calendar first, because the trains do not run every day.
The Wider Estate: Lynch Farm, Bluebell Wood and the Rural Estate
Beyond the lakes, Nene Park becomes farmland, woodland and river meadows stretching west to the A1. This is where you find the Roman remains, the grazing cattle and the longer walks, along with Lynch Farm, the former riding school the trust is bringing back into community use.
The Rural Estate: Castor, Ailsworth and Ermine Street
Outdoor activity
- West of Ferry Meadows the park becomes a patchwork of farmland crossed by public footpaths, reaching as far as the A1
- The Nene Way runs beside the river and links the villages of Castor, Ailsworth and Sutton
- Remains of Ermine Street, the Roman road from London to York, can still be walked here
- Much of the area was the industrial suburb of Durobrivae, the Roman town by the Nene
- The Artis Trail is a circular walk of about 1.5 hours from Castor, passing a Bronze Age burial mound, the Ermine Street crossing, a Victorian station garden and the site of a Roman praetorium
- The Emperor’s Trail is a circular walk of 1.5 to 2 hours from Ailsworth, taking in Ermine Street, the medieval village of Sutton and a Victorian railway underpass
- Cattle and sheep graze the land, so keep dogs on a lead near livestock, give animals plenty of room and shut every gate
- Parking is limited: the Splash Lane car park in Castor has a rough stone surface, floods easily, has no accessible bays and is reached down a narrow track with ditches either side
- Further west, the Nene Way footpath at Wansford has been closed since January 2024 for the A47 dualling, with the closure expected to last until around early 2027
Start point: Splash Lane car park, Castor, or Ferry Meadows, the eastern gateway, via the Nene Way
Distance: Artis Trail about 1.5 hours; Emperor’s Trail 1.5 to 2 hours
Maps: OS Explorer 227 (Peterborough); trail leaflets from the Ferry Meadows Visitor Centre
Website: nenepark.org.uk/parks-places/rural-estate
Closure note: Nene Way at Wansford closed for A47 works until around early 2027; check nationalhighways.co.uk
The Rural Estate is the side of Nene Park most visitors never see. A short walk west of the busy lakes you are on a farm track with cattle, a stone village on the skyline and a Roman road under your boots. The Walking in Time leaflets bring the history out well, and the Artis Trail is the pick if you only do one. Expect mud and gates rather than tarmac, and call the trust if you want to know where the livestock are before bringing a dog.
Walks and Trails Around Ferry Meadows
Outdoor activity
- Four short park trails start around Ferry Meadows: the Ham Mere Trail and Wildflower Trail at 2.5km (about 40 minutes), and the Bluebell Trail and Gunwade Trail at 4km (about an hour)
- The main paths in central Ferry Meadows, Orton Mere, Thorpe Meadows and Woodston Reach are surfaced and suit wheelchairs and pushchairs
- Bluebell Wood, on the north side of Ferry Meadows, has a boardwalk, the Sheepwash Walk, a willow tunnel and a history trail, with bluebells in spring
- The Native Tree Trail follows the path towards Lynch Lake past an example of every native UK tree, each with a name plaque and QR code
- The Three Lakes Trail is a circular heritage walk of about an hour from Ferry Meadows, and the Botolph Trail is a longer circuit of 3 to 3.5 hours
- Free Wellbeing Wanders, social walks led by the trust’s visitor rangers, run twice a month, including one on 18 November 2026 from 10:30am
- Dogs must be on a lead on the busy central paths shown in purple on the park map, from 9am, and can be off the lead on the meadows and quieter paths if they stay in sight
- There is a dog agility area on the far side of Coney Meadow and dog wash stations in Ferry Meadows
- In wet spells floods have covered the north path round Gunwade Lake, the Ham Mere path, the Bluebell Wood riverside path and boardwalk, and paths near Milton Ferry Bridge
Start point: Ferry Meadows Visitor Centre, Ham Lane, Peterborough PE2 5UU
Distance: 2.5km to 4km for the park trails; up to 3.5 hours for the Botolph Trail
Maps: OS Explorer 227 (Peterborough); free park map from the Visitor Centre
Website: nenepark.org.uk/things-to-do/walks-and-trails
Closure note: Low paths flood most winters; follow signed closures in the park
You can walk at Ferry Meadows for years without repeating a route. The Gunwade Trail is the classic lap of the big lake, and the Bluebell Trail is the one to save for spring. The Native Tree Trail is a clever idea for children, who can hunt for the next plaque and scan the code. In winter, stick to the central tarmac paths after heavy rain, because the river meadows go under water and some paths close. Dog owners who like an off-lead walk on the central paths can still do it before 9am.
Camping at Ferry Meadows
Outdoor activity
- Nene Park Trust runs two small campsites by Gunwade Lake: Lakeview, with eight bell tents, and The Glade, for pitching your own tent
- Each Lakeview bell tent sleeps up to six on a wooden deck, with floor matting, a small heater, lighting and a power socket, and costs from £72 a night; you bring your own beds and bedding
- A pitch at The Glade measures 5m by 7m and costs £29 a night, with room for up to 15 small to medium tents
- Campers use toilets and showers at Nene Outdoors, with a covered shelter, washing-up area and cold water tap on site and fire bowls for hire at £7 a night
- Caravans, campervans and motorhomes are not allowed on the trust’s sites, arrival is from 1pm and departure by 10am, and both sites are dog friendly
- Campers get 10 per cent off watersports hire and in the cafés and Visitor Centre during their stay
- The Caravan and Motorhome Club’s Ferry Meadows Club Campsite on Ham Lane is open all year and welcomes non-members
- The club site has 260 pitches, 131 of them hardstanding, 18 for tents and room for outfits up to 9m
- Club site facilities include a toilet block with accessible shower room, family washroom, laundry, motorhome service point, electric hook-ups, Wi-Fi and a dog walk
- Reviewers in 2026 note that the grassier section of the club site closes in winter
Address: Lakeview and The Glade, Gunwade Lake, Ferry Meadows; Ferry Meadows Club Campsite, Ham Lane, Peterborough PE2 5UU
Website: nenepark.org.uk/things-to-do/camping; caravanclub.co.uk
Phone: 01733 233526 (Ferry Meadows Club Campsite)
How to book: Lakeview and The Glade through the Nene Park ticketing site; the club site through the Caravan and Motorhome Club
Waking up beside Gunwade Lake, with the park to yourself before the car park opens, is the best way to see Ferry Meadows. The bell tents suit families who want a first night under canvas without buying a tent, though you still need to bring bedding. The Glade is basic and cheap, with the showers a short walk away at Nene Outdoors. Touring caravans and motorhomes go to the club site on Ham Lane, which is big, busy in summer and open all year. Both make a weekend of trains, boats and bikes very easy.
Events and Family Activities at Nene Park
Indoor and outdoor
- A Christmas Carnival runs at Ferry Meadows on selected dates from 26 November to 23 December 2026, from 4pm to 8:30pm, with games, live entertainment, festive food and a winter garden
- Christmas craft workshops in November 2026 include fused glass decorations on 14 November, fused glass coasters and dishes on 15 November and wreath making on 28 November
- Peterborough Celebrates, a free weekend festival of music, food and local groups, held its fifth year at Ferry Meadows on 16 and 17 May 2026, and 2027 dates were not yet published
- Ferry Meadows parkrun is a free 5k on tarmac paths every Saturday, starting outside Ferry Meadows Café and looping around Lynch, Overton and Gunwade lakes
- Free Try Running sessions for beginners run on Tuesday evenings in November 2026 from the Thorpe Wood Golf car park, and must be booked
- Nature Tots, an outdoor parent and toddler group for ages 2 to 5, meets at Lynch Farm, with sessions on 2, 13, 16 and 27 November 2026
- Young Rangers, a volunteering session for young people interested in the environment, meets at Ferry Meadows on 21 November 2026
- School holiday clubs include Oak Adventurers at Nene Outdoors for ages 8 to 13, and in summer 2025 Acorn Explorers ran at Lynch Farm for ages 5 to 8
- Summer brings wildlife workshops, bat walks, pond dipping and the miniature railway’s Big Jump inflatable park, which ran from 25 July to 10 August in 2025
Address: Ferry Meadows, Ham Lane, Peterborough PE2 5UU, unless the event listing says otherwise
Website: nenepark.org.uk/events
How to book: Online through tickets.nenepark.org.uk; check each listing, as free events such as Try Running still need booking
Nene Park runs a full events calendar through the year. The Christmas Carnival is the big one this winter, after a Winter Festival with an Elf School in 2025, so check the trust’s listing for tickets and timings before you go. Peterborough Celebrates in May is the free day out that brings the whole city to the meadows. The smaller events are where the value is: a bat walk or a pond dip costs little and is led by people who know the park well. Parking charges still apply on event days.
Seasonal Highlights
Spring: Bluebells in Bluebell Wood, sand martins back at Lynch Lake from March, the Peterborough Celebrates festival at Ferry Meadows in mid May, and Nene Outdoors reopening for the season in March.
Summer: Daily boat trips and pedalos in the school holidays, the Sue Ryder Dragon Boat Festival on the Thorpe Meadows lake in June, the Peterborough Summer Regatta in mid August, and the car park staying open until 9pm from late March to late September.
Autumn: Wintering ducks starting to build up on the water meadows, winter bike and pedalo hire on November Saturdays, Christmas craft workshops through November, and the Nene Valley Railway’s Christmas trains from Wansford from late November.
Winter: The Christmas Carnival at Ferry Meadows on selected dates until 23 December 2026, snipe, wigeon and shoveler from the Heron Meadow and Goldie Meadow platforms, and flooded riverside meadows that change the look of the park from December to March.
A Note From Inside Cambridge
Nene Park is one of the best things about living in the north of the county, and it is easy to go for years without seeing more than the lakes and the café. We hope this guide gets you out to Ham Mere, the rowing lake and the Roman road at Castor.
If you work at the park, run one of the clubs or visited recently and found something has changed, please let us know. A new opening time or a closed path is exactly the kind of detail we want to get right.
Before You Go
- Budget for parking, as every vehicle pays at Ferry Meadows, including Blue Badge holders, and the top rate is £7.80 for a long day
- Pay at a machine or online before you return to the car, as you have 30 minutes to leave once paid
- Regular visitors save with an annual membership: £110 for Ferry Meadows, £130 including Orton Mere and Thorpe Meadows, or £65 for Orton Mere and Thorpe Meadows only
- Nene Outdoors, the pedalos and the public boat trips are seasonal, so check what is running between November and February
- Pack wellies between November and March, when low meadows, Bluebell Wood’s riverside path and the Ham Mere path can flood
- Book boat trips, watersports, workshops and camping through tickets.nenepark.org.uk, and expect Nene Outdoors to be cashless
- Bring a Radar key for the Changing Places toilet, and your own sling for the hoist at Nene Outdoors
- Keep dogs on a lead on the purple central paths after 9am and near livestock on the Rural Estate
- Check the Nene Valley Railway calendar before planning a trip by steam train, as it does not run every day
- Hot food at the Ferry Meadows cafés stops well before closing, so plan lunch for before 3pm
