'You won't want to go anywhere else’: Learn about Cotswold-esque village Wansford from those who know it best

Less than ten miles from Peterborough city centre, the handsome village of Wansford is an easily accessible place to explore for an afternoon out.

Its position on the River Nene makes it a popular spot for boaters, kayakers and paddle boarders, too.

So what should visitors see and do while spending a few hours exploring this quintessentially English village?

As with most places, it often pays to ask the people who live and work in the area what they believe the most enjoyable aspects of their village are.

So, that’s precisely what the Peterborough Telegraph did.

‘It reminds you a bit of the Cotswolds’

With fewer than 500 souls calling the village home, it’s easy to see why many residents reckon Wansford’s evident friendliness and unhurried ambience are likely to appeal to visitors.

Lee Clarke has been the executive head chef at Wansford’s landmark 17th-century Haycock Manor Hotel for three-and-a-half years.

The 47-year-old fires off a hatful of reasons why people may want to visit this “fabulous village” without taking a breath.

“The stone; the Collyweston slate roofs; 200-year-old yew trees…” He eventually concludes: “it reminds you a bit of the Cotswolds.”

He also loves the way people sit out on the riverside cricket pitch with picnics on a Sunday. “It’s got a nice community feel to it,” he says.

Elizabeth Donne visits the village regularly to see her sister.

She believes Wansford’s chief appeal is that it has “stood still in time in many ways.”“I find it peaceful,” she says, “and the very friendly locals make it a lovely community.”

‘It’s so pretty’

With two charming yet distinctly different pubs lining Wansford’s main street (Elton Road), plus a cafe and an award-winning hotel restaurant to boot, Wansford’s residents are blessed with more dining and drinking options than most villages of a similar size.

Colette Ledger has been the landlady of the Cross Keys pub for 30 years.

Like so many other residents, she believes the village’s aesthetic appeal is arguably its biggest draw.

“It’s so pretty - we’re so lucky to be able to live here,” she says in her lilting Irish accent.

She begins to elaborate: “The chocolate box look of it when you come over that bridge…” and then her voice trails off as she breaks out in a smile, just thinking about it.

Suddenly she’s back in the room. “The people are nice as well,” she adds, “and that makes a lot of difference.”

Some long-time residents, who preferred not to be named, share that view.

“It’s a very aesthetically attractive village,” says one. “Yes,” his companion agrees: “The stonework; just the prettiness of it.”

And with that they’re away, crossing the road to enjoy one of the village’s great treats: “a cocktail over at the Haycock.”

‘A great meeting point’

Marcus and Nicole Evans-Lee run the Tardis-like Paper Mills pub.

The couple interrupt feeding James, their seven-month-old baby boy, to extol the virtues of Wansford’s enviable location:

Marcus believe the village’s position on the old Great North Road is a huge benefit. “It’s a great meeting point on the A1,” he says, “but it’s still out of the way.” This, he says, is what makes the village feel like it’s in its “own little world.”

Nicole is even more generous, describing Wansford as “the heart of the countryside”

“Once you’ve been to Wansford,” she enthuses, “you won’t want to go anywhere else.”

Oliver Thorley is enjoying a leisurely pint in The Paper Mills’ light and airy bar. The 39-year-old, who has lived in Wansford on-and-off for 25 years, shares Marcus’ view that Wansford is a “drawbridge village.”

“Once you get over that bridge,” he says, “it’s a different world.”

“We’ve got everything we need – and more – right on our doorstep.”

‘Straddling the river’

Wansford enjoys a supremely picturesque setting straddling the River Nene. The river is flanked by fields and woods, and crossed by a statuesque stone bridge. Unsurprisingly, this is deemed a big plus point by residents.

Mike Henchey from nearby Kings Cliffe is towelling himself down by the river’s edge. The 72-year-old wild swimming enthusiast says he comes here because of the “easy access to the river.”

“There are also some good walks along from here... along the river,” he adds.

Elizabeth Donne agrees: “There‘s a little footpath that takes you along the river down to Yarwell Country Mill,” she says. “It’s lovely.”

Warming to her theme, she adds:

“There are lots of circular walks you can do the moment you step outside of your front door.”

“If you want some tranquillity and a break somewhere really nice – that’s not too far off the beaten track – then it’s lovely.”

And just a little bit of history...

As a place that was once a very well-known stopping-off point on the Roman’s Great North Road, Wansford has a number of historic sights which the locals are rightly proud of. One of the village’s most recognisable landmarks is Wansford Old Bridge, a Grade I listed building built in 1571 boasting no fewer than 12 arches.

The recently re-modernised yet still very historic Haycock Manor Hotel sits at the foot of the bridge. The hotel’s sign sports the name ‘Wansford-in-England’, a title which some residents still take pride in using to describe the village’s location. The unofficial moniker comes from the tale of a local man who fell asleep on a raft of hay (haycock) and, upon awakening, found himself floating down the River Nene towards the sea.

The legend goes that, when the startled traveller asked someone on the riverbank where he was, he was told: "Wansford." The traveller then asked: "Wansford in England?" The name stuck and the Haycock Hotel takes its name from the legend.

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