Ely is the great fen city — its Norman cathedral rising like a ship from the flat Cambridgeshire plain, visible for miles in every direction. The fenland walking around Ely is quiet, wide-skied and full of wildlife, with Wicken Fen — the National Trust’s oldest nature reserve — just five miles south-east.

A magnificent cathedral city with a fine market and good restaurants, Ely makes a surprisingly rewarding walking base for those who appreciate big-sky fenland landscapes, wildlife and the quiet drama of walking in one of England’s most distinctive environments.