The Chisholm Trail is a walking and cycling route which aims to provide a mostly traffic-free link between Cambridge North and Cambridge stations and communities in between.

Phase One opened in December 2021, connecting Cambridge North to Coldham’s Lane. Abbey and Chesterton have been linked with a new bridge over the River Cam, there is a wide underpass beneath Newmarket Road and an upgraded riverside jetty link. Access has been improved to the green spaces at Ditton Meadows, Stourbridge Common and Coldham’s Common, as well as work, school, shopping and leisure destinations.
Onward links include routes along the river to Cambridge city centre, Milton, Waterbeach, National Cycle Network route 51 to Fen Ditton, Stow-cum-Quy and Bottisham and connections to the northern and southern Busway paths to St Ives and Trumpington.
Progress on Phase Two is currently underway by the Greater Cambridge Partnership (GCP).
Thank you to everyone who joined us on Saturday 16 July for our Chisholm Trail celebration event: a walk, wheel and ride from Cambridge North station to Cambridge United’s Abbey Stadium, supported by the Greater Cambridge Partnership and Cambridge United Community Trust.
Chisholm Trail history and progress
We have been campaigning for the Chisholm Trail, a transformative north-south route for cycling and walking, since 1998. The key campaigner is Jim Chisholm, who originally came up with the concept. In Spring 2019, we interviewed him about the Trail in our magazine. You may also be interested in our briefing notes on the Trail and the Abbey-Chesterton bridge from 2015.
The idea was adopted by local authorities in 2005 and began construction as one of the Greater Cambridge Partnership projects in 2019. In 2020, the Abbey-Chesterton bridge was lifted over the Cam and in spring 2021 a new underpass was installed under Newmarket Road, next to the Leper Chapel. Phase One of the Trail opened on 23 December 2021.
We are still campaigning for safe links on several sections of the Trail including the area around Cambridge Station and the Coldham’s Lane junction.
You can find the latest updates on our social media channels by following the hashtag #TheChisholmTrailisComing
Interactive map of the route
You can follow the route on OpenStreetMap.
Latest news from our blog
- Mayor emphasises ‘high hopes’ for Phase Two of the Chisholm Trail as Camcycle campaigns for safe link through the Beehive (September 20, 2023)
- Consultation guide: GCP Chisholm Trail phase 2, Cromwell Road and Coldham’s Lane junction (September 2, 2022)
- Cyclists, walkers and wheelers unite to celebrate the Chisholm Trail (July 20, 2022)
- Explore on foot and by cycle at the Chisholm Trail celebration event (July 12, 2022)
- Christmas joy as the first section of the Chisholm Trail is complete (December 23, 2021)
- Riverside cycle route near the Chisholm Trail reconnected by new jetty (May 5, 2021)
- Chisholm Trail underpass will be installed later this month (March 18, 2021)
- Cambridge station development: Chisholm Trail still at risk (March 16, 2021)
- Cost overruns on transport projects must be investigated to safeguard the future of important routes like the Chisholm Trail (November 25, 2020)
- Camcycle thrilled to see the Abbey-Chesterton bridge lifted into place and already uniting local communities (November 10, 2020)
Photos and videos of the Trail’s progress
View photo updates from our volunteers on the Cyclestreets website and videos on the Camcycle YouTube channel.
History
Below is a thread of articles from our Newsletter on the topic:
- The Chisholm Trail (Newsletter 17: April 1998) (start of thread)
- An Economic Case for Better Cycleways (Newsletter 18: June 1998)
- The Chisholm Trail: the outer reaches (Newsletter 23: April 1999)
- Eastern Corridor Area Transport Plan (Newsletter 32: October/November 2000)
- SuperCAM (Newsletter 41: April/May 2002)
- Plans for Cambridge station area (Newsletter 42: June/July 2002)
- The Chisholm Trail – ten years on (Newsletter 87: December 2009/January 2010)
- The Chisholm Trail: step by step (Newsletter 102: June/July 2012)
- Chisholm Trail: a vision revised (Newsletter 113: April - May 2014)
- Chisholm Trail Is Go! (nearly) (Newsletter 121: August - September)
- Abbey–Chesterton Bridge (Newsletter 122: October - November)
- Abbey–Chesterton bridge (Newsletter 123: December - January)
- Abbey–Chesterton bridge campaign at ‘The Abbey’ (Newsletter 123: December - January)
- Outspoken speaks out about Chisholm Trail (Newsletter 123: December - January)
- Chisholm Trail approved by City Deal executive board (Newsletter 125: April - May 2016)
- Chisholm Trail planning applications submitted (Newsletter 127: August - September 2016)
- Progress on the Chisholm Trail - your support is needed (Newsletter 128: October - November 2016)
- Chisholm Trail progress (Newsletter 131: April - May 2017)
- Chisholm Trail progress (Newsletter 137: April - May 2018)
Feasibility study (2009)
Cambridgeshire County Council undertook a feasibility study as part of the Cycle Cambridge (Cycling Demonstration Town) scheme. The reports are available here.
- Chisholm Trail Report
- Appendix A – Cycle Map
- Appendix B – Existing & Proposed Routes
- Appendix C – Ecology Report
- Appendix D – Land Ownership [Not published]
- Appendix E – Proposed Details
- Appendix F – Photographs
Map: OpenStreetMap, licensed ODbL.