The village near Cambs with a log cabin based restaurant and a family-owned garden centre
If you live in Cambridgeshire, you might find yourself with few reasons to leave. From the hustle and bustle of Cambridge city centre to sweet little villages that have been named among the best places to live in Britain; from restaurants with Michelin stars to historic landmarks like Ely Cathedral, Oliver Cromwell's House and the Imperial War Museum in Duxford you are spoilt for choice if you're planning a day out in our county.
However, one little village just outside Cambridgeshire might be special enough to tempt you over the border. Via the A1, Willington in Bedfordshire will take just over 20 minutes to drive to from St Neots and around 30 minutes from Huntingdon.
For history lovers, this is a necessary journey. Alongside a church dating back to Saxon times with a grand sixteenth-century chapel, Willington holds buildings that used to be owned by John Gostwick, who held important roles under King Henry VIII.
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The king made Gostwick responsible for collecting and accounting for all the money owed as a result of the dissolution of the monasteries. Gostwick also escorted the chief mourner at Catherine of Aragon’s funeral in Peterborough.
Visitors today can walk around Gostwick's stone stables and dovecote in Willington, which are owned by the National Trust. The latter is one of the largest and best preserved examples of a 16th century dovecote in England.
Another historic site is now the home of a unique restaurant. The Danish Camp log cabin on the banks of the River Great Ouse is a scheduled ancient monument, with a history dating back to the time of the Vikings.
It is here that Danes, navigating from as far away as the North Sea, set up a camp to care for their ships. Today, the Danish Camp offers visitors home-cooked Sunday roasts as they enjoy the pretty tranquillity of the river.
For customers at the restaurant between Wednesdays and Saturdays, the menu offers traditional, vegetarian and vegan full English breakfasts between 9am and 11am, and burgers, pizzas and wraps between midday and 3pm. The Danish Camp is open between 9am and 5pm, Wednesday to Sunday, and hosts live music or an event on every first Friday of the month.
For bonfire night, the restaurant will hold a fireworks display on Saturday, October 26, 2024. The drinks menu at The Danish Camp includes intriguing cocktails, such as 'Autumn Margarita' and 'Nordic Martini'.
Those looking for food and drink in Willington may also opt for the village's only pub: The Crown. This pub prides itself on its local ingredients.
According to its website, all of the main ingredients in The Crown's meals are sourced from Bedfordshire businesses, aside from the fish, which is provided by a Hertfordshire supplier that delivers fresh seafood from Devon each day. Alongside pub classics like burgers and fish and chips, in October 2024, the restaurant's menu offered pan-roasted seabass with crushed potato, alongside prawn, chorizo and tomato spaghetti.
The Crown also offers a rotating selection of guest ales, and keg and craft beers. Food can also be found at Frosts, Willington's family-owned garden centre.
Not only does Frosts' menu include breakfasts, brunches and lunches - but it also offers afternoon tea served on elegant china, an outdoor food market and a deli section. The story of Frosts began 75 years ago, when Vera Frost bought a small plant nursery in Woburn Sands.
The Willington site opened in the early 1970s. Frost brothers James and Jeremy are still involved in the two garden centres, at Willington and Woburn Sands, today.
If you're intrigued by history and you're looking for a new food spot to try out, Willington could be the perfect place for you.