The small village of Houghton in Cambridgeshire, England is a typical small old English village full of personality and charm. Boasting a few old thatched roof cottages and an old village pub, Houghton will make you feel very British all of a sudden as you walk through the village. In addition, Houghton boasts a few very pleasant tourist attractions that might surprise you. Read on to find out.
My Favorite Tourist Attractions in Houghton Cambridgeshire
- Walk around the village center and explore some of the few streets. You might find a few surprisingly cute English cottages.
- Visit the old church in town. It is usually open, even though there is nobody around.
- The most important historical tourist attraction in Houghton Cambridgeshire is Houghton Mill which was built in the 18th century and expanded in the 19th century. The water mill is still functioning today and can be visited by paying a small fee.
1. Stroll Around the Village Center
The Three Horseshoes pub and restaurant in Houghton.
See my photos from Houghton.
Houghton Cambridgeshire is a small English village. I mean very small English village. This means that you can walk all through it in 30 minutes. The village center consists of a thatched roof clock tower and a village pub called “The Three Horseshoes”. Just further down the street you will find the old village church.
However, if you take your time a little bit and explore the few small streets around the village center you will find some surprisingly cute English cottages that will just delight you.
Cozy old thatched roof home in Houghton.
See my photos from Houghton
2. Houghton Mill
The Houghton Mill is the only working watermill left on the Great Ouse river.
See my photos from Houghton
Further down the street from the village center you will find the village church and just a few more steps you get to the River Great Ouse and the Houghton Mill.
Houghton Mill was built in the 18th century and expanded in the 19th century and it is still functioning as a National Trust museum. You can visit the Mill inside for a small fee, but you can also just walk across the Mill bridge and enjoy the Ouse Valley that will open right in front of you. This is a great view!
3. Visit St Mary's Church
Looking up at the St. Mary's church tower.
See my photos from Houghton
St Mary's church in Houghton Cambridgeshire is similar to many other village churches in the area. Built originally around the 13th century, additions have been made several times over the years and centuries. There is nothing special about the church, other than the fact that its history is tied closely to the villages around it. You can find lots of very old tombstones in the graveyard located all around the church building.
4. Walk Along Great River Ouse
Houghton Cambridgeshire – Boats and home boats on the Great Ouse river.
See my photos of Houghton
Passing through the Houghton Mill across the Great River Ouse we come to a beautiful grassy valley. There were sheep and cows grazing and lots of birds chirping. Very romantic!
In addition there were quite a few home boats on the river next to Houghton Mill. The River Great Ouse is one busy river!
5. Walk Over to Hemingford Abbots
A small house and a boat house on the Great Ouse river at Hemingford Abbots.
See my photos of Houghton
One of our favorite walks around Houghton Cambridgeshire. The wide open valley with tall grass flanked by the two arms of River Ouse give a sense of large space and quietness so close to the hustle and bustle of nearby cities.
As you cross the River Ouse from Houghton Mill go straight across the meadow towards the nearby posh village of Hemingford Abbots.
How to Get to Houghton, Cambridgeshire
Houghton is a small village hidden along the River Great Ouse. Houghton is closely associated with Wyton another small village. Both villages are located east of Huntingdon on the road from Huntingdon to St. Ives.
The easiest way to get to Houghton, Cambridgeshire is to head to Huntingdon (which is about 30 minutes driving north from Cambridge) and then follow the road to St. Ives. About mid way between Huntingdon and St. Ives you will see a sign pointing you to the right toward Houghton Mill. Just follow the road and in one minute you will be in the village square.
Map of Houghton, Cambridgeshire, England and surrounding area.
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Is it Worth Visiting Houghton Cambridgeshire?
Houghton was a delightful small English village. It's very small so it will probably take you at most one hour to stroll around and see everything. If you want to visit the Houghton Mill, you can add another 30 minutes to your visit. We found Houghton very quiet and very relaxing and definitely worthy of spending one hour strolling around.
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We owned The Three Horseshoes for 5 years and moved from there to Florida 31 years ago. We had some fun times.
Sharon…oh wow! Thank you for the personal insight you shared.
My family spent holidays here when my brother and I were young. We camped every year and spent many beautiful sunny days at the Mill and on and around the river and village. I have wonderful memories of swans and punting down the river with my parents.
Sandra…Houghton is a great place for children to build memories. We loved the large meadows by River Ouse and our kids were discovering lots of bugs and birds everywhere we went walking from the Mill to the villages around Houghton.
I was amazed , that cottage was where I spent my childhood but still looks the same ! The church we attended every Sunday and the Rector was our Scout Master , family friend plus next door neighbor . From Sanurb&b , Bali , Indonesia .
Glad my pictures brought back memories for you.
I agree! I loved walking along the Great Ouse River around the Houghton Mill area. Just beautiful!
Houghton is a beautiful olde world village, well worth visiting!