Nene Park at a glance
- What
- A huge riverside landscape for walking, cycling, wildlife, play and outdoor adventure
- Main visitor hub
- Ferry Meadows, Ham Lane, Peterborough, PE2 5AE
- Explore
- Ferry Meadows, Orton Mere, Woodston Reach and Thorpe Meadows
- Landscape
- Lakes, river, meadows, woodland, wetlands and wide open spaces
- Best for
- Families, walkers, cyclists, wildlife lovers and active days outdoors
- Managed by
- Nene Park Trust
Just minutes from Peterborough city centre, Nene Park opens out into lakes, woodland, riverside meadows and miles of paths, creating one of the city’s great outdoor escapes.
For many visitors, Nene Park begins at Ferry Meadows. But the Park is far bigger than that. Its green spaces follow the River Nene through a connected landscape where you can walk, cycle, play, watch wildlife, take to the water or simply find somewhere quiet to stop.
Ferry Meadows is the busiest and most varied part of the Park, with broad lakes, family spaces, woodland walks and opportunities for outdoor activity. From there, paths and cycle routes continue through Orton Mere and Woodston Reach towards Thorpe Meadows and the city.
That connection is one of Nene Park’s greatest strengths. You can arrive for a gentle lakeside walk and end up following the river for miles, discovering public art, heritage, wildlife and different corners of Peterborough along the way.
Follow the river through Peterborough
Nene Park forms a green corridor through the city, linking lakes and countryside with sculpture, heritage, rail journeys and traffic-free walking and cycling routes.
What to discover at Nene Park
Whether you want a full day outdoors or simply an hour beside the water, Nene Park gives you plenty of ways to experience Peterborough at a slower pace.
Ferry Meadows
Explore lakes, woodland, meadows and open spaces in the best-known part of Nene Park and one of Peterborough’s favourite places to spend time outdoors.
Walks for every mood
Choose a relaxed lakeside circuit, wander through woodland or follow longer riverside routes linking different parts of the Park.
Cycle through the landscape
Shared routes make Nene Park one of the easiest places in Peterborough to explore by bicycle and connect directly into the wider Green Wheel network.
Take to the water
Outdoor activities add a more energetic side to Ferry Meadows, with opportunities to experience the lakes from an entirely different perspective.
Wildlife and open space
Watch birds over the water, explore meadow and woodland habitats or simply find a peaceful spot beside the river.
Follow the sculpture trail
Continue east towards Thorpe Meadows Sculpture Trail, where public artworks form part of the riverside journey.
From gravel pits to one of Peterborough’s greatest assets.
Much of the landscape around Ferry Meadows was shaped during Peterborough’s rapid expansion as a New Town. Gravel extraction associated with that growth created pits that later became the lakes visitors know today.
The result is a striking example of landscape regeneration: land once worked for development transformed into a major public park, wildlife habitat and recreational resource.
Discover Peterborough’s New Town storyExplore by heritage railway
One of the most distinctive ways to experience the Park is aboard the Nene Valley Railway. Its route passes through Nene Park, with stations at Ferry Meadows and Orton Mere.
The railway creates an unusual combination of landscape and heritage. You can hear a locomotive crossing the meadows, explore the Park on foot and then continue your journey along one of Peterborough’s best-loved heritage railways.
Walk or cycle into the city
Nene Park is not isolated from Peterborough. Paths and cycle routes follow the river towards Thorpe Meadows and the city centre, making it possible to experience nature, public art and urban Peterborough as part of the same journey.
The Peterborough Green Wheel extends that idea much further, connecting Nene Park with a network of traffic-free and quieter routes around the city.
Closer to the centre, the Thorpe Meadows Sculpture Trail adds another layer to the journey, bringing contemporary and historic public art into the riverside landscape.
Planning your visit
- Start at Ferry Meadows
- Ferry Meadows Visitor Centre, Ham Lane, Peterborough, PE2 5AE is the principal visitor hub for exploring Nene Park.
- Before you travel
- Visit the official Nene Park website for current access, parking, activities, facilities and visitor information.
- Walking and cycling
- Nene Park connects into Peterborough through a broad network of paths and traffic-free cycle routes, including links with the Green Wheel.
- Accessibility
- The Park includes surfaced routes as well as more natural terrain. Check Nene Park’s official accessibility information when planning a visit with specific access requirements.
Discover Peterborough tip: don’t treat Ferry Meadows as the end of the Park. Follow the river east and the landscape gradually changes, connecting countryside, heritage railway, sculpture and the city itself.
Continue exploring Peterborough
Nene Park is one of the best places to begin exploring Peterborough outdoors, with easy connections into heritage, public art, cycling and the wider city.
Peterborough Green Wheel
Follow a network of walking and cycling routes connecting Peterborough with parks, landscapes and the countryside beyond.
Explore the routeNene Valley Railway
Travel through the Nene Valley aboard one of Peterborough’s best-loved heritage railways, with stations inside the Park.
Discover the railwayThorpe Meadows Sculpture Trail
Follow public artworks through the riverside landscape as Nene Park approaches Peterborough city centre.
Follow the trailThe New Town Story
Discover how Peterborough’s rapid twentieth-century expansion transformed the city and helped shape the landscape around Ferry Meadows.
Explore the storyParks, Nature & Wildlife
Find more places to enjoy woodland, wetlands, countryside, wildlife and open space around Peterborough.
Explore outdoorsMore things to do
Discover heritage, culture, family attractions, outdoor adventures and memorable experiences across Peterborough.
Find more experiencesPlan your visit to Nene Park
For current visitor information, activities, accessibility guidance and everything you need before travelling, visit Nene Park Trust’s official website.