While cities have plenty to offer, the local countryside is filled with dozens of beautiful villages that are a joy to live in. One of those charming villages is home to a cosy country pub and a nature reserve for family walks – as well as being just five minutes away from a major road linking it to the rest of the country.
Barnack is a small village on the edge of the county, between Peterborough and the lovely town of Stamford. It is quite small, with a population of not much more than 1,000 people.
It is easy to get to Peterborough from Barnack, either on country roads or by taking the A1 and A47. Train stations in Stamford and Peterborough mean you can also easily get to other places, including London, Cambridge, Birmingham, and Stansted Airport.
Despite its small size, Barnack has a lot of history, including a Bronze Age burial of a man aged between 35 and 45, whose skeleton was donated to the British Museum. He was also buried with a copper dagger and a large ‘beaker’ pot, as well as a pendant made from ivory.
Barnack is also famed for its stone, which was quarried from the village and used to build important monuments including abbeys in Peterborough, Crowland, Ramsey, and Sawtry. The former quarry is now a peaceful nature reserve named Hills and Holes because of the ‘holey’ terrain left behind after quarrying ended.
The pocket-sized nature reserve is home to wild flowers and butterflies, as well as sheep. The village’s location in the countryside means that there are plenty of other walks on nearby footpaths to enjoy the outdoors.
At the heart of the village is The Millstone pub, which is dog-friendly. It has an outdoor courtyard where you can soak up the sun in the warmer months, but plenty of cosy spaces indoors when it is colder.
It opens from 9am from Tuesday to Sunday, offering coffee and cake as well as pints and pub food. There is also a small store and a Sunday pub quiz to get involved in.
Tiny villages have plenty to offer, and you’re never too far from a bigger town or city. Barnack is a perfect example of a Cambridgeshire countryside village.