On Sunday 11 May, with a sunny day and gentle breeze, 225 walkers enjoyed the challenge of visiting the 5 pubs on the 12.5 mile walk, along the River Great Ouse, adjoining meadows, Fen Drayton Nature Reserve and Over Orchard back to the Community Centre at Over.
With 38 cakes baked by volunteers and 32 raffle prizes donated by local businesses and friends of the Over Day Centre, walkers enjoyed a party atmosphere when they collected their well-earned finisher certificates, for this the fifteenth year of the 5 Pub Challenge.
Thanks must go to the pubs Pike & Eel, Needingworth; Ferryboat, Holywell; Three Tuns, Fen Drayton; White Horse, Swavesey; and Community Centre, Over. Thanks, too, to our generous sponsors NGU Construction and Ashcroft Vets whose contributions met event expenses so that all donations from walkers will go to the Over Day Centre, this year to enhance activities for clients. In all, a sum of just over £4,500 was raised from the 5-pubs walk, an increase of £800 over 2024.
Particularly pleasing was the good number of walkers who joined the walk for the first time from several local villages as well as those who travelled some distances to join their families and friends in Over. One group, the Longstanton and Northstowe Limpers, used the day for their half marathan training, running round the Community Centre field several times to make the distance!!
You can see a selection of images from the day on our 5 Pub Challenge gallery page, which includes a number of fantastic photos courtesy of photographer John Craven.
We now look forward to the 16th 5 Pub Challenge in May 2026.