10 summer picnic spots for families in Cambridgeshire

Cheaper than eating out, a picnic is a great way for families to spend time in the great outdoors, enjoying getting closer to nature, while not splashing too much cash.

A picnic, followed by family-friendly games like rounders, or a walk or ramble, is a perfect way to spend the day.

Here is a list of 10 places in Cambridgeshire where you can spread the picnic blanket and enjoy some family time this summer holiday.

1. Ferry Meadows, Nene Park, Peterborough

Ferry Meadows has lakes, meadows, woodland and plenty of picnic spots, all just a few miles from Peterborough city centre.
Waymarked trails, play areas and a café make it an easy full-day destination, with quieter corners if you walk away from the main hubs.

2. Hinchingbrooke Country Park, Huntingdon

Covering around 150 acres of lakes, woodland and grassland, Hinchingbrooke has plenty of spots to throw down a blanket plus formal picnic areas and play facilities.
It’s popular, but the mix of habitats means you can usually find a quieter corner if you walk a little further from the car park.

3. Crown Lakes Country Park, Hampton, Peterborough

Created from former brick pits, Crown Lakes offers water, woodland and open grass with picnic tables scattered around the park.
It’s good for wildlife-spotting and low-key family picnics without straying far from the southern edge of Peterborough.

4. Portholme Meadow, Huntingdon / Godmanchester

Portholme is one of the largest meadows in Britain, a vast floodplain beside the Great Ouse used for grazing and criss-crossed by informal paths.
There are no facilities on the meadow itself, but the sense of space and river views make it a lovely spot for a simple, back-to-nature picnic.

5. Jubilee Gardens, Ely riverside

Jubilee Gardens sits right on Ely’s riverside with flower beds, lawns and a small play area, often described as a relaxing, well-kept space for picnics.
It’s a short stroll to the riverside cafés and up the hill to the cathedral, so you can easily combine food, boats and city views.

6. Ely Park and Cherry Hill, Ely

Ely Park has mature trees and open grassland just off Broad Street, while nearby Cherry Hill Park gives you elevated views of the cathedral for a more scenic picnic backdrop.
Between the two, you can choose riverside-adjacent green space or a more historic-feeling setting overlooking the city.

7. Holme Fen, near Yaxley

Holme Fen is a unique, wooded reserve on the edge of the Fens, known for being one of the lowest points in Britain and for its birch woodland and wetland landscape.
It’s more of a walk-then-pause picnic rather than a sweeping lawn, but perfect if you like a slightly wilder, quieter feel.

8. Whitemoor Nature Reserve, near March

Just outside March, Whitemoor Nature Reserve has tracks through fen-edge landscape, with spots where you can pause by the water or among the trees.
It’s more of a walk-then-picnic destination than a formal park, suiting people who like a quieter, slightly wilder feel close to the town.

9. Wisbech Park, Wisbech

Wisbech Park offers open lawns, play facilities and tree-lined paths close to the town centre, making it an easy option for families and meet-ups.
With play areas and shaded spots, it works well for a “grab a blanket and go” picnic without leaving town.

10. Jesus Green, Cambridge

If you only pick one Cambridge park, Jesus Green is the obvious all-rounder: big riverside lawns, mature trees and space to escape the crowds while still being a few minutes’ walk from the city centre.
There’s a lido, play area and easy access to refreshments, so it works well for families and relaxed evening picnics alike.

If you fancy travelling a little further afield, then Heacham or Old Hunstanton Beaches, in West Norfolk, offer the perfect spot for a coastal picnic within easy reach of north Cambridgeshire. The wide beaches at Heacham and Old Hunstanton offer dunes, big skies and sunset views over The Wash.

Facilities sit back from the shore, so you can choose between busier family-friendly stretches and quieter sections if you walk a little.

Sandringham Country Park, also in West Norfolk, is popular with Cambridgeshire day-trippers. Sandringham’s country parkland offers formal walks, woodland and open lawns for picnics in the royal estate’s grounds.

There are waymarked trails, play areas and facilities, making it a solid choice if you want a “big day out” in a managed landscape, where your dog can also join the fun.