Bonus weekend: Sheffield & Kings Lynn

Sat/Sun 27/28 Aug

I had two days left on my Rail Rover so decided to go afar for lunch. First to Sheffield from St. Pancras then to Kings Lynn via Cambridge. I checked out suitable lunch places in advance.

On these maps, Red is the lunch excursion.

Saturday:

First, Ladywell to Blackfriars - a very unusual route because of engineering works near London Bridge.

Blackfriars:

To St. Pancras

St. Pancras is heaving.

To Sheffield

Always go for the freebies

Sheffield Station, in a very nice setting:

Some strange buildings here. I later discovered they are the students' union of Sheffield Hallam Uni.

This is different. The Rutland. Local beer and a fish sandwich

Pleasant lunch, nice beer, nothing to keep me in Sheffield so a fast train back.

More freebies, I turned down the sandwiches, just coffee and shortbread

To Blackfriars

Last (train) leg. Then the bus up the hill

Sunday:

Same Ladywell to Blackfriars special, then Cambridge in an hour and a half

7 minutes late at Stevenage, there's a danger I might just miss the hourly service to King's Lynn but I made it, with one minute to spare.

Stopped at Waterbeach. Strange name cos it has neither.

River Great Ouse and Ely cathedral

River Great Ouse

Been held up lots. Now 20min late on 50min journey

This is The Fenman, the pub I've come to for lunch but it no longer does food! Looked ok online. The next train is in an hour.

However, the station has an excellent cafe where I got yet another all day breakfast. I seem to have lived on them this week. This was a close second to Weatherspoons'.

Train arrived. Departs in 10 minutes.

This train goes to King's Cross. So a different way home. Walk from Kings Cross to St. Pancras. A 10 minute walk and easier than changing at Cambridge which was not nice.