Wandlebury Country Park and Magog Downs
Trail photos
Author
Trail stats
- Distance
- 3.92 mi
- Elevation gain
- 108 ft
- Technical difficulty
- Easy
- Elevation loss
- 108 ft
- Max elevation
- 248 ft
- TrailRank
- 53
- Min elevation
- 132 ft
- Trail type
- Loop
- Moving time
- one hour 19 minutes
- Time
- 2 hours 25 minutes
- Coordinates
- 1072
- Uploaded
- May 4, 2022
- Recorded
- May 2022
near Stapleford, England (United Kingdom)
Viewed 453 times, downloaded 3 times
Trail photos
Itinerary description
The Wandlebury Country Park is readily accessible from Cambridge (Stagecoach 13) and is currently cared for by the charity Cambridge Past Present and Future. It includes the remains of an Iron Age Hillfort, 18th century stables, woodlands and meadows. The land was bought by the Cambridge Preservation Society (now Cambridge Past Present and Future) in the 1950s. The gardens had become neglected, and the house had to be demolished due to rot. Only the (very fine) stables and some associated cottages now remain. The site has a remarkable history, starting with an iron age fort, whose earthworks remain. It was also occupied by the Romans. By the last 17th century the main purpose of the estate was the stabling of horses for racing. Entry to the grounds is currently free, although there is a pay-and-display carpark.
Waypoints
Tree
Waypoint
202 ft
Exiting to Babraham Road
The exit to the bus stop on Babraham Road is problematic, because you have to cross the (busy) roads to get to Magog Downs. There is no entrance into Magog Downs, you have to either south-east towards the pay & display carpark for Wandlebury (using the U-turn junction in the road), or walk towards Haverhill Road. To make things worse, there is no pavement on the Babraham Road.
Waypoint
204 ft
Magog Woods
The Gog Magog lands were purchased in 1989. A century or less ago; the land would have been grass land for grazing sheep; there would have been a rich wildlife, a lovely spread of wild flowers and butterflies, thick hedges where birds and insects could flourish and a scattering of trees - beech, hazel and hawthorn for instance. Today the chalk grassland is being recreated, native shrubs and trees planted and showing over a decade's growth and the wild life is being attracted back. There are, unusually for Cambridgeshire, high points on the site with extensive views over the surrounding counties and towards the City.
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