Cherry Hinton area wildlife sites

Cherry Hinton area  The Society returned to the Cherry Hinton area for its 2019 field studies.  These covered the monads TL4756, 4856 and 4855.  The main sites we visited were Lime Kiln Close, East and West Pit, Giant’s Grave and Cherry Hinton Hall.   Snakey Path along Cherry Hinton Brook was deemed too dangerous for group visits. 

The project for 2009 involved surveying the fauna and flora of Lime Kiln Close, East and West Pit, Giant’s Grave, Cherry Hinton Hall and Cherry Hinton Brook.  The Beechwoods were visited on an occasional basis.  Some records were collected over the last few years, primarily during conservation work and during the annual Wildlife Trust visits to Cherry Hinton pits and there are also earlier records from historical sources. Our survey records included over 500 flowering plants, and a wide variety of other species, though some of the plants recorded previously were not re-found.  East Pit has been acquired by the Wildlife Trust and opened as a local nature reserve on 2009 June 20. It is now open access at any time. Although our 2009 survey has finished, there are occasional visits to the site, both to see how the flora has developed and for conservation work.  A full report on our survey was published in Nature in Cambridgeshire in the summer of 2010 but here the report is password protected.


2019 meeting points – general visits, which are suitable for beginners (link opens up a location map):

Lime Kiln Close (TL485561), by the entrance to East Pit:  May 8, July 10, October 27 (fungi), November 24 (bryophytes)
Cherry Hinton Hall (TL479563), at the car-park by the western entrance off Cherry Hinton Road:  January 1, April 7, June 5, September 22 (lichens)
Burnside (TL475574), by the footbridge over the brook at the junction with Brookfields: 
Cherry Hinton Hall (TL483562), at the eastern entrance off Cherry Hinton Road:  
Snakey Path (TL483566), at the Cherry Hinton end, by the footbridge over the brook: 

Meeting points – surveys, which are intended for more experienced natural historians

Lime Kiln Close (TL485561), at the corner of Limekiln Road and Queen Edith’s Way:
East Pit (TL484559), at the reserve entrance off Limekiln Road: 
Burnside (TL475574), by the footbridge over the brook at the junction with Brookfields: 
Cherry Hinton Hall (TL483562), at the eastern entrance off Cherry Hinton Road: 

See the Cambridge Cycling Campaign maps for best routes to get to these places by foot or bike.  Visits will be subject to weather considerations, and in the event of heavy rain or snow cover may be cancelled.