Local Walk 5 - Babraham to Stapleford

Another walk we both enjoy is the Babraham, Stapleford, Magog Down and Wandlebury loop, necessitating a short drive to the village of Babraham. This post covers the Babraham and Stapleford section; you can return to Babraham as part of a shorter circular route or continue to Wandlebury for the "long version" of the walk.

In Babraham there is a statue of Jonas Webb, a Victorian era Babraham based English farmer and stock breeder who was responsible for developing the Southdown breed of sheep into its modern form. From here we walk past the Jacobean style Babraham Hall; the hall and its estate are now part of the Babraham Institute, which undertakes research into cell and molecular biology and is itself now called the Babraham Research Campus. A little further on is the attractive St Peter's Church.

We cut across the fields to Stapleford and have an excellent view of the Magog Down, part of the Gog Magog low chalk hills; land was purchased from a local farmer and returned to chalk grassland for the public to enjoy. Reaching Stapleford we walk past the Granary; this is a music, art and education centre set in a converted granary - they have many excellent acts performing there. It is a bit of a hike up the the Haverhill Road to Magog Down and before reaching it we stop off to see Stapleford Parish Pit, where clunch building stone was once quarried - it is now a nature reserve and part of the Magog Down.Read more