Just outside Cambridge, the land rises gently into the Gog Magog Hills. Up here the sky feels wider, beech woods rustle in the wind, and the paths wind through parkland where sheep graze. It feels a long way from the college courts.
Wandlebury Country Park is cared for by the charity Cambridge Past, Present & Future. Alongside its woods and meadows are the traces of a country estate: a walled garden, an orchard and ponds.
The ring in the landscape
Look closely at the ground and you may notice banks and ditches curving through the trees. This is the Wandlebury Ring, the surviving earthwork of an Iron Age hillfort. The charity’s archaeological account explains that its shape has changed over time. What looks like a pleasant contour on a walk is also evidence of a much older human landscape.
A walk among trees, with an older Cambridge held beneath the grass.
A story held in the ground
Here you do not have to choose between a nature walk and a history lesson. Trees, paths and earthworks share the same space, and every step crosses thousands of years. It is the perfect place to take a dog, a picnic and a curious mind.
Sources & further reading
- Cambridge Past, Present & Future: Wandlebury Country Park
- Cambridge Past, Present & Future: Wandlebury archaeology
Visitor arrangements and event details can change; check with the relevant institution before visiting.