Cherry Hinton Chalk Pits

Cambridge Chalk Pits are an SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest) because of the foliage that grows there including the ultra rare Moon Carrot. Subsequent to the quarry becoming disused after it was mined to build the Cambridge Collages the site was reclassified as a conservation area. I first heard about it in my teens as a good swimming hole for a hot day, but it wasn’t until my mid twenties that myself and a friend got to have a look inside. The photographs above are of the smaller of the two areas, the West Pit, and we weren’t the only kids there. A group of 11 year olds from neighbouring Cherry Hinton were trying to fish a scooter out without falling in. The site is now maintained by the Wildlife Trust who try to keep people out of the open water area area for safety.