| West Pit | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
| Type | Local Nature Reserve |
| Location | Cherry Hinton, Cambridgeshire |
| OS grid | TL 484 558 |
| Area | 4.3 hectares |
| Managed by | Cambridge City Council |
West Pit is a 4.3 hectare Local Nature Reserve in Cherry Hinton, on the south-eastern outskirts of Cambridge. [1] It is part of the Cherry Hinton Pit biological Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), which includes the neighbouring East Pit. [2] [3]
This former chalk quarry is now steeply sloping woodland with a caravan park in the centre. The woodland has been designated an SSSI due to the presence of a plant on the British Red List of Threatened Species, the moon carrot. [1] [2]
The site has been designated a Local Nature Reserve (LNR) by Cambridge City Council, which shows it as one LNR [1] and East Pit and Limekiln Close as another LNR. [4] However, the LNRs are confused on the Natural England website. One is shown as Limekiln Close and West Pit on the details page, [5] but the map only covers Limekiln Close. [6] The other LNR is shown on the details page as East Pit, [7] whereas the map covers both East and West Pits. [8]
There is access to the site from the entrance to the caravan park on Limekiln Road.
