Clophill Between Church History and Nature

Clophill’s attractions offer different points of interest: the Church of St Mary the Virgin is a former parish church and is now a ruin dating from the 14th and 15th centuries. Clophill Lakes Nature Reserve, by contrast, offers wetlands, flower-rich grasslands and woodland. This gives you a choice when planning your trip: local and architectural history, nature conservation, or a combination of both.

Church, Castle and Architectural History

The ruins of the Church of St Mary the Virgin are a distinctive place to explore Clophill’s earlier church history. On tours of St Mary's Old Church, visitors can learn about the history of the church and its surroundings; you can also climb the stairs to the top of the tower. If you plan to take a tour, check the current options in advance, as tour arrangements may change.

Cainhoe Castle offers a different historical focus. The castle is one of the best-preserved motte-and-bailey castles in Bedfordshire. This description identifies a specific type of castle and complements the church-history perspective with a castle site. If you are interested in the different historical themes, you can consider the church and castle as distinct points of interest.

The Flying Horse inn, Clophill Water Mill and Clophill Lock-up & Pound offer further markers in time. The Flying Horse dates from 1731, while the present Water Mill dates from the late 18th century; the Lock-up & Pound was built in 1851. Together, these dates span the early 18th to the 19th century and complement the church and castle with other historic buildings.

Clophill Lakes and Routes Through the Countryside

The origins of Clophill Lakes are also part of the area's character: the 53.1-hectare site was created through the extraction of Fuller’s Earth. Today, the nature reserve includes wetlands, flower-rich grasslands and woodland. These three habitat types offer a different perspective from the historic buildings and make Clophill Lakes a distinct attraction for nature lovers.

When visiting Clophill Lakes Nature Reserve, stay on the paths and keep dogs on a lead. These guidelines will help you find your way around and plan your visit accordingly.

Cycling and walking routes can be considered separately: Clophill is on the Greensand Cycle Way. Clophill Discovery Walk #5 runs from Clophill past Clophill Lakes to Cainhoe Castle. There are five Clophill Discovery Walks in total. Clophill also has a children’s trail with an I-Spy quiz. The information about the area therefore includes a named cycle route as well as specific walking and children’s trail options.

Discover more destinations: Barton-le-Clay, Bedford, Lower Stondon, Ickwell, Woburn, Caddington, Ampthill, Salford

For the wider travel overview: Bedfordshire.