An event to celebrate the installation of the Direction Finder was held on Saturday 20th June 2026 at Magog Down, attended by about 40 members and guests. The Trust Chairman, Chris Bow, welcomed everybody before unveiling the Finder, assisted by family members of Joan Barnes, one of the Trust’s Founders.
The disc also commemorates the three Founders of the Trust in 1989. They were Colin Davison (Vicar of St Andrew’s Church in Stapleford at the time), Christopher South (journalist on Cambridge Evening News) and Joan Barnes (then Chairman of Stapleford Parish Council).
The Direction Finder is located on Little Trees Hill, which at 74m is the highest point of Magog Down, part of an undulating chalk ridge to the south of Cambridge, the Gog Magog Hills.
The Direction Finder is a one metre diameter disc of Welsh black slate engraved with the locations of features normally visible from the top of the hill, looking north and west. The stonework, supporting the disc, is carved from Yorkshire sandstone. The Direction Finder shows the direction of the places selected and their distance in miles is marked at the centre of the disc. The neighbouring counties are marked on the rim of the Finder. An article on the website – The Magog Down Vista – describes in some detail the landmarks and features that are shown on the Direction Finder.
Background
The suggestion of erecting a Direction Finder with a dedication to the Founders was first suggested to a former Trust Chairman, Kathleen Foreman. The current Chairman, Chris Bow followed up the idea.
The Magog Trustees decided to erect a Direction Finder which would provide a permanent record of the names of the founding members and indicate the direction and distance of villages, Cambridge buildings, and notable landmarks.
The Trust agreed to a proposal for a design and agreed that we should engage a Letter Carver and a Stonemason to help us take the project forward.
Bill French acted as project manager on behalf of the Trustees.
Pippa Westoby agreed to assist in the design and execution of the engraving.
Rob Humphreys of Atlas Stone agreed to assist with the design and the execution of the stonework.
The project was funded using a bequest to the Trust from the estate of Michael Bond, a long-term Trustee and former Treasurer.