diff --git a/hugr/benches/benchmarks/hugr.rs b/hugr/benches/benchmarks/hugr.rs
index ee28742c3..e26fd2d3d 100644
--- a/hugr/benches/benchmarks/hugr.rs
+++ b/hugr/benches/benchmarks/hugr.rs
@@ -1,11 +1,18 @@
 #![allow(clippy::unit_arg)] // Required for black_box uses
 
-use criterion::{black_box, criterion_group, AxisScale, Criterion, PlotConfiguration};
-use hugr::builder::{BuildError, CFGBuilder, DFGBuilder, Dataflow, DataflowHugr, HugrBuilder};
-use hugr::extension::prelude::{BOOL_T, USIZE_T};
+use criterion::{black_box, criterion_group, AxisScale, BenchmarkId, Criterion, PlotConfiguration};
+use hugr::builder::{
+    BuildError, CFGBuilder, Container, DFGBuilder, Dataflow, DataflowHugr, DataflowSubContainer,
+    HugrBuilder, ModuleBuilder,
+};
+use hugr::extension::prelude::{BOOL_T, QB_T, USIZE_T};
+use hugr::extension::PRELUDE_REGISTRY;
+use hugr::ops::OpName;
+use hugr::std_extensions::arithmetic::float_ops::FLOAT_OPS_REGISTRY;
+use hugr::std_extensions::arithmetic::float_types::{ConstF64, FLOAT64_TYPE};
 use hugr::types::Signature;
-use hugr::{type_row, Hugr};
-
+use hugr::{type_row, CircuitUnit, Extension, Hugr};
+use lazy_static::lazy_static;
 pub fn simple_dfg_hugr() -> Hugr {
     let dfg_builder =
         DFGBuilder::new(Signature::new(type_row![BOOL_T], type_row![BOOL_T])).unwrap();
@@ -45,6 +52,102 @@ pub fn simple_cfg_hugr() -> Hugr {
     cfg_builder.finish_prelude_hugr().unwrap()
 }
 
+trait Serializer {
+    fn serialize(&self, hugr: &Hugr) -> Vec<u8>;
+    fn deserialize(&self, bytes: &[u8]) -> Hugr;
+}
+
+struct JsonSer;
+impl Serializer for JsonSer {
+    fn serialize(&self, hugr: &Hugr) -> Vec<u8> {
+        serde_json::to_vec(hugr).unwrap()
+    }
+    fn deserialize(&self, bytes: &[u8]) -> Hugr {
+        serde_json::from_slice(bytes).unwrap()
+    }
+}
+
+fn roundtrip(hugr: &Hugr, serializer: impl Serializer) -> Hugr {
+    let bytes = serializer.serialize(hugr);
+    serializer.deserialize(&bytes)
+}
+
+lazy_static! {
+    static ref QUANTUM_EXT: Extension = {
+        let mut extension = Extension::new(
+            "bench.quantum".try_into().unwrap(),
+            hugr::extension::Version::new(0, 0, 0),
+        );
+
+        extension
+            .add_op(
+                OpName::new_inline("H"),
+                "".into(),
+                Signature::new_endo(QB_T),
+            )
+            .unwrap();
+        extension
+            .add_op(
+                OpName::new_inline("Rz"),
+                "".into(),
+                Signature::new(type_row![QB_T, FLOAT64_TYPE], type_row![QB_T]),
+            )
+            .unwrap();
+
+        extension
+            .add_op(
+                OpName::new_inline("CX"),
+                "".into(),
+                Signature::new_endo(type_row![QB_T, QB_T]),
+            )
+            .unwrap();
+        extension
+    };
+}
+
+pub fn circuit(layers: usize) -> Hugr {
+    let h_gate = QUANTUM_EXT
+        .instantiate_extension_op("H", [], &PRELUDE_REGISTRY)
+        .unwrap();
+    let cx_gate = QUANTUM_EXT
+        .instantiate_extension_op("CX", [], &PRELUDE_REGISTRY)
+        .unwrap();
+    let rz = QUANTUM_EXT
+        .instantiate_extension_op("Rz", [], &FLOAT_OPS_REGISTRY)
+        .unwrap();
+    let signature =
+        Signature::new_endo(type_row![QB_T, QB_T]).with_extension_delta(QUANTUM_EXT.name().clone());
+    let mut module_builder = ModuleBuilder::new();
+    let mut f_build = module_builder.define_function("main", signature).unwrap();
+
+    let wires: Vec<_> = f_build.input_wires().collect();
+
+    let mut linear = f_build.as_circuit(wires);
+
+    for _ in 0..layers {
+        linear
+            .append(h_gate.clone(), [0])
+            .unwrap()
+            .append(cx_gate.clone(), [0, 1])
+            .unwrap()
+            .append(cx_gate.clone(), [1, 0])
+            .unwrap();
+
+        let angle = linear.add_constant(ConstF64::new(0.5));
+        linear
+            .append_and_consume(
+                rz.clone(),
+                [CircuitUnit::Linear(0), CircuitUnit::Wire(angle)],
+            )
+            .unwrap();
+    }
+
+    let outs = linear.finish();
+    f_build.finish_with_outputs(outs).unwrap();
+
+    module_builder.finish_hugr(&FLOAT_OPS_REGISTRY).unwrap()
+}
+
 fn bench_builder(c: &mut Criterion) {
     let mut group = c.benchmark_group("builder");
     group.plot_config(PlotConfiguration::default().summary_scale(AxisScale::Logarithmic));
@@ -53,9 +156,41 @@ fn bench_builder(c: &mut Criterion) {
     group.finish();
 }
 
+fn bench_serialization(c: &mut Criterion) {
+    c.bench_function("simple_cfg_serialize", |b| {
+        let h = simple_cfg_hugr();
+        b.iter(|| {
+            black_box(roundtrip(&h, JsonSer));
+        });
+    });
+    let mut group = c.benchmark_group("circuit_roundtrip");
+    group.plot_config(PlotConfiguration::default().summary_scale(AxisScale::Logarithmic));
+    for size in [0, 1, 10, 100, 1000].iter() {
+        group.bench_with_input(BenchmarkId::from_parameter(size), size, |b, &size| {
+            let h = circuit(size);
+            b.iter(|| {
+                black_box(roundtrip(&h, JsonSer));
+            });
+        });
+    }
+    group.finish();
+
+    let mut group = c.benchmark_group("circuit_serialize");
+    group.plot_config(PlotConfiguration::default().summary_scale(AxisScale::Logarithmic));
+    for size in [0, 1, 10, 100, 1000].iter() {
+        group.bench_with_input(BenchmarkId::from_parameter(size), size, |b, &size| {
+            let h = circuit(size);
+            b.iter(|| {
+                black_box(JsonSer.serialize(&h));
+            });
+        });
+    }
+    group.finish();
+}
+
 criterion_group! {
     name = benches;
     config = Criterion::default();
     targets =
-        bench_builder,
+        bench_builder, bench_serialization
 }