The Cambridgeshire Fens Through Time

The Cambridgeshire Fens lie north of Cambridge and share boundaries with Lincolnshire and Norfolk. Until the seventeenth century the fens were marsh and swamp, with wide sluggish rivers. Those that could survive the damp and the fen ague made a living catching fish, wildfowling and cutting sedge and reeds. After the drainage, which revealed the rich fertile peat soil, man battled with flooding and isolation to create the richest farming land in the country. At the moment a car is essential to reach most areas, but new cycle ways are taking shape and there is great potential for tourism and recreation to boost the local economy. The Wicken Fen vision and the Great Fen project are developing to recreate some of the old Fenland habitat alongside the intensive farming. Welcome to one of the most fascinating areas of our diverse country.