Situated between Peterborough and Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, the Great Fen contains many farms and villages as well as two National Nature Reserves, Woodwalton Fen and Holme Fen.
Home to huge numbers of butterflies and dragonflies in summer both reserves are the focus of large restoration schemes. It is hoped that more species will arrive and many more wildlife sightings will be reported as a result.
In 2001, five organisations:
- The Environment Agency,
- Huntingdonshire District Council,
- Middle Level Commissioners,
- Natural England
- and The Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire
came together to set out a vision for the Great Fen, with the aim of providing a more sustainable future for the area.
Between them they set out plans for an ambitious 50-100 year habitat restoration project that aims to link two national nature reserves, Woodwalton Fen and Holme Fen, together to create a large national nature reserve of 3700 ha.
The wild fens once stretched for hundreds of miles across Eastern England. They were home to beavers, otters, and thousands of different types of animals and plants, many unique to the area. When the land was drained for farming, beginning in the 17th century, more than 99% of this wild habitat disappeared.
Trails and Walks
The Marsh Harrier Trail takes you to the northern part of the Woodwalton Fen reserve, past the Rothschild bungalow and to a bird hide overlooking a vast reedbed.
The Water Birds Trail takes you into the heart of the Woodwalton Fen National Nature Reserve, visiting two bird hides and the bank of Great Raveley Drain.
The Bungalow trail tells the story of the Rothschilds, and how Woodwalton Fen has survived as one of the last remaining fragments of wild fen.
Today, Holme Fen is the largest lowland silver birch woodland in England, but it has had a very different history.
Discovery Trail: Burning Bricks and the Hidden Harbour – Distance: 800m
The Dragonfly Trail takes you around an area that is being transformed from arable fields to wet pasture, rich with wildlife. It visits a wooded area, an unusual wildlife hide and the track of an old railway.
Look out for information boards and way-markers along the trail.
The Last of the Meres Northern Loop is a circular trail extending the existing Last of the Meres Trail.
Further information
The Great Fen project website
The IUCN UK Peatland Programme – Great Fen information