Fens of Eastern England (big skies and drained land)
The Fens is one of England’s most unique landscapes, an area of wetlands mostly found in Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire. The ancient peaty land covers around 600 square miles. not just wetlands, but rivers and drainage systems, in a low-lying region that offers a unique ecological habitat for birds and native wildlife.
They stretch across parts of Cambridgeshire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, and Suffolk. Think Ely and Wisbech, King’s Lynn and Boston, Spalding and the villages between them. This is a place made by water, then re-made by people, and still kept in shape by constant effort.
When out walking, follow the Countryside Code, to keep all creatures safe.
Rich peat bogs and fertile land
The Fens is home to ancient peat bogs, which support endangered wildlife and also soak up water, helping to prevent floods. This is especially important in East of England, as the land is flat, so rain does not drain away as well. Peat also stores carbon, so removing it contributes to climate change This is why campaigners ask us all to avoid peat compost.
If you garden alongside animals, read our post on pet-friendly gardens. Keep fresh compost away from pets (some mulch like cocoa is also unsafe).
The soil here is so fertile, that it is where most of England’s organic food is grown (most contents of your veggie box will come from here, if not locally grown to your county).
Cambridge Organic is England’s oldest organic veg box scheme. Nearly all its produce is from Cambridgeshire or East Anglia (apart from bananas, they have to arrive by ship, from abroad!)
The Fens has remarkably fertile soil
The soils can be remarkably fertile, which is why the Fens grow so much of the nation’s food. You’ll see potatoes, sugar beet, vegetables, and cereals depending on the patch and the season. Yet that richness comes with a warning. Peat shrinks when it dries and breaks down, so drained land can sink over time.
For a while, windmills helped lift water. Then steam engines took over, and later electric pumps. The method changed, but the purpose stayed the same: move water when gravity can’t. That’s why the Fens are full of working infrastructure that most visitors never notice, until a pump house appears beside a drain like a quiet sentry.
Reeds, birds and quiet spaces
If you want a living sense of old Fenland, go where wetlands remain. Wicken Fen (near Ely) gives you reed beds, grazing animals, and long skies with room for hobbies and harriers.
Woodwalton Fen offers a rarer, quieter feel, with paths through a landscape that still reads as wet. At Welney Wetland Centre, winter brings big gatherings of wildfowl, while spring lifts the place with calls and movement.
Seasons change what you’ll notice. Winter suits watching geese and swans. Spring brings breeding birds and sharp green growth. Summer can mean dragonflies over ditches and heat haze over open water.
Keep your visit clean and calm:
- Stick to marked paths because reed beds and peat edges damage easily.
- Keep dogs under control, due to ground-nesting birds.
- Take litter home because a plastic bottle in a dyke is a long-term problem.
