Nature Reserves of the British Isles
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Wicken Fen in Cambridgeshire is one of England’s very few remaining pieces of original fenland. It is a protected wetland site of international standing. The wind pump here, a smock mill, was originally at nearby Adventurer’s Fen and is the last survivor of the many thousands that once dotted the fenlands.
A fen is a waterlogged place with reeds and other plants growing in standing water, beneath which are peats and, nearer the sea, marine silts. These flat wetlands were interspersed by islands (like Ely) carrying villages and small towns. Transport was by boat.
That was the original Fenland. Much of what is now called the Fens in eastern England is a modern landscape. The original fenland was drained from 1629 onwards by Dutch engineers to give very rich farmland.
An unexpected long-term result was that the underlying peat beds dried out and shrank. Fields sank by 2m or so and became lower than the drainage channels and rivers! Continuous pumping was then needed - first by wind pumps like this survivor at Wicken. Eventually the picturesque windpumps were replaced by steam power, then by diesel or electrically driven pumps.
Wicken Fen in Cambridgeshire is one of England’s very few remaining pieces of original fenland. It is a protected wetland site of international standing. The wind pump here, a smock mill, was originally at nearby Adventurer’s Fen and is the last survivor of the many thousands that once dotted the fenlands.
A fen is a waterlogged place with reeds and other plants growing in standing water, beneath which are peats and, nearer the sea, marine silts. These flat wetlands were interspersed by islands (like Ely) carrying villages and small towns. Transport was by boat.
That was the original Fenland. Much of what is now called the Fens in eastern England is a modern landscape. The original fenland was drained from 1629 onwards by Dutch engineers to give very rich farmland.
An unexpected long-term result was that the underlying peat beds dried out and shrank. Fields sank by 2m or so and became lower than the drainage channels and rivers! Continuous pumping was then needed - first by wind pumps like this survivor at Wicken. Eventually the picturesque windpumps were replaced by steam power, then by diesel or electrically driven pumps.
Wicken Fen in Cambridgeshire is one of England’s very few remaining pieces of original fenland. It is a protected wetland site of international standing. The wind pump here, a smock mill, was originally at nearby Adventurer’s Fen and is the last survivor of the many thousands that once dotted the fenlands.
A fen is a waterlogged place with reeds and other plants growing in standing water, beneath which are peats and, nearer the sea, marine silts. These flat wetlands were interspersed by islands (like Ely) carrying villages and small towns. Transport was by boat.
That was the original Fenland. Much of what is now called the Fens in eastern England is a modern landscape. The original fenland was drained from 1629 onwards by Dutch engineers to give very rich farmland.
An unexpected long-term result was that the underlying peat beds dried out and shrank. Fields sank by 2m or so and became lower than the drainage channels and rivers! Continuous pumping was then needed - first by wind pumps like this survivor at Wicken. Eventually the picturesque windpumps were replaced by steam power, then by diesel or electrically driven pumps.
Wicken Fen
Saw these three cygnets when out on a walk in the National trust land at Wicken Fen, in Cambridgeshire, England and managed to grab a quick shot with the drainage windmill in the background.
Wicken Fen is the National Trust's oldest nature reserve and England's biggest fen.
Wicken Fen in Cambridgeshire is one of England’s very few remaining pieces of original fenland. The wind pump here, a smock mill, was originally at nearby Adventurer’s Fen and is the last survivor of the many thousands that once dotted the fenlands.
A fen is a waterlogged place with reeds and other plants growing in standing water, beneath which are peats and, nearer the sea, marine silts. These flat wetlands were interspersed by islands (like Ely) carrying villages and small towns. Transport was by boat.
That was the original Fenland. Much of what is now called the Fens in eastern England is a modern landscape. The original fenland was drained from 1629 onwards by Dutch engineers to give very rich farmland.
An unexpected long-term result was that the underlying peat beds dried out and shrank. Fields sank by 2m or so and became lower than the drainage channels and rivers! Continuous pumping was then needed - first by wind pumps like this survivor at Wicken. Eventually the picturesque windpumps were replaced by steam power, then by diesel or electrically driven pumps.
Wicken Fen:
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Windmills and pumps:
Wicken Fen Nature Reserve, Cambridgeshire, England
A small smock windpump, probably built about 1912. Moved to its present site from Adventurers' Fen and restored in 1956 by the National Trust. The last surviving wooden windpump in the Fens. Still in use occasionally in summer.
A female reed bunting (I think) seen at Wicken Fen Nature Reserve near Cambridge... but after a suggestion from Philip Male I think it could well be a whinchat...
HFF!
Wicken Fen
Walking on a sunnny day in the Wicken Fen National Trust lands in Cambridgeshire, England, I took this picture of one of the many rush bordered streams, its surface a mirror for the beautiful day,
Wicken Fen is a large expanse of fenland managed by the National Trust to keep it as true fenland. In the background is one of the old windpumps that was used to drain the area. The highland cow in the foreground is one of a small herd that grazes the fields and tolerates the cold winds that blow across the flat land.
The 19th Century wind pump in the distance has recently been restored by the National Trust. It is what was used before the steam or diesel pumps to drain the fens to enable peat to be dug for heating. Whilst not in constant use today it is in action sometimes during the summer, providing it is windy enough.
A monochrome shot from my recent visit to Wicken Fen near Ely. The fen is owned and managed by the National Trust.
First image taken with my new Minolta Autocord, a Seikosha MX bought from Karl Bryan in the US, it’s in great refurbished condition, and the shutter is meant to be much more reliable than the Citizen ones.
Minolta Autocord, Kentmere 400 @ISO400, orange filter, Caffenol CL-CS, 15°C starting temperature, 60 minutes, Zone Imaging Eco Zonefix.