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.