Brilliant sunshine, bright blue skies and a temperature a touch above freezing. Perfect weather for a late Autumn walk. So today I have been exploring a fascinating piece of the countryside that is slowly being restored to its former landscape.
The Great Fen Project, when finished will create a 3,700 hectare wetland between Peterborough and Huntingdon. Today the Fens have become one of the most agriculturally rich areas in Britain, largely through extensive land drainage initiated in the late 18th century and which continues today. As land was drained and turned over to the plough, the native flora and fauna were removed. Driving along the region’s table-flat roads under skies that stretch forever, it is hard to see a tree or hedgerow. The only trees that seem to make an appearance are the ‘bog oak’, original species that were buried by the peaty soil millennia ago, that get pulled to the surface by the modern plough.
The Great Fen Project is about restoring the habitat and species in a large protected habitat that will allow visitors a window into the past into what is an often forgotten area of Britain.
Read more about the Great Fen Project here http://www.greatfen.org.uk/index.php
October 29, 2008 at 8:58 pm
Preservation of unique places and habitats is essential!