The History of Wicken Fen Nature Reserve

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Early Photos from Wicken Fen:

Robert Butcher barrowing 200 turf at the turn of the century (gif 40k).
Entomologists with an oil lamp in a screen, collecting moths at Wicken Fen (gif 60k).

From 'Cambridgeshire - The Country of the Fens' by Arthur Mee:

'Wicken. We are in the presence of mighty names, and the thrill of history here, where all may see the fen as Hereward the Wake saw it, as the Saxon monks of Thorney Abbey knew it when they cut their reads from it, as the first Bishops of Ely encountered it when laying a causeway from isle to isle across it. Black dykes flow between the acres of of thick impassable rushes, the reed warblers trill among them from dawn to dusk in spring, the late cuckoo flits across them when autumn approaches, and Montagu's Harriers, the eagles of the marsh, flap heavily from bog to dyke in search of prey.'

The drainage of the fens was originally undertaken by the Romans - who cleared large areas in the southern fenland. Their systems decayed during the Dark Ages and water seeped back into the land. Several drainage projects of varying ambition and success were undertaken from the Middle Ages onwards. The current state of the fens can largely be attributed to Vermuyden's work in the 17th century for the fenland 'Adventurers' - ie. the men (including most of the major fen owners) who 'adventured' the money for the project. Some people saw the large scale drainage as a good thing but were unhappy about the cost laid upon the fenland people. Many were against the drainage because of the damage it would inflict on traditional livelihoods gained from fishing, fowling, and reed and turf cutting. Some people took to vandalising the drainage works. They became known as the 'Fen Tigers' and Wicken became a location for a confrontation between the Tigers and Adventurers' men

Vermuyden's drainage was a huge success for the Adventurers. However his work began to fall into disrepair in the 18th century and yet more plans for drainage schemes were drawn up and implemented. The people of Wicken, Burwell and Upware were still keen on the traditional fen activities and kept their area from being drained until 1840 when the land owners set up a commission for the purpose of draining that part of the fens. However, there were hydrological problems exarcebated by the activities of the neighbouring Bottisham and Swaffham Bulbeck Drainage Commission. Landlords avoided drainage rates - hence an ambitious scheme to drain water via Upware could no longer be supported and the land became unworkable for farming. Wicken Fen became a valued resort for scientists. Currently maintained by the National Trust, it is Britain's oldest nature reserve. Unfortunately, neighbouring fens in the area were requisitioned from the National Trust in 1940 and drained for agricultural use.

- based on an excerpt from 'A History of Cambridgeshire' by Bruce Galloway.