• Management Plan Index

• A2.1 sedge
• A2.2 litter
• A2.3 droves and paths
• A2.4 reed
• A2.5 carr
• A2.6 trees
• A2.7 dykes, ditches and other water-bodies
• A2.8 turf-digging
• A2.9 water levels and movement
• A2.10 named species
• A2.11 farming and plantations
• A2.12 visitors
• A2.13 implementation of the management plan

A2.1 Sedge

Sedge is managed by rotational cutting at 3 or 4 year intervals in the early summer; only a small proportion of the total sedge habitat is cut in any one year. Harvesting between May and August was adopted as standard practice in 1983.

The sedge is cut with a machine having an offset cutter bar (currently a Mayfield), running so that the cut material falls against the uncut face of the vegetation and is supported by it, making it easier to gather up. The cut material is gathered up with a long-handled 4-tined fork, and sorted of rubbish before being bundled into 'yealms'.

Thatchers require material that has been cut green and dried. Material which is already brown when cut is brittle and of little use.

A field should be surveyed before cutting, and parts where sedge is sparse cut first; the surplus cuttings should be stacked to rot, but some burning may be required to limit the amount stacked.

A2.2 Litter

Cutting is necessary to maintain the present mix of species, and to prevent the spread of carr. The material is removed to prevent it damaging the vegetation beneath it, and to maintain at a low level the nutrient status of the fen vegetation. Cuts at different times help to maintain a steady supply of nectar-bearing flowers throughout the summer, and also spread the work load through the season.

Litter is cut in three sessions: spring (May); summer (July); autumn (September/October)

Much of the spring cutting is done with a motor scythe because the ground is usually too wet to support a tractor, although in dry years the small Kubota tractor can be used. The cut material is carried off and stacked to rot in heaps at the edge of the carr.

By July the ground is usually dry enough to support a tractor and allow the use of a tractor-mounted hay cutter and hay-sweep. Sometimes the Fen is dry enough to permit the summer litter crop to be baled after cutting.

The autumn cut is done mainly by tractor, and most of the material is burned, with less being stacked to rot.

Some fields are cut annually, some in alternate years, and some two years in three. The Godwin Plots are cut on yet another regime. The majority of the litter cutting in any year is done in the summer and autumn.

These cutting regimes are obviously very complex and there is a need to monitor their effects.

There is obviously scope for extending litter fields by clearance of carr but once an area is cleared, it must be managed.

A2.3 Droves and paths

The typical Wicken drove is 10 - 15 m wide and usually straight, passable by tractor when dry enough; those regarded as paths are generally narrower (c. 5 m) and sinuous. Droves usually have a regularly-cut portion approximately in the centre for walking while the margins are cut less often. The minimum width for the central strip is 1.5 m. Where vegetation flops in from the sides, or a wider path is needed for vehicle access, each successive mowing may be made a little wider than the last.

The central strips are mown several times a year, the first cut being taken April-May. Cutting frequency depends on usage (see Levels below). In addition, the whole width is cut in the autumn and the material carried off.

The mowing of the central strips is now carried out with a rear-mounted Twose rotary flail cutter mounted on the Kubota mini-tractor, and with this combination the entire network of paths and droves can be cut in one day.

Local materials from the Fen itself should be used for path repairs. Laying of stick walkways is appropriate; willow may be used. Turf, if used, should be cut from close to the site.

Paths are closed with string when too wet, or when they should not be used for conservation reasons. On occasion, strings at each side are used to deliniate the part of the path in use.

Droves are managed on two levels; there is a need for the monitoring of the effects of the various cutting regimes, and for a new survey of visitor use at different times and under different conditions:

Level 1 - Total length about 3300 m.

These are the routes most used by visitors. The central strips should be cut as necessary during the growing season, that is, every 2 - 4 weeks, probably from May to September. The margins should be cut once, in September-October, with the tractor-mounted cutter bar, and the cuttings removed with the haysweep, with subsequent tidying by hand. Paths where tractor access is difficult, because of soft ground, would have to be cleared using the smaller machines.

The central strip is now cut by the Kubota tractor and the Twose rotary cutter. This distributes the cuttings evenly. On uneven surfaces there is a tendency for it to cut up the surface of hummocks if it is set too low.

Level 2 - Total length about 6700 m

Intermediate and low usage (all other routes including those on St. Edmund's and Verrall's Fens). Management is essentially the same as Level 1 but starts later in the season (as the paths tend to be wetter) and cutting has to be more frequent, as growth is lusher (up to 8 cuts per year).

Sedge Fen Drove - total length 750 m. - is treated as a Level 2 drove, but the central strip should be wider (2 - 2.5 m). The muddy depressions should not be filled, but the central track should skirt round them where possible.

A2.4 Reed

Harvesting begins as soon as the leaves ("flag") have been blown off by strong winds, usually early in the New Year, and ends by mid-March, although 'dressing' of the crop off the field may continue beyond this. Reed must be cut when dry. It is difficult to cut in windy weather because the cut material blows about and does not bunch well. In a spell of good weather it is usual to cut as much reed as possible and carry the rough bundles off the field for processing, which can be carried out in less favourable weather.

The reed is now cut by a machine (Olympia) which bundles the cut reed into rough sheaves. These are carried off the field by fen staff using low ground-pressure vehicles, and stacked on the bank of Wicken Lode. Here employees of a thatcher take over. The sheaves are opened, the weeds and short, broken and bent reeds are sorted out mechanically, and the clean reeds made into standard bundles. These are banged on a board ("butted") to make a neat lower end to the bundle. and then placed in a slotted box and tied with string. Once tied the bundles are reasonably water-resistant and are stacked until they are carried to the end of Wicken Lode either by boat or by tractor and trailer. Collection from here is by lorry, and is also possible from Harrison's Drove.

The standard management since 1983 has been to start flooding the reed field by the end of March to give a water cover and protect the growing colts from frost. Inflow continues until September to maintain a shallow flood. From September onwards the field is drained off into Commissioners' Drain. The reed field can be flooded in most years from Wicken Lode via the Mere perimeter ditch (the inflowing water does not need to pass through the Mere). Inflow to the field is controlled by blocking and unblocking culverts under Harrisons Drove. Outflow is into Commissioners' Drain, and control is achieved by blocking and unblocking a pipe which leads from the central ditch of the reed field into Commissioners' Drain (see Section A4.2.5).

There is a need to control bush invasion, by cutting or burning, especially in the Conservation reed field.

Harvesting undoubtedly reduces the conservation value of the commercial reed bed. However, the Conservation reed field is not harvested (although one third is burned off in rotation every two years), and there are also the extensive reed beds round the Mere. If the entire commercial reed bed was harvested, about 49% of the total reed area at Wicken would be cut. In practice, well below 30% of reed is cut in most years.

A2.5 Carr

The clearance of scrub woodland is done mainly by volunteer labour in the summer between July and September. However, the best time for clearance is November-December, when the herbaceous vegetation has died down and the ground is drier, but when volunteers are not often available. Later than this, the fen is usually too wet.

The herbaceous vegetation is cleared from round the bush bases, which are then grubbed out with spades or axes. After clearance, the ground surface tends to sink, and hollows disappear fairly quickly.

The main strategy is to enlarge existing fields by pushing back carr at the margins; cut material is then deposited within the fringing carr. Where larger areas are cleared, the waste may be built into stick piles and burned when dry but the ground is wet. The Glencoe and its winch allow for much more extensive clearance by Fen Staff than previously possible. Some diversity of carr age structure can be achieved by leaving some cleared areas to regenerate while others are incorporated int the cropping cycle.

The carr is 'faced-up' where it borders on open fields and paths to obtain a fairly straight or gently curved edge which can be maintained with a tractor. A broad, sloping boundary has been achieved where herbaceous vegetation has grown up among dead carr. Encroachment of scrub beyond existing boundaries should not be allowed.

A2.6 Trees

The safety of trees on the property is monitored annually in accordance with NT policy on all its properties; limbs may be removed, or trees coppiced as appropriate, where they are deemed to threaten public safety. Priority should be given to trees along the boardwalk and nature trails and in the Education area. However, dead trees provide a valuable habitat for insects and birds and should be left standing unless they pose an immediate threat.

Pollarding is a traditional method of maintaining the vigour of the trees while taking a useful crop from them; old pollards are also a valuable wildlife habitat. Some of the large Salix alba on and around the Fen could be pollarded; this was done around the Education area in 1990. Priority should be given to any trees which have been pollarded in the past.

Dead wood provides a valuable habitat for many insects, and at least some of the timber cleared on the fen should be stacked and allowed to rot, some in sun, some in shade. The larger timber is best treated in this way; poles 15 - 30 cm diameter can be used for path repairs.

Some of the timber might possibly be used as firewood. It is suggested that the timber should be stacked in piles of approximately a cubic metre, in a suitable site, and sold per pile for loading and collection by the purchaser.

The planting of trees is not generally needed as regeneration of most species is good. Exceptions arise where a screen is needed quickly. Some removal of healthy saplings may be appropriate where woodland is developing in carr.

A2.7 Ditches, dykes, and other water-bodies

The relative importance of the aims of ditching (see A6.7) varies among the different water-bodies, and the management of each varies accordingly.

Three methods are employed:

Brinking - the cutting of fringing vegetation to reduce shading and slow the rate of accumulation of debris, and to give a view of the water. This is practised along Drainers' Dyke, ditch 78d (windpump ditch), the north bank of Wicken Lode as far as Drainers' Dyke, and has been extended in 1992 along Gardiner's Ditch (91), part of Spinney Bank and the south bank of Wicken Lode. Each of these ditches will be brinked along half of its length in any one year, but in short sections corresponding to one half of each of the lengths defined for slubbing (see below). Alternate short lengths along Wicken Lode and Spinney Bank will be similarly treated in alternate years.

Brinking is done in June and the cuttings removed. From 1992, it is proposed that a second cut, if necessary, be carried out in autumn, and the clippings removed. This should proceed on an experimental basis.

N.B. the fringing vegetation along a number of other ditches (e.g. Cross Dyke S. bank, Malcarse Drain E. bank) is cut during routine cutting of the drove alongside in autumn. Cutting may extend a short distance out onto the water where drove margins are less than the width of the cutter bar.

Roding - the cutting of emergent aquatic vegetation at or below water level in late autumn/winter. It is now used only in those waters where navigation is a primary aim, and at the village end of the Lode, where it keeps open a traditional vista.

Slubbing - the mechanical clearing of vegetation and/or substratum from the bottom of water-bodies.

Weeds in Wicken Lode are slubbed annually in summer from the southern bank by the National Rivers Authority, by arrangement with the Head Warden. The vegetation is removed across most of the width and deposited on the southern bank.
The ponds near the windpump (76a-d) may be re-excavated when necessary to keep at least 0.5 m of water in summer; a proportion of the weed and animal life of each pond should be immediately returned. This should be done under supervision of one of the Secretaries. The Brickpits are unlikely to require such treatment in the near future.

Ditches are divided into four categories:

1) those to be left unslubbed for the forseeable future, so that the hydrosere be allowed to run its course (Sedge Fen Drove south side - those sections adjacent to open fields and droves; Sedge Fen Drove north side; North Dyke; Thomson's Dyke);

2) those presently dry, to be excavated along part of their length (Sedge Fen Drove south side - sections adjacent to carr; New Dyke);

3) those managed by the N.R.A. (Howe's Bank; Spinney Bank); these are likely to be slubbed in their entirety and as necessary to maintain their function. Intention to do this is communicated to the Head Warden. The operator may be asked to leave 'islands' of weed to conserve the ditch flora and fauna;

4) those to be treated on a strict rotation (all others). Each is divided into short lengths of between 50 and 100 m, according to the length of the ditch. Only some of the sections of a ditch are slubbed in any one year, depending on the length of the rotation, in order to conserve each ditch's distinctive communities (see prescriptions for individual water-bodies; A4.2.6).

Rotation lengths vary according to the function of the ditch and our experience of the rate of regrowth and infilling:

4-year cycle: Drainers' Dyke;

8-year cycle: New Dyke; Cross Dyke; Windpump ditch; ditch from Sedge Fen Drove to Spinney Bank (78g);

12-year cycle: Malcarse Drain; Gardiner's Ditch

The effects of this new scheme of management on the flora and fauna of the ditches is being monitored 1992-95 by Mr. Duncan Painter.

Ditching is carried out by an outside contractor, in winter. The channel is excavated evenly across its width (except in North Dyke, where the east side was given a sloping 'batter'). Spoil is heaped on one or other bank, as is possible, and these heaps are levelled (where paths are required alongside the ditch) or left (to discourage public access). Dislodged Phragmites rhizomes are removed manually after excavation.

Grant-aid to pay for this work is applied for annually.

A2.8 Turf-digging

Turf-digging is currently carried out in the traditional manner, using traditional tools. Turf-digging in the traditional manner is labour-intensive: the turf must be dug, stacked to dry, turned, restacked, and carried off. The whole process takes about six months from digging to using the product. The details of the process have been researched by the Deputy Head Warden and Education Warden and are described in their booklet 'Turf digging at Wicken Fen' (1992) (see Bibliography C9).

The new diggings are on the site of previous diggings in Cpt 18. These are easily viewed from the boardwalk; an explanatory notice has been provided. It is hoped to carry out digging in June and July, to allow visitors to watch; the traditional time for digging was April - August, with earlier dates favoured for drying the product. The total area dug should be about 10m square, with a new pit being dug each year (see A3.2.6).

Traditionally, the 'top' was disposed of by tipping it into the hole left by the previous cut. In an attempt to recreate the acidic water habitat associated with old diggings, some pits will remain open with the top heaped along one edge, while others will be treated in the traditional way.

Digging has become difficult since the linking of Gardiner's Dyke to Drainers' Dyke in 1990. This has caused higher water levels that flood the diggings. The link between the two dykes must be controlled for ecological reasons; this should allow water levels to be controlled for turf digging.

Dug turf should be stored, for demonstration purposes, in the shed of the Fen Cottage, and, if possible, burned in the Cottage (see C6.1.4). The peat is not suitable for horticulture.

A2.9 Water levels and movement

Waterproof banks and flood relief works

These are the reponsibility of the NRA. (see Section C3.6).

Reed-bed flooding


See Sections on reed management (A2.4; A3.5; A6.4) and hydrological information (C3.6).

Adventurers' Fen


The potential for the independent control of water levels in different parts of Adventurers' Fen will be examined as a tool for the future management of the Fen for maximum natural history interest.

Conduction of water into ditches on the Sedge Fen


For ecological reasons, the movement of water from ditch to ditch should be controlled wherever possible, especially at points where enriched water may enter the internal ditches. Vital control points are at the junctions between: Drainers' Dyke and Cross Dyke; Drainers' Dyke and Gardiner's Ditch; the Windpump Ditch and Gardiner's Ditch. All these should be controlled via a pipe, which may be enclosed in an earth bank (see map in C3.6). In the latter two cases, water should be let through only when water levels in Gardiner's Ditch are dangerously low.

A2.10 Management of named species

The Local Management Committee is generally sympathetic to reintroductions if a good case is made. Proposals must meet criteria set out in the National Trust's Nature Conservation Subject Paper (see Section A6.10).

Proposals should be made in writing to the Committee through the Secretary and the proposer invited to discuss the project with the Committee including the representative from English Nature. If the Committee agrees in principle, the matter should then be referred to the National Trust's Nature Conservation Panel. Proposals should carry adequate funding and not involve the Fen staff in extra management or monitoring duty unless this is specifically agreed to by the Committee. Examples of current projects are given in Section C4.3.

The Committee is opposed to deliberate introductions. Species found at Wicken Fen which are not native to Britain, or have in the past been deliberately introduced to the Fen from other habitats, should be monitored as opportunity allows.

Rare species are to be conserved in the national interest. This involves specific management for surviving rarities (e.g. the Fen Violet) and may involve the reintroduction (see above) of species known to have become extinct locally in recent years (e.g. the Fen Ragwort and Swallowtail butterfly).

Management of these species may sometimes require that specific practices be carried out in localised areas, and these may be allowed to override the normal prescription for a compartment (see, for example, section A4.2.3), but each case should be considered individually.

Populations of rare species should be monitored annually, according to recommendations set out by the Botanical Secretary (see Section A5.2).

The National Trust's Nature Conservation Panel has considered the control of predators in the wider context of NT properties in general. The Panel accepts that in some cases a reduction in numbers may be desirable, but that each such case should be fully justified. The Panel's recommendations should be taken into account before any control programme is begun (see Section A6.10).

The Local Management Committee is prepared to review the situation regarding the populations and impact of specific predators on the Fen from time to time. The numbers of certain animals may be estimated and monitored as necessary.

It is recognised that predator control is rarely a one-off activity, but becomes a long-term commitment of resources. To be effective, it also needs to be carried out in conjunction with neighbouring occupiers.

A2.11 Farming and plantations

See C5.5 and Appendix to Section C.
Approximately 41 ha. is let under traditional agricultural tenancies, mostly on Adventurer's Fen (30 ha.). All the land is outside the S.S.S.I., and no restrictions are placed on tenants on cropping and method of management. Rents are reviewed on a three-year cycle. Management arrangements are to be reviewed in the event of any future acquisition of land at Priory Farm and participation in a Countryside Stewardship scheme.

Approximately 39 ha (97 acres) of Adventurers' Fen (Charles Raven Reserve) is let on an annual grazing licence; this lies within the SSSI boundary and no artificial sprays or fertilizers are applied. Rents are reviewed annually, the licence period normally running from the beginning of May to the end of October each year, although the season may be extended as conditions allow. Control of water levels is essential if grazing management is to be effective.

Compartment 68 has been planted with a 'conservation mix' of native trees (see Section A3.3). The rides are flailed as necessary to promote floral diversity: a centre strip to be demarcated by cutting several times in the season, alternate side strips to be cut and cleared in autumn. Tree supports and tubes are to be removed as they become redundant. The butterfly transect (Section A5.2.3) extends through the site.

A2.12 Visitors

Further details may be found in Section C7.

A2.12.1 Visitor facilities

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No charge is made for the use of the car park but there is a collecting box at the exit on the Fen side. The lavatory block beside the car park is maintained by East Cambridgeshire District Council; these are closed during December to March, inclusive but keeping them open throughout the year should be investigated.

There are normally no refreshments available, although on special open days, and for guided tours, tea is provided in the Ganges Hut. There is a drinks machine in the William Thorpe Building. Picnicing on the Fen is not encouraged; there are picnic tables on the grass between the car park and the Keeper's House. No litter bins are provided; staff remove any they find.

Publications relating to Wicken Fen and postcards are sold in the William Thorpe Building. The Education Warden keeps small useful items that may be purchased by school parties.

Two wheelchairs are available from the William Thorpe Building for use on the boardwalk; consideration will be given to acquisition of other mobility aids.

Accommodation for school and working parties is provided in the Ganges Hut (see A3.6 and C6.2.4 for maintenance).

A2.12.2 Visitor management

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The Fen is open throughout the year from dawn to dusk, except for Christmas Day.

Entry is by ticket or permit only. Trust members and Wicken villagers enter free. Entrance tickets are available from an automatic machine outside the William Thorpe Building, and the building is manned at busy times, particularly between 10 am and 5pm and at weekends. When the William Thorpe Building is not manned, staff on the Fen ask visitors to produce their tickets, permits or National Trust membership cards. Permits for biological or any other type of study on the Fen are issued by the Secretary or, for zoological work, the Zoological Secretary, or, for botanical work, the Botanical Secretary.

Group visits which are accompanied or otherwise aided by Fen staff over and beyond what can normally be expected of the normal admissions procedure are asked to contribute a fee in addition to the normal entrance fee; for a trial period, groups requiring a routine 'guided visit' will be charged £10 per staff member for 1-2 hours of their time.

The Wardens lead occasional guided walks; some visitors come to see the reed harvest. A programme of events may become a regular feature.

Recruiting staff are on duty in the William Thorpe Building during the main visitor season; the level of staffing and the organisation of a rota are the responsibility of the Head Warden. The Public Affairs Department will assist the Head Warden in the selection of reception staff, and will organise training for both new and existing staff. Wardening staff should also be able to recruit new members as required.

The boardwalk is to be maintained (see Section A3.6). The trails and paths on the Fen must be maintained and protected from excessive wear as specified in Sections A2.3 and A4.4. Signs on the Fen are kept to a minimum, but trail guides are available; these should be reviewed and developed as required.

The William Thorpe Building display illustrating the history of the region and the background to the present management of the Fen should be redeveloped and maintained.

The Fen Cottage is open on Sunday afternoons, Bank Holidays and at other times by appointment. A volunteer rota covers opening hours and, for a trial period, a member of staff could open the cottage at specific times during the week, at times advertised at the Fen. Opening arrangements will be extended in holiday periods, making use of a volunteer rota, and kept under review. A scheme for the maintenance of the Cottage and its garden is being developed.

The Demonstration Garden is to be tended regularly.

Dogs are permitted on the Fen but must be kept under strict control, preferably on a leash, and are not allowed to foul the main visitor routes, the boardwalk and the Education area; these arrangements must be kept under review.

Promotion of the Fen is the responsibility of NT Public Affairs (see C7.3.5).

A2.12.3 Educational visits

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All visits by school parties are arranged in advance with the Education Warden. Preliminary visits by school staff are encouraged, and are insisted upon for first-time visitors. The Education Warden meets and accompanies all groups in a range of activities; volunteers may also be involved. Activities and the accompanying literature should be continually evolving; the Education Warden prepares these in consultation with advisors.

A charge is now made for school groups.

The Education area should be managed according to the scheme in Section A3.4. Equipment should be maintained and enhanced by the Education Warden.

Visiting University and College groups may be self- contained, or require an introductory talk. Individuals engaged in research on the Fen must hold a valid permit (see above).

A2.13 Implementation of the management plan

Details of staffing, committee structure etc. are given in C8.
The Fen Staff, under the Head Warden, are responsible for the day-to-day implementation of the management plan: reed, sedge, litter cutting; carr clearance; maintenance of droves and paths; visitor management; routine maintenance of buildings, machinery etc. The Education Warden deals with school bookings and visits. Part-time and voluntary workers also play an important role.

The Head Warden is responsible to the Land Agent through his Contract of Employment, likewise the other staff through the Head Warden.

The Head Warden and Education Warden report progress regularly to the Local Management Committee (reports are submitted at each LMC meeting). The Committee prepares an Annual Report, which is discussed by the Local Advisory Panel at its Annual Meeting and submitted to the Regional Committee.

Consultation is needed where incidents or developments require substantial deviation from the plan:

1. where immediate action on minor matters is needed, these may be discussed with the Secretary of the Local Mangement Committee or the Land Agent, as appropriate;
   
2. more major changes and matters that are not urgent should be referred to the Committee;
   
3. major departures from the plan that have ecological implications must be referred to English Nature through its representative on the Committee;
   
4. certain matters (e.g. reintroductions, Section A6.10) should be referred by the Committee to the NT Nature Conservation Advisor.

The following responsibilities are delegated to the Trust's Land Agent and through him/her to members of the Regional Management and property teams:

1. Personnel:- recruitment, conditions and terms of employment for staff, their salaries, annual appraisals, training/career development, health and safety, and staff discipline.
2. Management of resources:- day-to-day financial control, budgets and efficient use of resources.
3. Land and property:- management of let land; leases, licences, wayleaves and any other legal matters; public rights of way; insurance claims; valuations; sales and acquisitions of land and property; marketing and promotion of the property.
4. Buildings:- maintenance and improvement of all buildings; planning permission; control of contracts.
5. Marketing:- publicity, liaison with the press, interpretation, promotional activities, visitor care (see Sections C7.1, C7.3).
6. National Trust Policies:- keeping the Local Management Committee abreast of all Trust policies and any changes, and giving any other help and advice to that Committee, as requested.