Fenland
One of the strangest of all English landscapes, the Fens extend over large swathes of north Cambridgeshire. For centuries before Fenland was drained, this was an inhospitable wilderness of mists, marshes and bogs, punctuated by small islands inhabited by independent communities eking out a livelihood cutting peat for fuel, using reeds for thatching and existing on a diet of fish and wildfowl. The superstitions of bygone years have fed the myths of today and people in the rural outposts still refer to legends of web-footed predators, ghostly apparitions and witchcraft.
The Romans were the first to raise causeways above the treacherous surface of the Fens. They also opened drainage channels to divert water and to carry food to garrisons further north; the remains of one such channel, Car Dyke, can be seen near Waterbeach. After the legions departed most of their endeavours fell into disrepair.
Piecemeal land reclamation took place throughout the Middle Ages, with much of the work being undertaken by the monasteries. One medieval attempt at drainage involved a 14-mile cut from Peterborough to Guyhirn, thereby diverting the waters of the River Nene - this scheme lasted the test of time and still plays an important part in the modern system.
However, it wasn't until the 17th century that the systematic drainage of the Fens was undertaken, albeit amid fierce local opposition. In 1630, the 4th Earl of Bedford was empowered by Royal Charter to turn the wastelands into good summer grazing grounds. He and his 'Adventurers' (their name is preserved in such areas as Adventurers' Fen) engaged the Dutch engineer Cornelius Vermuyden to straighten-out the wayward rivers and sluice them against tidal inflow. Vermuyden got to work on 20000 acres near Wittlesey and despite some success with the Old Bedford River, work ultimately ground to a halt because of Charles I's lack of funding and the intervening Civil War of 1642-9. After the war he cut the New Bedford River parallel to the first, and these two still provide the basic drainage for much of Fenland.
This wholesale drainage had unforeseen consequences. The basic idea had been simply to assist the downhill dispersal of water over the lower-lying seaward 'flats', but, paradoxically, the more effective the drainage the more the peaty soil, now exposed to air and drying out, contracted and shrank to below the river levels. As the ground level fell so the water flowed back causing frequent flooding. Ultimately, natural drainage failed and it became necessary to pump rainwater from the fields up into the rivers, adopting the Dutch method of employing windmills for the task. The mammoth engineering task of draining Fenland was only completed satisfactorily in the 1820's following the introduction of steam-driven pumps. These leviathans could control water levels with much greater precision, but were eventually themselves superseded by 20th century electric and diesel-powered pumps that can raise thousands of gallons of water per second to protect the land from the ever-present threat of rain and tide. Drained, the Fens now comprise some of the most fertile agricultural land in the country.
The history of Fenland drainage and reclamation is detailed at the Stretham and Prickwillow museums, both located near Ely. In particular, the Stretham Old Engine is a very fine example of a land drainage steam engine dating from 1831. Originally one of 90 steam pumping engines installed throughout the Fens to replace 800 existing windmills, it is the last to survive, having worked until 1925. During the great floods of 1919 it earned its keep by working non-stop for 47 days and nights. Both museums provide a unique insight into Fenland history and industrial archaeology.
At Wicken Fen National Nature Reserve, visitors can see one of the few remaining areas of undrained Fenland. Its survival is due to a group of far-sighted Victorian entomologists who donated the land to the National Trust in 1899, making it the oldest nature reserve in the country. The 700 acres are undrained but not uncultivated, marsh plants flourish and wildlife abound in Wicken Fen; sedge and reed cutting are still undertaken to preserve the landscape as it is. Features to highlight in this famous wild Fen include boardwalk and nature trails, hides and watchtowers, an ancient Fenland thatched cottage, the oldest working windpump in the country and a friendly, informative visitor centre.
Interestingly, buried in the cemetery of the local Wicken parish church of St Lawrence, are the remains of Oliver Cromwell and several members of his family. One of Cromwell's many nicknames was 'Lord of the Fens' - he defended the rights of Fenmen against those who had wanted to drain the land without providing adequate compensation.