As well as providing a haven for fen wildlife, the Great Fen will create a massive green space for people, opening new opportunities for recreation, education and business. It will incorporate areas where winter flood waters can be stored and will prevent the release of huge amounts of carbon dioxide each year.
To date, some 55.5% of the required land has been aquired by the project, although some of this may remain in arable production for some years to come. With local farmers, the project team is working on the land to establish pasture which is grazed and cut for hay - the first steps towards establishing the new wetland.
The pages below provide lots more details about the various aspects of the project, or go to a page of
These achievements would not have been possible without the support of many people and organisations - well-known supporters such as HRH Prince of Wales and Stephen Fry, funders such as the Heritage Lottery Fund, individual supporters, businesses, staff and volunteers delivering work on the ground.
Middle Farm (452 acres, 183 hectares) is purchased from a local farming family with assistance from central government through Communties and Local Government funding. The land is next to Woodwalton Fen and Darlow’s Farm. Farmer Jonathan continues to work on the land to help with restoration work, including seeding, grazing livestock and taking hay crops.
An appeal is launched to help generate match funding to transform another 182 hectares (450 acres) of land at the heart of the Great Fen (Engine Farm). This will increase the area for wildlife by almost a fifth.
Business BGL Group, a major employer in the region, pledges to support the Wildlife Trust Countryside Centre for three years, including supporting a part-time member of staff and bringing their employees for volunteering days to help develop the surrounding nature reserve for school groups.
The Papworth Trust and other disability groups and individuals visit the Wildlife Trust Countryside Centre to provide advice on proposed access improvements, and test out an all-terrain access buggy.
The Draft Masterplan includes plans for a visitor centre to attract tourism and business to the area, locations of different wildlife habitats, as well as new cycle routes, walking routes, bridleways and boat access. Consultation is undertaken across the area with the public, including local villages, schools, young people, disability groups, wildlife specialists, access specialists and tourism and business specialists.
come together to begin planning the Great Fen: Environment Agency, Huntingdonshire District Council, Middle Level Commissioners, Natural England and the Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire.
In a first for the UK, renowned artists from around the world visit the Great Fen and create artwork inspired by its wildlife and landscapes. ANF is a Dutch-based charity that helps to raise the profile of environmental issues around the world through art.
.) His great-granddaughter is now helping to continue his legacy.
“I was so impressed by the dedication and enthusiasm of the staff and volunteers, I jumped at the chance to be a patron of such an important and heart-warming project. In my lifetime, I am sure, that with a bit of help from all of us, flocks of majestic cranes will be gliding down to nest in England’s Everglades.”
Convened and addressed by EU Minister Ladislave Miko, Director for Nature in the Directorate General for Environment of the European Commission, the international conference was dedicated to protecting the wild spaces of Europe. Alan Bowley gave a presentation about the Great Fen to experts from across the globe. He said:
“The Great Fen is not only an area of unique and intense raw beauty, but is vital in helping conserve our wildlife, protecting local communities from floods, and providing them with business opportunities."
The Masterplan set out how the Great Fen project will re-create 14 square miles (over 9,000 acres or 3,700 ha) of ancient fenland landscape over the coming years and decades and how it will deliver a wide range of benefits for the surrounding area. Hundreds of people of all ages, interests and abilities contributed their ideas and comments on the draft Masterplan, helping to shape the published version and its subsequent implementation.
The Great Fen's size will mean that it will provide an area large enough to support threatened fen wildlife, such as Bitterns and Otters.
It will also provide a home to some flowers and other plants found almost nowhere else in the UK, such as the Fen Violet (found in only two other locations) and the Fen Woodrush (found nowhere else in the UK).
The Great Fen will help to reduce the risk of flooding in the locality. Particular areas will provide extra water storage after heavy rainfall, helping to protect surrounding towns, villages and farmland from the risk of flooding.
The Great Fen will help reduce peat loss, saving an estimated 325,000 tonnes of CO
The winning design, produced by a team consisting of Shiro Studio Ltd, Mesh Partnership and Equals Consulting, reflects the Great Fen’s vision of sweeping scale and ambition. The Judging Panel felt that Shiro Studio’s elegant proposals would sit beautifully within the expansive landscape. The team had skillfully incorporated elements of the traditional fenland type of building within an exciting contemporary visitor centre design. There will be a silvery and bog-oak black exterior, shimmering with the play of fenland light. This will contrast markedly with and complement the spacious, light-filled interiors and panoramic views onto the surrounding landscape.
