Into the Fens: Exploring England’s wetlands

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I’m a reluctant ‘Fenny’. When I moved to this area of Cambridgeshire, the flat, open Fenland felt stark and particularly bleak in winter. The land is completely flat and regimented, with straight drainage channels and hedgerows, largely used for agriculture. Roads run along drainage channels and rivers, looking out over an expanse of sameness, and when the wind blows or the snow falls, there’s no shelter.

But the skies here are big and give you a feeling of your place in the world. I’ve come to appreciate the beauty of this unique Fenland I call home. I was inspired to write this post following a walk on New Years Day 2023 which epitomised how these vast, flat, wet marshes can be seen in a beautiful light, which hopefully I can showcase to you all.

View across the flat Fens from the road


The Fens are an area in eastern England, ranging roughly from north Cambridgeshire up to Lincoln, an area of 3,800 square KM.

Beautiful Mare Fen

Most of the Fens lie within a few metres of sea level. Much like in the Netherlands (many Dutch came over to England to develop our Fens back in the 16-1700s), much of the Fenland originally consisted of fresh or saltwater wetlands. With the support of their drainage system, the Fenland has become a major agricultural region for grains and vegetables and are particularly fertile, containing around 50% of the grade I agricultural land in England – but at a cost. Once this area was 99.9% wetland, and today it is only 0.1%.

The city at the heart of the fens is Ely (literally the Isle of Eels) which was built on this marshland. Whilst draining these lands made them habitable, there have been so many unintended consequences – firstly because they’ve been drained, the peat shrinks at a rate of 2cm a year and not enough alkalinity gets in to the water anymore. This means that plants and wildlife living here are starting to change and we’re losing a lot of species.

Another consequence is the constant flooding. Of course, The Fens are literally designed to flood – having drained the low lying land there are still two major rivers running through the Fens – The River Ouse and River Nene. The banks of these rivers often overflow and the Fenlands are natural flood plains. However, with all the rain we’ve had in 2023, floods have been consistent and a part of every day life here rather than a seasonal occurrence which drain and dry out in summer. Constant flooding causes the land level to sink and the dykes have been built higher and higher to protect inhabitants.

Views of the Ouse (You’re supposed to be able to walk down that middle bit which is normally a footpath)


The best way to explore the Fens is on foot. They cover a huge natural area, and I’ve explored many of the walks through them. There are multiple individual Fens making up the overall landscape and some of my favourites include:

  • Mare Fen
  • Ouse Fen
  • RSPB Fen Drayton Lakes
  • Wicken Fen
  • Hoe Fen
  • Stow cum Quy Fen
Blue skies and muddy Fens

My favourite walk is around Mare Fen and you can find the route HERE, and I also loved Stow cum Quy Fen, following the route from Lode to Bottisham HERE.

Walking in the Fens is both super easy and hard. Easy because the land here is completely flat – there are no hills or mountains anywhere, but also hard as it’s pretty much always wet and you can easily sink in the mud and peat – it’s really important to wear wellies or proper waterproof hiking boots. It also means that if the rivers are in flood, you won’t be able to walk the routes as they can flood by up to 6ft of water, and obviously no wellies are going to save you from that.

It’s also hard walking in the Fens because it’s so exposed. Being so flat means if it’s windy you’re blown over and if it’s misty you have limited visibility. As you can see from my walk in winter it’s beautifully atmospheric but very murky.

There are some Fens which are run as their own sites, such as Wicken Fen and Lopham Fen, so have better walking trails and board walks to help with the mud. These Fens are also home to the famous Konik ponies – and if you watched the latest David Attenborough documentary, they were featured!

A majestic Konik at Wicken Fen

Driving in the Fens is normally OKish as the roads are well protected. That said, most of the smaller roads run to the side of waterways, and it’s common to have flooded roads especially in the areas around Ely- it drives me nuts as during rainy periods it’s rare I can drive anywhere beyond the main A-roads without a detour at some point!

A typical Fenland flood at Earith – luckily I could drive through this one but at least 4 times a year this road on the way to Ely from my house will flood higher than the bollards!

Away from the actual Fens themselves, Fenland has lots to offer people wanting to visit. Of course, you have to do a Fen walk, but there are lots of great cities, towns and villages in the area which are worth a visit too and you could choose as a base to exlore the area.

The most famous Fen city is Ely, one of the most beautiful cities in the country – though I’m biased. Peterborough is also an important Fenland city and offers lots to see, including the Cathedral where Catherine of Aragon is buried. Lincoln is the northern most tip of the Fens and Cambridge the southern most tip so both also make good places to stay as gateways to the Fens.

Ely and its Cathedral

There are also a number of smaller towns and villages to visit – I’ve mentioned Lode, Bottisham, Over and Swavesey but there are also Huntingdon, St Ives, Spalding, and Kings Lynn which are all nice to explore.

Misty Lode

You could easily spend a week exploring all that the area has to offer – just make sure you visit at a time where it’s not too wet so you can enjoy it to the fullest.


So what do you think of the Fens? I hope I’ve managed to showcase a unique side to where I live, beyond the city lights of Cambridge and in to the rural side of this beautiful place I call home.

I used to hate the Fens, but now I can appreciate their vastness and peace. I love bracing myself to be exposed to the elements if I’m going on a walk round a Fen – whether it’s sunny, snowing, raining or misty, I’ll experience it in abundance and I quite like that. That said, I’m genuinely concerned about how the area will look by 2050 – with horrifying climate change predictions and the seemingly never ending building of new houses across the flood plains here, I worry that we are sleep walking in to more floods and rising water levels in this area which will be unsustainable.

39 responses to “Into the Fens: Exploring England’s wetlands”

  1. Lovely photos Hannah! I really enjoyed visiting Ely and have also visited Wicken Fen (heavy rain) and Cambridge but reading your post there’s lots more to explore!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Ahh amazing you’ve been to Wicken as well, it’s a beautiful area. Cambridgeshire and East Anglia have lots to offer 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  2. ThingsHelenLoves

    Such a beautiful landscape, very atmospheric in in the winter light.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks Helen, I thought so too 🙂

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  3. With a world changing due to global warming, it’s concerning that places like the Fens might not exist in a few decades. Flooding is certainly an issue here…all the same, there’s a beauty to the region, and you’re fortunate to live in a lovely place (even if it took a while to grow on you)!

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    1. I know, especially given I live in the Fens and my house is predicted to be under water by 2050!! But I do love it and don’t intend moving until I have to I suppose, I really do like the area and it’s beautiful in its own unique way 🙂

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  4. You live in a beautiful area; it’s unfortunate about the flooding and uncertain future. With the increased damage and destruction from global warming, it’s understandable to be concerned. I hope change happens soon, not only for the beautiful Fenlands, but for other threatened areas as well. Thanks Hannah, for sharing.

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    1. I agree, it’s predicted my house will be under water by 2050 so I just really hope that’s not the case and we manage to make progress in the fight against climate change – not just in this case but like you say, everywhere 🙂

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  5. Thank you for sharing this post about the Fenland, the Isle of Eels, and the history about how the area came to be. I agree, too – the skies are wonderful, and remind me of our state of Montana (known as the ‘Big Sky’ state). And, such wonderful Konik ponies, majestic Cathedral and quaint village scenes…looks lovely, Hannah!

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    1. I agree totally, though I am sure Montana has lots more sky than Cambridgeshire 🙂 I’m glad you enjoyed the little tour of my home.

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  6. Fantastic photos, Hannah! The Fens are unique, but it isn’t a landscape for everybody. I for one find the immense skies, black earth and parallel lines quite interesting and would love to explore these ancient, disappearing marshlands one day. Thanks for sharing and have a good day 🙂 Aiva xx

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    1. Thanks so much Aiva – it’s a really unique area and I’ve grown to love living here. It’s quiet and refreshing and away from the hustle and bustle of everything. Thanks so much for reading, have a lovely evening xx

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  7. I think your pictures really do these beautiful marshy lands justice. That mix of earth, sky, and reflection is incredible! It is, as you say, somewhere that definitely would put into perspective your place in the wider world. I would enjoy trapezing along on those muddy roads and flooded roads to enjoy the views 🙂

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    1. Oh thank you so much Meg, that’s so kind of you. I have trapezed on to my butt plenty of times on these walking ‘paths’ I tell you. I always smile when I see board walks and think ‘I wish Cambridgeshire would install a load of those’ 🙂

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  8. What a neat spot! I love the ponies, they’re so cute. Your pictures looks like it could be a shampoo ad with that majestic mane ha!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. hahaha that made me laugh – it really could 🙂

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  9. I’m such a fan of wetlands. Except in the spring when the mosquitoes and flies start to become relentless. They’re so important for the environment and support a crazy amount of plants and animals. You’ve really showcased the beauty of the fens through your pictures. That’s wild about the flooding!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Me too and we’re lucky here in England that the flies and mozzies arent tooo bad. I love the biodiversity they create as well and I just hope they can be maintained without all the flooding going forwards!

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  10. The fens are beautiful, Hannah, and so are your photos – love the Ely Cathedral shot. I can see why you enjoy walking through them. I hope that someone figures out a way to control the flooding so that both the fens and the towns are protected. The global climate changes are very concerning.

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    1. Thanks so much- and I totally agree on the flooding, I’d like both to be protected as this area is so important for biodiversity and agriculture but it’s really worrying what the future looks like for us.

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  11. Well Han, I can absolutely see why you went from being a reluctant fenny to a passionate fenny. Really interesting that the Dutch played a part in the development of The Fens, I would’ve never thought that but it makes perfect sense. You grabbed a wonderful capture of that incredible Konik… majestic indeed. It’s a pity about the floods, but so few places around the world can escape extreme weather conditions these days it seems.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you so much, I’m really glad you enjoyed the post as I enjoyed writing a little bit more about home. I agree about the extreme weather, it’s truly terrifying where we may end up with climate change, I’ve no doubt we will end up being our own demise!

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  12. Definitely not something I think of when I picture England! Your photos are so beautiful, though, they make me want to check them out.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you so much, it’s a really beautiful area – especially on a clear day 🙂

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  13. I drove through the Fens and visited Ely for the first time last year, and was enchanted by it (and amazed by how incredibly flat it is). It’s a beautiful part of England and I especially adored Ely and its magnificent cathedral. Your photos are gorgeous and capture the area’s ethereal beauty so well 🙂 The effects of global warming are extremely worrying and it’s terrifying to think what may happen in the future.

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    1. Oh that’s amazing that you’ve been to Ely, it’s such a lovely city. I agree on climate change, it’s scary now how much rain and flooding we have here and on lands this flat it’s just not sustainable really. The current prediction is that my house will be under water by 2048 so that’s not ideal!

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  14. I’ve been to Peterborough a couple of times, but really must make more of an effort to visit the area proper.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. It’s a beautiful area if you get to explore more of it. Thanks for taking the time to read and comment – have a great weekend.

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  15. I knew England had fens but I didn’t realize they were so expansive! They do look beautiful throughout the seasons, but I think after a while I would get really sick of the mud and flooding and always ending up with wet feet.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. They are really vast and incredibly beautiful – but I agree it is totally miserable in the cold winter months when it’s raining. Over lockdown November-March was so truly grim my husband and I were just at our wits’ end. We love where we live but only being able to trudge around in mud for 5 months pushed our limits!!

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  16. Sorry to hear about your flooding, that must have been difficult for you and everyone in the town. The blue sky and cloud reflections in the fen wetlands are stunning!

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  17. You have stunning photos here Hannah! I can understand why you love this area so much … not a bad place at all to call home. Waterproof boots must surely be one of the most popular items bought by the locals 😁. You have painted a lovely picture of this area – you rarely find a place that’s beautiful in any season!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you so much, I definitely think wellies are a must here for sure!! 🙂

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  18. Anonymous

    Hannah, I read a book recently that featured the fens and seeing your photos helped put it all in perspective. I had no idea that so much of the fens had been converted to farmland. It’s certainly understandable from a human population standpoint, but as always, there’s the question of At what cost?

    Our wetlands in the US are also shrinking, thanks to development for homes and expanding cities. I’ve hiked in wetlands and they’re absolutely alive with wildlife, so it’s sad to see them diminished. Sorry to see the same thing happen in the UK. ~James

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    1. Thank you so much for reading James and I really appreciate your thoughts and comments. I agree it’s so sad to see these incredible areas reduce by the year.

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  19. […] blanket in front of the fire reading books, and going on long walks at the weekend around the local Fens to explore more of the nature that’s on my […]

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  20. […] is particularly close to my heart as I live in the English equivalent, the Fens, and my husband’s 3x great grandfather played a pivotal role in draining our local area here […]

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  21. […] on swamp like terrain which has to be expertly drained and managed to this day. The historic Fenland city is made famous by its Cathedral which is the only one of the Seven Medieval Wonders of the […]

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About the author

Hi! My name is Hannah, I’m a travel blogger from the UK who fits travel around a full time (and full on) job. In this blog I share my adventures around the world and hopefully help you to find some inspiration for destinations, things to do or places to stay. Thanks for stopping by – stay safe and happy travelling.

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