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The National Trust's oldest nature reserve, and England's most famous fen
Lode Lane, Wicken, Ely, Cambridgeshire, CB7 5XP
Asset | Opening time |
---|---|
Nature reserve | 10:00 - 17:00 |
Café | 10:00 - 17:00 |
Car Park | Dawn - Dusk |
Cycle hire | 10:00 - 16:30 |
Shop | 09:30 - 17:00 |
Visitor Centre | 09:30 - 17:00 |
From 2 May, for the summer months, our Visitor Centre, shop and Sedge Fen will be open on Thursday evenings until 8pm. We will also be open until 8pm on Saturday 4 May, as part of our 125th anniversary celebrations. There are different walks and activities to enjoy on these evenings too, see our events list. On 2 May, and then from 4 May, our pizza van will be operating on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings until 8pm. (During May) Nature Reserve closes before 5pm when dusk is earlier Cycle Hire - bikes must be returned by closing time; for full 2 hours' hire, therefore, last hire is 2.30pm
Ticket type | Gift aid | Standard |
---|---|---|
Cars | £3.20 |
Ticket type | Gift aid | Standard |
---|---|---|
Adult | £9.90 | £9.00 |
Child | £5.00 | £4.50 |
Family | £24.80 | £22.50 |
Family 1 adult | £14.90 | £13.50 |
Group Adult | £8.10 | |
Group Child | £4.05 |
The Docky Hut cafe is next to the Visitor Centre.
The shop is in the Visitor Centre; there is also a small selection of second-hand books.
Our car park is located mid way down Lode Lane; follow the lane on foot to find the Visitor Centre, cafe and start of all walks on the Fen. Members need to scan their membership card for a free parking ticket; non-members pay and display is £3.
Toilets are in the car park, and also in the Learning Centre located behind the cafe.
Dogs under close control are welcome on Adventurers' Fen and the wider reserve paths, as well as in the Visitor Centre/shop. Assistance dogs only on Sedge Fen (Boardwalk, Woodland Walk and Summer Nature Trail)
Blue Badge parking and drop-off point. Accessible toilets and routes. Wheelchairs available. Assistance dogs on Sedge Fen.
Our circular Boardwalk and Woodland Walk on Sedge Fen are accessible routes, including access into two hides. Assistance dogs only on these routes. The Lodes Way cycle path going out towards Adventurers' Fen is also accessible. All dogs under close control welcome on this route.
There are accessible toilets in both the car park and Learning Centre toilets.
There are designated parking spaces in our main car park, plus two in front of the Visitor Centre.
Dropping off in front of the Visitor Centre is possible.
Benches are located around the Boardwalk, fewer on other walking routes.
South of Wicken (A1123), 3 miles west of Soham (A142), 9 miles south of Ely, 17 miles north-east of Cambridge via A10
Parking: 120 yards. Pay and display, £3.20 non-members, free for members.
The closest train stations are Ely 9 miles; Soham 5 miles. Taxis are usually available at Ely, and you can also join the National Cycle Network route 11 to Wicken at Ely station if you have brought bikes on the train.
Join us at Wicken Fen to celebrate our 125th anniversary as well as 25 years of the Wicken Fen Vision Project. We will have a day of celebrations on 4 May 2024.
Wicken Fen marks landmark 125th anniversary by announcing restoration plans to help ensure rare fenland endures for generations to come.
If outdoor activities and learning about nature sound like a good day out for your family, Wicken Fen is the right place for you. Discover everything you need to plan your family day out, from events and activities for kids to hiring bikes.
Plan a school visit to Wicken Fen for an inspiring backdrop to an adventurous day of learning. Find out about the activities and facilities available, how to book and more.
Wicken Fen is a two pawprint rated place. To help us ensure our visitors, dogs and wildlife get along together, there are a few do’s and don’ts to take note of if you’re bringing your dog with you. Find out more here.
Paths lead through the historic undrained core of the Fen, lush with wetland plants and rich in wildlife.
Wet grassland, reedbeds, and the Mere attract wildfowl and waders. Grazed by herds of Konik ponies and Highland cattle.
Landscape-scale nature conservation in action, with wildlife moving in as Wicken Fen grows.
Traditional fenland cottage, built using local materials, and furnished in 1930s style. Fenman's workshop in the garden.
Working wooden windpump, the last in the Fens. Occasionally in action.
Information about sightings, routes and activities. Large windows overlooking the Sedge Fen; family discovery area to inspire your visit.
Docky Hut Café offers light lunches, hot and cold drinks, cakes and other treats, with indoor and outdoor seating.
Gifts, homeware, garden accessories and local produce, plus nature- and wildlife-inspired books.
Discover everything you need to plan your family day out, from events and activities for kids to hiring bikes.
Outdoor adventures at Wicken Fen, for pre-school children who enjoy getting grubby. Each session has a different theme and all take place outside. Booking essential.
Wicken Fen was the first nature reserve to be managed by the National Trust. Today it’s one of Europe's most important wetlands and home to over 9,000 species.
Explore the diverse landscape at Wicken Fen, abundant with wildlife, flora and fauna. Discover the ancient Sedge Fen, grazing herds of Konik ponies and the iconic windpump.
If you've been watching BBC Wild Isles narrated by Sir David Attenborough, you will have seen Wicken Fen's Konik ponies. See the herd for yourself, including its newest arrival.
Explore the fens on two wheels or on foot. Enjoy an easy family ride to see Konik ponies or discover the wildlife in the wider reserve.
Explore part of Wicken Fen following the four Lodes on a trail is a great walk for catching a glimpse of grazing herds including Konik ponies and Highland cattle. Stop off at one of the hides to look for bittern, waterfowl and marsh harriers. It's the perfect walk for all the family to enjoy this season.
A 3-mile walk, exploring new areas of wetland habitat, reed beds and the mere.
A short walk around Wicken's ancient Sedge Fen, a unique remnant of undrained fenland.
Visit the Docky Hut Café and try our freshly baked sausage rolls and hot snacks or buy a gift in the shop as a souvenir of your visit.
We are pleased to host the book launch for Wetland Diaries: Ranger Life and Rewilding on Wicken Fen, by our very own Ajay Tegala.
The birds of the Fen are in full voice. Here's your chance to join our expert guide to start identifying who's singing.
What is going on with peat at the Fen. As part of the Fens East Peat Partnership, we're undertaking large-scale projects to keep our deep peat wet, and to rewet other areas of peat - a vital tool in the fight against climate change.
Delve into the watery world of Wicken Fen to find out what is living beneath the surface.
Join sound artist Kathy Hinde to listen to Wicken Fen from another perspective, underwater, underground, inside trees and zooming in closely to distant sounds
Drop in and discover more about these mysterious and beautiful 'creatures of the night'
Wicken Fen, one of Europe's most important wetlands, supports an abundance of wildlife. There are more than 9000 species, including a spectacular array of plants, birds and dragonflies.
The raised boardwalk and lush grass droves allow easy access to a lost landscape of flowering meadows, sedge and reedbeds, where you can encounter rarities such as hen harriers, water voles and bitterns.
Wicken Fen Vision, an ambitious landscape-scale conservation project, is opening up new areas of land to explore. Our grazing herds of Highland cattle and Konik ponies are helping to create a diverse range of new habitats.
We’ve cared for Wicken Fen National Nature Reserve for over 120 years. Discover its history and how we continue to look after this very special place.
Join us at Wicken Fen to celebrate our 125th anniversary as well as 25 years of the Wicken Fen Vision Project. We will have a day of celebrations on 4 May 2024.
1 May 2024 marks 125 years since the National Trust acquired two hectares at Wicken Fen in Cambridgeshire. It's also 25 years since the wider Wicken Vision was launched, a 100 year plan to protect this special place for wildlife and people.
Wicken Fen marks landmark 125th anniversary by announcing restoration plans to help ensure rare fenland endures for generations to come.
The National Trust has recently acquired 70 acres of land near Wicken Fen which will be used to create a habitat for turtle doves – one of the UK’s most vulnerable species.
Six taps have been turned on across Wicken Fen, to help create a winter wetland for wildlife and reduce CO2 emissions. As gravity enables water to flow from the higher lodes across the fens, more wildfowl are returning to make this national nature reserve their home for the winter.
Learn about some of the work we carry out at Wicken Fen Nature Reserve throughout the year to conserve this important landscape for visitors, plants and animals alike.
If you watched BBC Wild Isles narrated by Sir David Attenborough, you will have seen Wicken Fen's Konik ponies. Find out more about the herd, its newest arrival and the ranger looking after them.
Learn how we’re planning to care for Wicken Fen Nature Reserve with an ambitious vision to create and preserve a diverse landscape for people and for the wildlife that lives here.
Discover how we’re connecting the communities near Wicken Fen with nature and heritage as part of the Footprints project, thanks to a National Lottery Heritage Fund grant.
Enjoy access to more than 500 places with National Trust membership. Join today and help protect nature, beauty and history – for everyone, for ever.