Completion of Wicken Fen peatland restoration project provides hope for the future and sheds light on the past

Peatlands, like those at Wicken Fen, store more carbon than all the world's forests combined. But, when drained or degraded, they release this carbon into the atmosphere. By restoring these landscapes, the National Trust is not only preserving precious habitat but also mitigating against climate change, enhancing flood resilience, reducing wildfire risk and safeguarding future water availability.

The project has been made possible thanks to primary funding from the Nature for Climate Peatland Grant Scheme managed by Fens East Peat Partnership with additional funding from philanthropic donors and corporate partners including Starling Bank and Anglian Water.

Led by Project Manager Ellis Selway, a range of works have taken place across the nature reserve over the past six months. One significant task involved protecting a precious area of undrained Fen habitat from drying out due to water escaping through a perimeter boundary known as Spinney Bank. A waterproof liner has been installed across 300 metres of the bank to retain moisture in the peat. At the same time, encroaching scrub was cleared to restore the open fen landscape, further helping to keep the peat wet and lock carbon in the soil.

Emma Ormond-Bones, General Manager at Wicken Fen, said:

“Nature is declining at an alarming rate, and the climate crisis is placing unprecedented pressure on the places and species we care about. This project is a huge achievement for the National Trust and a powerful step forward in the restoration of our natural world. It’s providing the space and conditions nature needs to recover, while also helping to store carbon and make landscapes more resilient to future environmental challenges.”

Part of the project focused on Burwell Fen, reclaimed for agriculture during the Second World War and acquired by the National Trust in the early 2000s. Though drained and degraded, an area of deep peat remained where an extinct ancient river once flowed. A clay bund was constructed around this area, allowing it to be re-wetted. Although full transition back to fen habitat will take time, the impact has already been visible: rare wetland birds such as cranes and great egrets appeared within hours of the water level being raised.

Ellis Selway, Peatland Restoration Project Manager, said:

“Watching cranes arrive so soon after we raised the water was a moment I won’t forget. It made all the effort and planning worthwhile. These birds are a sign that wetland life is returning, and fast. Seeing nature respond so quickly gives us real hope for the future of this landscape.”

New solar-powered pumps are now helping to manage water levels sustainably, while a monitoring programme led by the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology will assess water quality, hydrology and greenhouse gas emissions into the future.

In a fascinating twist, the restoration works also revealed a significant archaeological discovery. A bog oak unearthed from the peat at Spinney Bank has been precisely dated by the Cambridge Archaeological Unit using tree-ring analysis. The results show the oak began growing in 2,894 BC and lived for 222 years, predating the start of peat formation and linking the site to a dry Late Neolithic woodland. This find is older than the stones at Stonehenge and the Ness of Brodgar.

Ellis Selway added:

“Peat holds more than just carbon, it holds stories. Discovering a tree that took root nearly 5,000 years ago is a humbling reminder of how much history is preserved in these ancient landscapes. This kind of insight deepens our appreciation of what peatlands can teach us about the past, even as we look to restore them for the future.”

Further finds at Spinney Bank range from a locally made 20th-century lemonade bottle to the base of a 19th-century windpump – and even what is believed to be a cannonball from the English Civil War – revealing layers of both natural and human history.

To find out more about the project and its lasting impact, visit the Peatland Restoration Project website.