Wicken Fen Adventurers' Trail, Cambridgeshire
This trail explores a varied landscape of reed-beds, open water and wet grassland. Look out for dragonflies in summer and of course our herds of Highland cattle and Konik ponies.
Safety/Accessibility
Take care near waterways and ponds. Not suitable for wheelchairs, especially in winter when sections of the route can get wet & muddy, there is also a slight incline which would be difficult for wheelchair users. Dogs on leads welcome. Please clean up after your dog.
Map
Start:
Wicken Fen National Trust Visitor Centre, grid ref: TL563705
1
Check in at the Visitor Centre if you are a member or need information. As you exit, Wicken Lode is on your right. Follow the path keeping the water to your right. You will pass some ash trees and Wicken's Poor Fen on your left. This is common land. Traditionally local villagers had the right to collect sedge and peat from here.
2
Cross Monk's Lode at Norman's Bridge. Look out for plants like arrowhead and water lilies. Turn left after the bridge.
Brimstone butterflies
With a life span of just under a year, Brimstone are some of the longest-living British butterflies. It is said that Charles Darwin collected bugs here in the 1820s he certainly rummaged through boats of sedge harvested in the fens as they arrived in Cambridge.
3
Walk along Monks Lode, then turn right through the lower set of gates.
4
Look out for birds like wigeon, teal and shoveler in winter, and lapwing and redshank in summer on the flooded fields; and for Konik ponies and highland cattle.
Fen wildlife
We use konik ponies and cattle to graze the scrub, preventing the formation of woodland on the fen and the loss of this unique wetland habitat. Roe and muntjac deer, hares, grass snakes, water voles and common lizards can also be spotted at Wicken.
5
Turn right along the next path, and on your right is the site of Norman's Mill. Originally used to drain the turf (peat) pits. Norman's Mill has been restored and can be seen on the Sedge Fen. On your left, roe deer can often also be seen. During the Second World War Dig for Victory campaign, the war office turned the fen into arable land. Restoration of the area is now being carried out.
Wicken's past and future
Most of East Anglia's fens have been drained for farmland. In 1899 the Trust bought its first piece of land here for £10. Now, we are leading the Wicken Vision, an ambitious habitat creation project, which plans to extend these historic wetlands to an area of over 50 square kilometres by 2099.
6
Note the reedbeds on your left and the many birds and insects inhabiting them. Turn right again to walk alongside Wicken Lode. There is a squeeze gap and path on the right leading to West Mere Hide, used to overlook the mere's west end and the island.
Bird life in the fens
In winter, spot wildfowl and wading birds in marshy areas, plus flocks of fieldfare and redwing on farmland. Lapwing, redshank, wigeon, bearded tit, heron and marsh harrier live here year round. Woodpecker nest in birch trees and barn owls hunt over the fen and grasslands. In spring, listen out for the loud boom of the highly secretive bittern. They faced extinction in the UK in the 1990s but are now increasing in numbers, thanks to conservation efforts.
7
Continue past the sign for West Mere hide. Go down the path to visit West Mere Hide to see what wildfowl are out on the mere.
Insects and plants to look out for
Over 4000 insect species are found at Wicken Fen including Britain's largest dragonfly, the emperor. Rafts of whirligig beetles skim over the surface of the ditches. See fenland plants like great fen sedge, hemp agrimony, meadowsweet, marsh pennywort, and the beautiful purple marsh pea. The ponds and ditches are home to yellow flag iris and greater bladderwort: a carnivorous plant that feeds on water fleas.
8
Return to the Wicken Lode bank, turn right and follow along the lode. Note the Tower Hide on the other side of the Lode, thatched using sedge from the Fen, and built in 1950s. Cross back over Normans Bridge and return towards the Visitor Centre and Docky Hut café for refreshment.
End:
Wicken Fen National Trust Visitor Centre, grid ref: TL563705
