Wicken Fen

Wicken Fen

Wicken Fen is the oldest national nature reserve in England, it was founded in 1899 and has been managed by the National Trust since that time. The fen is a wetland remnant of the Cambridgeshire Fens that once covered large expanses of the county.

It has been recognised for its unique environmental importance as an animal and bird habitat, with its sedge beds, reed communities and Fen meadows supporting a wide variety of flora and fauna. Almost 5,000 species of insects, animals and birds have been recorded at Wicken.

In the 1820s Charles Darwin was known to come here to collect beetles, but today visitors are more likely to be local residents and children attending one of the regular educational workshops organised by the National Trust. A boardwalk over the fenland allows visitors to view the wetlands with minimal disruption to resident species.

The Visitor Centre features exhibitions on the history and ecology of the fenlands, and staff are available to help visitors record their sightings of flora and fauna species.