Protecting the landscape heritage of the fens

The fenland has always been a land of mystery. This is particularly true when trying to unravel the complex history of dynamic changes in the landscape, which are directly linked to both sea level and climate. Thanks to an increase in research in recent years, much...

Lime kilns at Isleham

Built around 1860, these listed buildings are the remains of a thriving clunch quarrying industry in this Fen Edge village. Three of the kilns are preserved, with the fire hearths visible inside. The clunch rubble was loaded in through the circular openings at the top...

The economic geology of Burwell

Burwell is a “Fen Edge” village which lies to the North East of Cambridge. It has a long history, some of which was dependent on the geology of the underlying rock. It has evidence of some form of settlement since the Palaeolithic Age, through the Bronze...

Nine Wells LGS display at the Cambridge Museum

A display about the Nine Wells Local Geological Site has been featured as part of an exhibition at the Cambridge Museum on the importance of Hobson’s Conduit.The exhibition runs from 26th September to 22nd October 2017 and can be seen in the tea rom at the...

Nine Wells designated as Local Geological Site

Nine Wells Local Nature Reserve is now (February 2017) a Local Geological Site. This designation highlights its geological value for scientific, educational, historical and/or aesthetic reasons. As well as being the source of Hobson’s Conduit, the chalk springs at...

Monthly talks

All are welcome to our monthly talks which cover a range of topics and are aimed at those with a general interest in geology and landscape, as well as those with a more specific interest or a geological background. The talks are held in Cambridge, on the 2nd Monday of...

East Pit, Cherry Hinton designated as Local Geological Site

East Pit, a disused chalk quarry within the city of Cambridge, was designated as a Local Geological Site in February 2016. This highlights its geological value for scientific, educational, historical and aesthetic reasons. East Pit is one of three, once economically...

A walk on the wild side in the Fens

The Last of the Meres Trail is a new walking trail that guides you through the fenland landscape of northern Cambridgeshire. The trail has been developed as part of The Great Fen, a project to restore one of Cambridgeshire’s most iconic landscapes. The area that...

Third walk on the Fen Edge Trail published

The third walk on the Trail, from Wistow to Warboys, is now available for download from the Fen Edge Trail website. Part of our Geosites initiative, this project explores the Landscape Heritage of this important feature of Cambridgeshire. We hope to publish a further 3 walks this winter/early spring.

Visit the FEN EDGE TRAIL website

Next Event

Monday 14th January 2019 7.30 pm

“Ediacaran microfossils” Peter Adamson, PhD student, Department of Earth Sciences, Cambridge

More information on the fossils of this enigmatic time, a period that is a ‘hot topic’ in evolutionary research.

See details on our events page

Lidar image of trackway to Ramsey Island

News

Author Patrick Barkham walks the Fen Edge Trail

We were delighted that the author and Guardian nature writer recently contacted us to say he’d like to walk some of the Fen Edge Trail, A bonus was that the day he chose turned out to be the sunniest and nicest of the year so far and he was able to enjoy walking from Stanground to Yaxley and then from near Woodwalton village to Upwood. En route, he called in to the Fen View Heritage Centre at Farcet (soon to be opened), a couple of places in the Great Fen (near Holme Fen and Woodwalton Fen) and also the Admiral Wells pub at Holme village. Patrick enjoyed his time along the Fen Edge and is now a fan of this fascinating and (perhaps) unexpectedly attractive part of the county, as you can see from his article in the Guardian travel section, published last Saturday 21st April.

See his Guardian article here