Largescale peatland restoration project completed in Cambridgeshire
Experts say the completion of the Wicken Fen peatland restoration project provides hope for the future – and is shedding light on the past.
The National Trust recently announced its’ largest lowland peat restoration project had finished at the site of its’ oldest nature reserve.
Ornithologists were delighted to see the return of rare wetland birds, including cranes and great egrets, within hours of the water level being raised.
Its’ teams are now using solar-powered pumps to help manage water levels. Tree ring analysis of a bog oak unearthed from the peat has revealed it pre-dates the start of peat formation – making it older than the stones at Stonehenge.
Spanning 590 acres of lowland peat, the restoration should see the securing of a hopeful future for the landscape and the wildlife it supports.
‘Nature is declining at an alarming rate, and the climate crisis is placing unprecedented pressure on the places and species we care about,’ says Emma Ormond-Bones, General Manager at Wicken Fen.
‘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.’
Carbon storage
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 conservation charity is helping to preserve precious habitat, mitigate against climate change, enhance flood resilience, reduce wildfire risk and safeguard 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.
Additional funding came from philanthropic donors and corporate partners including Starling Bank and Anglian Water. Various 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 which is 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.
Part of the project focused on Burwell Fen, reclaimed for agriculture during the Second World War and acquired by the National Trust in 2001.
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.
‘A moment I won’t forget’
This May saw other notable birds being recorded on Burwell Fen, including the spoonbill and wading birds (such as curlew and a pair of little ringed plovers).
‘Watching cranes arrive so soon after we raised the water was a moment I won’t forget,’ says Ellis Selway, Peatland Restoration Project Manager.
‘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.
‘This discovery exemplifies that wonderful relationship between depth and time, which comes with exploring the peat fen,’ explains Cambridge Archaeological Unit’s Mark Knight.
‘Traces of past landscapes abound beneath its surface, and what’s more, they come beautifully preserved and in clear chronological order.’
‘Peat holds more than just carbon, it holds stories’
The results show the oak began growing in 2894 BC, lived for 222 years, pre-dating the start of peat formation, and links the site to a dry Late Neolithic woodland. This find is older than the stones at Stonehenge and the Ring of Brodgar.
‘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,’ says Ellis.
‘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.
‘We care for 25,000 hectares of precious peatlands across England, Wales and Northern Ireland,’ says Caroline Thorogood, Senior National Consultant on peatlands at the National Trust.
‘Sadly, many of our peatlands – around 70% – are not in a healthy, natural condition, having faced pressures such as drainage and pollution. We are therefore working hard to recover and rejuvenate our peatlands for the future.’
‘The project at Wicken Fen is returning our most significant area of lowland peat to a wetter, more nature rich landscape that is good for people and wildlife.’
‘Excitingly, whilst making this iconic nature reserve more resilient in the future, the project has also given us a fascinating glimpse into the past.’