Fri, 03/12/2010 - 11:41 | 
administrator
Take time out of the normal daily grind and escape to an area full of leisure opportunities. From walking, cycling to boating there is something for everybody.
The Fens covers an area of 380,000 Ha in Cambridgeshire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk and Suffolk. In prehistory this low-lying area would have been a vast complex of wetland habitats, created by a low gradient and slow-moving, meandering rivers and streams. The wet grassland, wet woodland, raised bog, reed beds and fens provided a bountiful source of food and natural resources for the people that lived there.
From this period, people increasingly began working with the distinctive landscape of The Fens, using it to complement the upland, instead of against it. The result was one of the most prosperous areas in England, an example of truly sustainable land-use. This prosperity is evident in the cathedrals, churches and abbeys that can be found in fen towns and villages today. The Cambridgeshire Fens were successively drained, particularly from the 17th Century.
The unique fenlands in the north and east of Cambridgeshire are now a landscape characterised by vast flat areas of artificially-drained land, wide views and open skyscapes. Ideal for walks and cycle rides as the absence of hills results in glorious views and sunsets!
