Woodwalton Fen Map

Parking

Parking for Woodwalton Fen is along the bank beside the Great Raveley Drain. There is a turning circle at the end of the track.

Disabled Parking

There is a space for disabled parking inside the Natural England office car park. Drive across the bridge over the Great Raveley Drain. Please note this disabled space is only available during office hours and must be booked in advance - see the visit Woodwalton Fen page for more details. At other times, please park with care along the bank beside the Great Raveley Drain.

Information Point and Office

As you enter Woodwalton Fen you will find this information point with maps, recent wildlife sightings and details of forthcoming Great Fen events.

The reeds for the thatch, of course, came from the reserve.

Nearby if the office that is the base for Natural England staff who manage this National Nature Reserve,

Bird Hides

There are three bird hides in Woodwalton Fen. Two look out over Rothschild and Gordon's Meres (follow the Water Bird Trail) and the other looks over the northern reedbed (follow the Marsh Harrier Trail). The hides are elevated and give excellent views across the wetland landscape.

Great Fen View Trail

This trail is an extension of the Bungalow Trail and leads to the western bank where you can see panoramic views across the Great Fen area. To follow this trail use these waymarkers. It will take approximately one hour.

Bungalow Trail

This short trail takes you on a lovely walk to the bungalow built by Charles Rothschild. It takes about half an hour and is marked with these waymarkers.
A guide to the Bungalow Trail can be downloaded here.

Marsh Harrier Trail

The Marsh Harrier Trail leads to an elevated bird hide where there are excellent views across the reedbeds. This is a great area to observe breeding Marsh Harriers and l other wildlife. The walk will take approximately one hour and it is marked with these waymarkers.

Water Bird Trail

The Water Bird Trail leads to two elevated bird hides that look out over Rothschild's and Gordon's Meres with a variety of wildfowl present at all times of the year. This is the longest of the waymarked trails and takes about 1 hr 30 mins. Follow these waymarkers.

Other Routes

This 500 acre National Nature Reserve has many grassy paths winding through it. Please be aware that there are very few benches around the reserve and paths can be uneven. During the winter and after periods of heavy rain, water levels rise and many of the paths may be very muddy or even impassable.

Rothschild's Bungalow

The bungalow on stilts was built by CharlesRothschild in 1911, and was re-thatched in 2011 after 100 years.

You can find out more about Charles Rothschild and the fascinating history of Woodwalton Fen here.

View Point over the Great Fen

The western clay bank gives spectacular views across the Great Fen area. From this vantage point you can see across the restored wet meadows of Middle and Darlow's Farms. In the far distance are the woodlands of Holme Fen, and this panorama brings home the vast scale of what the Great Fen is hoping to achieve.

Gordon's Mere

Rothschild Mere

Plants and Herbs found around Whittlesea Mere

Research so far shows that of the many plant species existing in the Great Fen area prior to the drainage of Whittlesea Mere, quite a few became extinct after the drainage. Many of these plants had medicinal properties and each village would have had a ‘Wise Woman’ or herbalist who would use passed down recipes, to make potions and medicines from local plants.

SUMMARY:
Before the drainage of the Mere around 1850, our research has found old records of 263 species living in the area. Of those 263 species, 135 were plants. Of these, 100 plants are now extinct in the area.

41 of these plants were or could have been used for medicinal purposes or for food and drink. Of those 41 plants, 24 are now extinct in the area.
38 plants were or could have been used for Medicinal purposes to treat 88 Ailments.
35 of the 88 Ailments could not be treated after those plants became extinct.
15 of the 41 plants were or could have been used for food or drinks.

Extinct herbs and plants, with their medicinal uses.

Diseases treated.

Sample of plants used for medicine