Holme Fen
Reserve Information
Location
From the A1 Holme Fen is accessed off the B660, turning left about half a mile after the railway crossing at Holme village. From Yaxley, it can be accessed off Yaxley Road on the way to Holme village.
Great for...
Taking a peaceful walk through woodlands and bird watching on the meres.
Size
657 acres (266 hectares)
Top 3 Things to do and see
- Find out about the history of the famous Holme Post
- Discover weird and wonderful fungi
- Bird watch at one of the meres
Grazing Animals
Cattle are not found on this site at any time of the year.
Parking
Along the roads in Holme Fen there are several laybys in which you can park your vehicle free of charge. This is a remote site please take extra care not to leave any valuables in your car. There is no cycle parking due to security issues.
Blue badge holder parking: There is currently no specific disabled parking at this site.
Explore the finest silver birch woodland in England and visit the famous Holme Post where you will be 2.75 metres (9.0 ft) below sea level - the lowest land point in Great Britain.
If you had visited Holme Fen a few hundred years ago, you would have had a view of the largest lake in southern England; Whittlesea Mere. An impressive three miles across, it was a place for ice skating, sailing and home to many species of wildlife found nowhere else. Some of these species, including the large copper butterfly, became extinct when the mere was drained to create farmland in the 1850'.
A fragment remains
An area on the Mere's south-west shore was still too wet for farming. This became Holme Fen and survives as one of the only fragments of ancient wild fen.
However, drainage of the adjacent areas meant that this National Nature Reserve itself dried out and became the largest Silver Birch woodland in lowland England. There is a great deal of wildlife to see, including woodland birds, the strange shapes of more than 500 types of fungi, and some rare species of plants from the reserve's ancient fen history.
Species and habitats
Find out more about the Wildlife of Holme Fen.
Explore on a trail
There is a way-marked walk in Holme Fen which starts at the Holme Post. You can download a trail guide for this walk. Take a look at the Holme Fen map for more details on walking trails.
There is a network of pathways across the nature reserve for you to do your own exploring, but the paths are often very muddy and have exposed tree roots, and undulating slopes (up to 1 in 6).
One new place explore is the Trundle Mere Lookout, on the northern edge of Holme Fen.
History highlights
The Great Fen team and volunteers have produced several booklets including stories about the history of Holme Fen. Please contact us. Also take a look at the history pages for more heritage information.
Other Great Fen reserves to visit nearby
Rymes Reedbed
This area which is in the early stages of restoration lies northeast of Holme Fen and can be viewed from the Trundle Mere Lookout. Read more about it here.
Great Fen Information Point (New Decoy Farm)
This is the nearest reserve and there is a carpark alongside the B660. There are maps and information about the Great Fen and you can walk around some of the previously cultivated fields that are now being restored. Details are here.
Woodwalton Fen
Take a look at the visit Woodwalton Fen page for more information on visiting this beautiful nature reserve.
The Wildlife Trust Countryside Centre
Take a look at The Wildlife Trust Countryside Centre page for more information on this site.
Middle Farm
Take a look at the Middle Farm page for more information on this site.
More information
If you need more information about access, if tou have any special requirement. or would like to check conditions of the paths before you visit, please contact Alan Bowley, the site manager.
Please note that barbecues, fires and camping are not allowed at Holme Fen.
