Inland Waters
Explore our Inland Waters - their history and wildlife. From
Britain's largest nationally protected wetland The Broads, to the
sweeping vistas of The Fens, and the industrial heritage
of Hertfordshire's canals
The Broads (Norfolk/Suffolk)
A unique and fascinating place, so timeless
and natural that its hard to believe that this
landscape is man made.
The story of the area begins in the Middle Ages.
Between the 12-14th C. peat digging (or turf
cutting) was a major industry - carried out
on a massive scale with almost every settlement
in the area digging its own pit for extracting peat as
its principal source of fuel. These diggings were
abandoned by the 14th C. and gradually filled
with water creating shallow lakes or ‘broads'.
Farming became the main industry - and many
areas were artificially drained to provide grazing
marshes for livestock, using a network of dykes,
embankments, windmills and wind-pumps.
Marshmen reaped the natural riches of the
landscape - from cutting reed/sedge for thatch,
to catching fish and wildfowl to sell at local
markets. Meanwhile villages began to establish
themselves beside the new waterways.
Boats were essential for trading cargo, and large single-sailed craft called
wherries were specially built to navigate the shallow waters. For over
200 years they worked in the area, supplying rural villages, as well as
carrying imports and exports to and from the coast. Later they became the
first pleasure craft for holidays. With the coming of the railways in the 1870's,
The Broads were discovered by the holidaymaker - and the area became a
destination for those of the upper/upper-middle class seeking an 'adventure'
holiday. Later in the 20th C. - with the establishment of boat hire businesses,
the area was opened up to the mass tourist market.
Today The Broads are Britain's largest nationally protected wetland, with
a similar status to a national park. There are around 60 broads, connected by
the area's six rivers - making up to 125 miles (200 kilometres) of lock-free
navigable waterways. The best way to see them is by boat - enjoy regular
excursions, or hire craft for day trips, short breaks or longer holidays. There
are even Canadian-style canoes available. For the angler, try some of the
finest coarse fishing in the country.
Of course - the waterways and their surrounding fens, woodland, marshes
and estuary habitats are a haven for some of Britain's rarest flora and fauna,
such as the fen orchid, the Norfolk hawker dragonfly, water lilies and the
swallowtail - the country's largest butterfly. A variety of birds can be
seen - teal, wigeon, shelduck, bewick swans and the marsh harrier. In the
spring, listen out for the 'booming' bittern.
Places to Visit
Barton Broad - the second largest, explore aboard the solar-powered 'RA'.
Cockshoot Broad - boardwalk with water lily beds. Carlton Marshes - grazing
marsh, fens and peat pools. Horning - Broads holiday village. Horsey
Windpump - imposing five-storey drainage pump. How Hill - take a trip
through the marshes aboard the ‘Electric Eel'. NWT Hickling Broad - the
biggest expanse of open water in The Broads. A good place to seek out
Britain's largest butterfly - the swallowtail. Museum of The Broads - waterside
museum of Broadland life, including historic boats. Oulton Broad - one of the
finest stretches of inland water in England. NWT Ranworth Broad - floating
wildlife centre. Climb the nearby church tower for spectacular views. RSPB
Berney Marshes and Breydon Water - tens of thousands of wildfowl make
this their winter home. RSPB Strumpshaw Fen - trails through reedbeds,
woodlands and orchid-rich meadows. Wheatfen (Ted Ellis Nature
Reserve) - two small broads and open fen with nature trails. Wroxham
and Hoveton - the 'capital of The Broads', with various boat excursions.
Further information: www.broads-authority.gov.uk
---------------------------------------------------
Lee Valley Regional Park
(Essex/Hertfordshire)
(Essex/Hertfordshire)
A mosaic of landscapes and habitats - with lakes and
watercourses, nature reserves, meadows, farm and
woodland, inlaid with centres for leisure, sports,
heritage and entertainment.
The park covers some 10,000 acres, and stretches
26 miles (42 kilometres) on both sides of the River
Lea, from the more rural areas of Hertfordshire and
Essex, down into the heart of London's East End.
This was once a great industrial area - barges
transported goods (coal, timber and malt) along the
important 'Lee and Stort Navigation', whilst mills
produced flour, gunpowder and paper. In the 1930's,
the Lea Valley was home to a vast market gardening
industry (fruit, vegetables and flowers) - with the
world's largest concentration of glasshouses located
here. This was due to the quality of soil, an excellent
water supply and the ease of access to the London
markets. The extraction of gravel and sand also
became a major activity.
In 1967, the Lee Valley Regional Park Authority
was established to regenerate the area for recreation and wildlife. Today
there are opportunities for cycling, walking, horseriding, angling and boating.
It is particularly noted as a birdwatchers paradise - in recent years,
around 200 different species have been recorded. The wetlands are one
of the major inland wintering areas for birds in Britain, annually supporting
over 10,000 waterbirds. It is also an important site for bitterns in the winter.
Broxbourne will provide the home of the new White Water Canoe Centre
(Canoe/Kayak Slalom) for the London 2012 Games.
Places to Visit
Gunpowder Park - country park, with an emphasis on wildlife and the arts. Lee
Valley Boat Centre - boats for hire and trips on the Lady of Lee Valley. Lee Valley
Park Farms - two farms to visit (traditional-style and modern dairy/arable).
Myddelton House Gardens - rare and unusual plants, including an award-winning
collection of bearded iris. River Lee Country Park - old gravel pits, transformed into
an area of lakes, waterways and green open spaces. Cycling, walking,
birdwatching and dragonfly sanctuary. Royal Gunpowder Mills - story of
explosives industry and rich wildlife areas. RSPB Rye Meads - range of wetland
habitats, look out for electric-blue kingfishers. Rye House Gatehouse - 15th C.
moated building, scene of the 'Rye House Plot'.
Further information: www.leevalleypark.org.uk
The Broads are Britain's largest
nationally protected wetland, with a
similar status to a national park. There
are around 60 broads, connected by the
area's six rivers - making up to 125 miles
of lock-free navigable waterways
The Fens (Cambridgeshire/Norfolk)
Stretching out from The Wash, The Fens are noted
for their wide, open landscapes with dramatic skies
and sweeping vistas that stretch for miles.
The countryside we see today is the result of man's
desire to tame and control this former wet
wilderness - and in turn, create some of the most
fertile land in Britain (the black peat soils
growing flowers, fruit and vegetables).
10,000 years ago the area was dominated by
forest - East Anglia was joined to Europe by dry land,
and her rivers were the tributaries of the Rhine. But
as the Ice Age came to an end, the sea rose, and
the forest was flooded. Millions of trees died and fell
into the new wet, swampy conditions, gradually
creating the rich peat soils which are cultivated
today. The first people to inhabit this area were a
strongly independent folk who lived in isolated
communities, clinging to the few islands which
rose above the marshes. Their livelihood were the
eels, fish and wildfowl of the area.
The Romans were the first to try their hand at drainage - constructing sea banks
and dykes. Then between Domesday and the 13th C. a gradual reclamation
took place, influenced by the area's wealthy monasteries. The Dark Ages saw a
halt to reclaimation, however by the early 17th C. a group of speculators (under
the guidance of the 4th Earl of Bedford) started work on the systematic drainage
of The Fens. By funding this work, they were later rewarded with large grants of
the resulting farmland. Experienced engineers were commissioned, such as
Dutchman Cornelius Vermuyden. His greatest scheme was the construction of
the Old and New Bedford Rivers, which stretch for 21 miles (34 kilometres)
between Earith and Denver. In between is a huge inland flood reservoir (the Ouse
Washes), which could be used in times of need.
Unexpectedly as the drainage continued, the land began to shrink at an alarming
rate as the soil dried out. As the level of the land dropped, water could no longer
drain into the rivers, which were now higher than the fields. Wind pumps were
introduced to take the water off the land and into the rivers - later replaced by
steam, diesel and electric pumps. Today there is a sophisticated network
of rivers, artificial drains, sluice gates, locks and pumps.
The Fens (continued)
The Fens are one of the country's most important
wildlife areas - cattle graze upon the lush meadows,
and it is home to an enormous array of resident and
visiting birds, insects and rare flora species. Enjoy
the area by hiring a boat for a day or longer - both
cruisers and traditional narrow-boats are available.
Places to Visit
Holme Fen - lowest point in Britain. Cast-iron column
shows shrinkage of land. Prickwillow Drainage
Engine Museum - see how the former watery Fens
were reclaimed. RSPB Ouse Washes - long, straight
stretch of wetland between artificial channels. Home
to thousands of wintering ducks and swans. Wicken
Fen - see how the landscape looked before extensive
drainage by man. This internationally renowned
wetland site is home to hen harriers, bitterns, water
voles and dragonflies. WWT Welney Wetland
Centre - important nature reserve, noted for its
famous floodlit wild swan feeds.
Further information: www.visitthefens.com
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More Inland Waters
Grand Union Canal (Bedfordshire/Hertfordshire)
This famous canal was formed in the years 1929-1932 - by the amalgamation of
many independent waterways. Running for 137 miles (220 kilometres) with
166 locks, it provided a direct link between London and Birmingham. Places
to Visit: Ashridge Estate - monument (built 1832) commemorating the 3rd Duke
of Bridgewater, a pioneer of 18th C. canal-building. Batchworth Lock Canal
Centre - displays and former working narrow-boat 'Roger'. Tring
Reservoirs - supplies water for the canal when lost through the operation of locks.
Chelmer and Blackwater Navigation (Essex)
14 mile (23 kilometre) long canal running from the town of Chelmsford to the
Blackwater Estuary at Heybridge Basin (nr. Maldon). Designed by renowned
canal engineer John Rennie, it opened in 1797 - transporting goods from seagoing
ships via barge to Chelmsford. Places to Visit: Paper Mill Lock - boating centre
with working lock, tea room, boat hire and river trips.
Rivers
The East of England has many beautiful rivers to discover. Relax beside their
waters with a picnic, feed the ducks, or just watch the world-go-by. Go boating
on the Ouse - from Bedford to The Wash, or take a chauffeured punt along the
Cam amongst the dreamy spires of Cambridge. Essex and Suffolk have wide river
estuaries to explore, great for wildlife watching and sailing. Whilst in Norfolk,
take a cruise through the historic city of Norwich on the Wensum. Hire a rowing
boat for a trip down the Stour to the famous landscapes of Constable Country.
Reservoirs
Abberton Reservoir (nr. Colchester) - covers 1,200 acres. Internationally
important as a safe haven for wild duck and swans. Alton Water
(nr. Ipswich) - biggest area of inland water in Suffolk. Grafham Water
(nr. St. Neots) - Britain's third largest man-made reservoir. Hanningfield
Reservoir (nr. Chelmsford) - built in 1950's, with great trout fishing.
