Inland Waters
Explore our Inland Waters - their history and wildlife. From
Britain's largest nationally protected wetland The Broads, to the
stunning skyscapes 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 - this was 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 these 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, each with
their own staithe (quay) for mooring boats.
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.
The Broads (continued)
Today The Broads are Britain's largest nationally
protected wetland, with a similar status to a national
park. There are 43 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, and there are
many places where you can enjoy a regular
excursion, or hire craft for day trips, short breaks or
longer holidays. There are even Canadian-style
canoes available. For the angler, The Broads offer
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, such as teal,
wigeon, bewick swans and the marsh harrier. In the
spring, listen out for the 'booming' bittern.
Places to Visit
Cockshoot Broad - boardwalk with water lillies. Carlton Marshes - grazing marsh,
fens and peat pools. Horning - Broads holiday village. 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. Oulton Broad - one of the finest stretches of inland water
in England. NWT Ranworth Broad - floating wildlife centre. RSPB Berney Marshes
and Breydon Water - tens of thousands of wildfowl make this their winter home.
Wroxham and Hoveton - the 'capital of The Broads', with various boat excursions.
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Lee Valley Park (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 almost half the greenhouses in England located here. This was due to the quality of soil, an excellent water supply and ease of access to the markets of London. The extraction of good quality gravel, deposited in the valley by the Ice Age, also became a major activity from the 1930's onwards.
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, whilst the park is also one of the best UK sites for wintering Bitterns.
Places to Visit
RSPB Rye Meads Nature Reserve, Lee Valley Boat Centre, River Lee Country Park, Lee Valley Park Farms, Royal Gunpowder Mills, Gunpowder Park
Today the Norfolk and Suffolk Broads are Britain's largest nationally protected wetland, with a similar status to a national park.
The Fens
Stretching out from The Wash across Cambridgeshire and Norfolk, the vast expanse of The Fens are noted for their open vistas and huge skies. This landscape 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 waterways. Then between Domesday and the 13th C. a gradual reclamation took place - much influenced by the wealthy land-owning monks from the area's abbeys and monasteries.
The Dark Ages saw a halt to reclaimation, however by the early 17th C. a group of speculators 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, between Earith and Denver. In between is a huge inland flood reservoir (The Ouse Washes), which could be used in times of need.
The Fens (continued)
But as the drainage continued - the land unexpectedly 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 pump the water off the land and into the rivers - later replaced by steam, diesel and today electric pumps. Today the Fens have a sophisticated and intricate network of rivers and artificial drains, controlled by sluice gates, locks and pumps. They help to protect the land from the ever present threat of rain and tide. The Fens are one of the country's most important wildlife areas, 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.
Key places of interest: RSPB Ouse Washes Nature Reserve, Wicken Fen National Nature Reserve, WWT Welney Wetland Centre, Holme Fen National Nature Reserve, Prickwillow Drainage Engine Museum, Woodwalton Fen National Nature Reserve
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Lee Valley Park
This famous canal was formed in the years 1929-1932 - by the amalgamation of many independent waterways. The aim was to provide a direct link between London and Birmingham. One of the last canals to be opened in Britain - it became the most prosperous, carrying everything from coal, sand and gravel, to pottery, raw material for paper production and even bulk salt. Running for 137 miles (220 kilometres) with 166 locks, the canal passes through the counties of Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire - and today offers leisure activities, such as boating, cycling and walking.
Stocker's Lake Nature Reserve, Batchworth Lock Canal Centre, Ashridge Estate, Tring Reservoirs
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Rivers and Reservoirs
Abberton Reservoir, Alton Water, Grafham Water, Hanningfield and Tring
