Saturday 10 October 2020

Reaching The Heights

After plumbing the depths of nine feet below sea level in our last post, we're now going to scale the heights. Ramsey Heights in fact. The settlement of Ramsey Heights is not perhaps as grand as it sounds, but it is built on a hilltop - the summit of which is one whole metre above sea level! They have an odd sense of humour in the Fens.**

But it does have a tiny jewel of a nature reserve on what used to be a brickworks. The building above has been renovated and repurposed as a visitor centre, and in less restrictive times than these, you can still see some of the original works inside.


It has some absolutely beautiful carved benches where you might sit and have your packed lunch - not that we did of course. Oh no, we squatted uncomfortably on some damp, upturned logs, then later found this magnificent seat just around the corner.


There are a few little water channels where, in brickmaking days, boats moored for loading. It's recorded that on at least one occasion the bricks were still hot and set fire to the boat. But we're on our way to Woodwalton Fen which is a much more extensive site.


The first thing you notice on arrival is that the whole reserve is surrounded with a water channel, very much like a moat. This has enabled water levels to be maintained, which has preserved many of the fen plants and flowers. If you peer into the distance you can see that the water (and the reserve) stands higher than the surrounding land. Not only has the peat shrunk as it's dried out, but also high winds after a dry spell can cause a dust storm. A "fen blow" as it's called locally.


Everything's very lush and green as you walk around, which is hardly surprising as the water level in the channels is maintained at virtually the same level as the path. The paths can be a bit squelchy and in winter or after heavy rain you'd need rubber boots.


A few fungi are colonising any felled trees.


And other timber has been transformed into more of those carved benches, a wooden Long-Eared Owl peers out from the ivy. It's a good deal easier to find and photograph than its real-life counterpart!


And standing in the centre of the reserve is this this thatched bungalow on stilts. It was built for Charles Rothschild who bought this remnant of fen in 1910. He was a very successful banker who also bought Wicken Fen, where he founded Britain's first nature reserve, in 1899. When he wasn't counting his money he was counting and identifying moths, fleas and other insects for he was an leading amateur entomologist. One wonders what the local farmers made of Rothschild and his pals wandering about at night searching for moths.


Rothschild's collection of 260,000 fleas can apparently be seen in the Natural History Museum, though he's perhaps better known as the compiler of the Rothschild List, 284 sites which he had visited and thought would be suitable for preservation as nature reserves. This led to the formation of the Wildlife Trusts. If you want to read about how the various sites have fared then you need to read a little book called "Prophet And Loss: Time And The Rothschild List" by Simon Barnes.


Rothschild's children were an interesting lot too: 

Miriam Rothschild became a famous zoologist, entomologist and campaigner on mental health issues. 

Victor became an intelligence officer in WWII and went on to be an advisor to Edward Heath and Margaret Thatcher; 

and Nica moved to New York and became a patron of the jazz musicians Charlie Parker and Thelonious Monk. She even took legal responsibility when Monk was busted for drugs (presumably because she knew that the punishment for a member of the wealthy banking family would be much more lenient than for a black jazz pianist). Monk wrote the tune "Pannonica" (her full name) for her. Incidentally pannonica is the name of a moth, bestowed upon her by her entomologist father. Rather appropriate for someone who lived a nocturnal life in the jazz clubs and bars of New York. But we digress...


Down at the far end of the reserve you can stare into the future. This is some of the land which has been acquired for the Great Fen project. Already Marsh Harriers are quartering the ground and some Common Cranes spent much of last winter there.

But we've just time to fit in one more location...


Monk's Wood is an area of ancient woodland, parts of which are used by the Centre For Ecology And Hydrology for their various projects and experiments. I wanted to visit to find out how much scope there was for future walks there.


Quite a bit of walking as it turns out, with marked wildflower and butterfly walks in the appropriate season.

And that concludes our whistle-stop tour of the north-west corner of Cambridgeshire and its nature reserves. We may well be back....

(**  the archaeologist and TV personality Francis Pryor believes this quirky predilection for ridiculously inappropriate description is why the soaring 266ft (81m) tower of St Botolph's Church, at Boston in Lincolnshire, is known as "Boston Stump". It's a better explanation than many).


Take care.


29 comments:

  1. Thank you for the interesting snippets and the gorgeous photos. Some families have an extensive claim to eccentricity don't they? And would certainly never be dull companions.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I have loved your whistle stop tour John - fantastic information and photographs. It made me smile that you squatted on damp grass to eat your lunch and then found this bench round the next bend; Reminded me of walking many years in Swaledale with friends in the wildflower meadows - Frank found a few wild pansies in the corner of a field and set up his expensive camera equipment to photograph them. When we went throuh the stile into the next field the whole field was ablaze with them.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hi John - lovely look at three reserves ... I looked at the map ... and it's a wonder area of 'drains' and ditches - fascinating little journeys you've taken us on. I look forward to more Monk's Wood walks in due course - sounds like it's quite organised and efficient.

    The Rothschilds were an amazing family ... Walter and Charles being the two I'm particularly aware ... as well as Miriam ... wonderful post - thank you ... pity Simon Barnes' book isn't printed ... but I may come back to look sometime. Take care and enjoy more cool autumnal walks - Hilary

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sorry, didn't realise the book was only available as a download.

      Delete
  4. Another wonderful walk through nature. I just love those carved items. Especially that bench. It's absolutely beautiful. Such interesting folks, those Rothschilds. Thank you for sharing this with me. You have a wonderful day, hugs, Edna B.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Informative walk, one stretch of the water channel looks good for rowing if the water is deep enough

    ReplyDelete
  6. Such an enjoyable stroll...thanks for great photos as well as a bit of biography of some who helped change this area.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I really want to sit on that bench! What an interesting family the Rothschilds were. Thank goodness there are eccentric people like Charles Rothschild going out in the middle of the night with his butterfly net, and eventually spawning the Wildlife Trusts. 260,000 fleas is a scary thought, is that one or two dogsworth?
    And I adore Francis Pryor!

    ReplyDelete
  8. What a beautiful journey there. Love those carved benches. So interesting reading about the Rothschilds too.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I enjoy these walks that you take us on so much. I can just imagine being there myself. The Rothschilds were interesting people!

    ReplyDelete
  10. That's a magnificent carved bench. The background on the Rothschilds is so interesting. And I guess height is a relative term!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Another wonderful stroll you took us on. The carved bench is absolutely beautiful. I enjoyed reading about Rothschilds, what an interesting person. The photos are beautiful as always. Thanks John and have a great evening.

    ReplyDelete
  12. The fungi is a wonderful find, and the carved bench is really beautiful. Another interesting walk!

    ReplyDelete
  13. merci pour ces images et données historiques, belle découverte !

    ReplyDelete
  14. Superb images of the area John. I bet the air is pretty thin up there.:))

    ReplyDelete
  15. Wow lovely photoes!It is like walking in a fairy tale!and I adore that carved bench

    Wish you a great weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  16. The bench is beautiful. The area is a treasure. The fungus is pretty, an unusual thing to say about a fungus. The fourth and last photos are my favourite.

    You find the most magical places for us, John.

    ReplyDelete
  17. The heights of the fens was not where I'd imagined I'd be encountering the second blog tale in consecutive days of the Rothschild family! Pannonica is a name she certainly lived up to.

    ReplyDelete
  18. It would be worth the visit for the benches alone. i am sure that lunch consumed there would taste extra special!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Another wonderful walk John. I loved the carved bench and it is sod's law that you would come across it just after having made do with an upturned log.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Yes another wonderful walk, stories and photos. I’m so glad that you take us all with you!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Thanks once again for an interesting narrative and lovely photos.
    Good work.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Wonderful pictures - magnificent is a most appropriate adjective when describing that marvelous bench....

    ReplyDelete
  23. A very nice walk John.. I do like it when rich folk like the Rothschild use some of their many millions of the environment and other worthy causes ✨

    ReplyDelete
  24. Nature walk and history lesson all in one. Love it. I've heard of the Rothschilds but not the etymology bent.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Just catching up on your latest posts - fascinating as ever. Pretty glad my dad didn't name me after a moth.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Another interesting walk and interesting information about the Rothschild family, I never knew there could be so many types of fleas and wonder HOW one could ID them all? Interesting how the children all followed such diverse paths in life. That carved bench was delightful and so was the owl.

    ReplyDelete
  27. What a great place to walk...and those benches. I so love them.

    ReplyDelete
  28. Tuo penkki on aivan mahdottoman ihana, haluaisin istua siinä. Ja maisemat ovat fantastisia. Todella ihana lenkkelymaasto.

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for taking the time to comment. I'll try to answer any questions via a comment or e-mail within the next day or two (no hard questions, please!).