Tuesday 10 January 2023

Cuckoo Fen


If you wait for the ideal day to go out for a walk at this time of year you may never get out of the house at all. So it was that my brother Les and I drove to the village of Over, on a blustery day, to investigate the recently opened footpath around the southern part of Cuckoo Fen, part of the Ouse Fen project to create a huge reedbed for the benefit of wildlife.



We began in Over itself, checking the church spire which sometimes provides a look-out perch for a Peregrine Falcon, but no luck this morning. Instead my eye was attracted to a decaying door in a building which had obviously once seen better times. 



We turned off the main street along Overcote Road, which passed some attractive houses before the road turned into a farm track.



The land here is only about 4 metres above sea-level, while the village is built on higher ground, between 5 and 15 metres  above sea-level. Such subtle variations in height make all the difference along the fen-edge; they say you can always tell a true fenman because they can point out "hills" which most people can't even see. Bare Hill, just a short distance from here, is named on the map, but doesn't warrant a spot height or even a contour to confirm its presence.



We turned off onto an old track known as Ouse Fen Road. The substantial ditches on either side suggested that it was once an important way. Despite this double-drainage it was still plenty muddy in places. We soon had descended another metre or two, which meant the land was becoming wetter.



We've now reached Cuckoo Fen where a path, of sorts, loops around a body of water of highly irregular shape.



It was probably too windy for many birds to be about, though we saw several species of duck, a large flock of geese and, star of the show, a Great White Egret standing nonchalantly at the water's edge. But we'll have to wait till summer for the Cuckoo to turn up on Cuckoo Fen!  

Ah, here's a convenient bench.....


 Time for a cup of hot chocolate!



This area has an interesting history:
           It was once at the edge of a huge area which flooded every winter (and was mostly fairly waterlogged throughout the rest of the year). This was the original Fenland.
           Then in the seventeenth century there was a huge effort to drain the Fens for agriculture. Despite protests from the wildfowlers, fishermen and reed-cutters, who had traditionally made a living here, great channels were cut across the peat lands to get the water more quickly to the sea.
           More recently the gravels deposited by the River Great Ouse have been exploited and many quarries were excavated.
           During the last few decades as each gravel pit is exhausted it has been returned to nature.



Quarries are still working in the area, but gradually a huge reedbed is being formed. Already many once-scarce birds are making a home here - Marsh Harriers, Bitterns, Egrets, Bearded Tits and so on. 



Those of you who've followed these walks will recognise these Konik ponies which graze the land and help to keep it in good shape. 



Then we turned back and took a different lane leading towards Over.



We were closely observed as we sauntered by. I sometimes think there must be as many horses and ponies in our villages now as there were before we had motorised transport.



Another paddock held some sheep, though they paid us little attention. The black ears, eyes, nose and feet make me think that these are Kerry Hill sheep. They originate from the village of Kerry in Wales, not the Irish Kerry as you might think. They are a heartening success story in that they were once a threatened breed but numbers have increased sufficiently for them to be removed from the at-risk list.



A Mute Swan was cruising around one of the small ponds. 



Every house in the Fens that has Dutch gables has stories about them being houses of the Dutch engineers who oversaw the drainage of the Fens, but this is one of the buildings which has some evidence to support the idea. It's thought to have been built by a Dutch prisoner of war who was set to work on the drainage scheme and who decided to settle here, eventually doing well enough to build this fine home.

Now we're heading home ourselves. Hope you enjoyed the outing.


Take care.


37 comments:

  1. It's not the weather stopping me going out now so much as the after-effects of Covid, but it is even harder to find motivation when everywhere is wet and muddy. I therefore really enjoyed being transported with you on your walk - and so interesting, being so different from round here. There are many success stories in your area I think, in terms of attracting wildlife. Good to know.

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  2. A great outing indeed, John. Such a curious looking tree in photo 12. The scenes are so beautiful! Unless there’s a snowstorm, we are out too.

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    1. Yes, the green leaves are ivy which has invaded the tree. The leaves at the bottom have been browsed by cattle, giving it an even odder look. Contrary to what most people think, ivy doesn't strangle trees or do them much harm at all, though this tree must be in greater danger of being blown down in high winds; all that bulk of ivy must act like a sail!

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  3. I like the bits of blue sky peaking through the clouds. We might have sun here today so a nice walk is on my schedule. Thanks for all of the info you share with your lovely photos, John.

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  4. I'm always so glad when you and Les go out for a nice long walk there. You two always see such wonderful sights.

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  5. I've read several novels set in the fens...it must have been a hard life at one time. That cup of cocoa definitely hit the spot, if I were sitting next to you all. So glad to hear some wildlife is returning.

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  6. I thoroughly enjoyed that walk that you took us on, John.

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  7. Hi bros John and les the fens gods last retreat from invaders to these shores. Great pics and hot choc for getting u going again .at least this weather les won't worry for ice creams!!!!thanks for look ralgi f..

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  8. I am so glad (and grateful) that you braved blustery conditions and took this walk. Love the idea of taking hot chocolate with you - and hooray for conservation projects.

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  9. Hi John - this was a delightful tour around cuckoo fen, before the cuckoos appear - glorious set of photos, together with the history of the Fen, and of Over (the village) - that Dutch house is beautiful ... also the height above sea-level. Cheers Hilary

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  10. So good to have you back John - nobody 'does' nature like you do. Love those ponies.

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  11. What a delightful stroll, John. Lots of history in that area, it was nice to learn about it. Thanks for being our guide.

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  12. Such a surreal landscape in the rural town. The building is so good

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  13. The horse and ponies are very welcome company.

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  14. Lovely walk today - did you carry an apple for those beautiful ponies?

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  15. I wonder if that plaster work above the blue door at no.17 is traditional pargetting?
    You mention that it was a blustery day, but the skies are blue and it looks as if you had a good walk, saw plenty of interest, and were happily sustained with a cup of hot chocolate.

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    1. Yes, it certainly looks like pargetting. (also see the answer to gz's question, below)

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  16. Good to hear that some native habitat is being revived. It won' t be like the original but close enough.

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  17. Thanks for the outing I enjoyed it very much !

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  18. Your fens are so completely different from anything here, I find your posts and photos fascinating.

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  19. A worthwhile and interesting walk.
    I am intrigued by the roundel in the plaster triangle above the door

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    1. Me too. I took the photo hoping to find out more about that roundel design. All I can tell you is that the building is dated 1700, but I doubt that the roundel is as old as that; the pillars either side of the door look far too big to hold that pitched roof over the door, so I'd guess that the roundel must be a later decoration. (also see the answer to Rosemary's question, above).

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  20. Your outings are always a treat. One does feel better for time outdoors unless the weather is brutal, and there's the joy of returning to a warm house, along with the virtuous feeling of having bestirred oneself.

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  21. It's always good to get outside no matter the weather. Thanks for sharing your walk with us.

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  22. Good on you to brave such a day. I bet you had the place to yourselves. I remember you telling us about the drainage of the fans. Some of the old stories I have read that are set in the fans are eerie.

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  23. You are right about if you wait for better weather, you might not get out, John, so glad you and Les went walking in Over and shared here. I enjoyed seeing the Konik ponies once again, but those dramatic skies were magnificent. And, hot chocolate is welcome after any outing and during it as well.

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  24. Thank you, once again, John. Looks as though your weather is better than ours at present.

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  25. I did enjoy the outing very much. You know what caught my heart though? Those two cups of hot chocolate. When I was with my daughter and son-in-law, we always packed a lunch on our adventures, and they had a little thermos with hot tea. It was such a friendly thing, having a hot cup of something together in a warm car during an adventure.

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  26. I enjoyed your walk and pictures--especially of the sweet ponies! I look forward to more of your adventures.

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  27. I so enjoy going with you on your walks. I always learn something. I can even taste the hot cocoa. Yum.

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  28. A wonderfully informative and beautiful walk on this drab day. Wonderful to read about the revival of the area and of some of the local species.

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  29. Buena caminata, para quemar el exceso de calorías de estas Navidades. He disfrutado de tu paseo y de las bellas imágenes que has conseguido.

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  30. Smart of you to pack some hot chocolate for the hike! I wonder what the significance (if any) of that design over the decaying doorway is in photo #2?

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  31. ces moutons ont tout pour résister au froid !
    belle promenade !

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  32. On foggy days it's hard to find motivation for walking although I think I love being outside.

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  33. Another great ramble, John, and I was happy to come along and enjoy the thrills. Ivy adds such a great look to trees, and old houses too for that matter, and as you point out is harmless. Whenever I visit Europe, sadly not often in recent years, I am always impressed by the number of bird hides and the quality and efficacy of them. It is something that has never caught on to any extent here, and I am at a loss to understand why.

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  34. Lovely photos and so now to see the English countryside.

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