Burnt Fen

The scarcity of rain in the last two months combined with the current heatwave means that, not only has the grass in the grazing fields stopped showing signs of re-growth, but also what grass we do have is starting to burn off. A day of steady rain would make all the difference. However, the disconcerting forecast for this area is that temperatures will increase further over the next few days, peaking next Monday. I notice some of the arable farmers have already begun harvesting their grain crops. I've been busy filling troughs and topping up the pigs wallows.

The look of the grass brought to mind nearby Burnt Fen. This is an area which stretches from Mildenhall to Littleport. We often drive through it on our way to Ely. Burnt Fen consists mostly of large, flat arable fields on rich fenland peat. The whole area is below sea level and relies on pumping stations to prevent the land being flooded. The surrounding fields are well below the level of the road as the land has shrunk as a result of drainage. The roads themselves are notoriously bumpy and undulating as they repeatedly subside as the land sinks. The risk of flooding arises because Burnt Fen is bordered by three rivers: The Great Ouse, also known as the 10 Mile River; the Little Ouse; and the River Lark. As you approach the village of Prickwillow on the road to Ely there is a twenty foot  high embankment on top of which flows the Lark.

Fen land conjures up images of marshy swamps, which the Fens once were. However, since the land was reclaimed for agricultural use from the Seventeenth Century onwards it is in fact very dry and crops need to be irrigated, drawing on the water from the wide drainage dykes that intersect the land. 

The name Burnt Fen is thought to have been derived from the practice of burning off the clumps of reeds once the land was drained. Their ashes were used as fertilizer. 

Map taken from the Ely Group of Internal Drainage Boards. 
The grey or brown area is Burnt Fen. Ely is centre slightly left.