The Wicken Fen National Nature Reserve in Cambridgeshire is one of Britain’s oldest nature reserves and one of the last remaining areas of undrained fenland. It has been cared for by the National Trust since 1899.
It has over 9,000 recorded species of wildlife and we explored the fens first along the Boardwalk Trail where I spotted plenty of common lizards.
There was also an abundance of dragonflies (21 species have been recorded there) though none stayed still long enough to be photographed. We also took a boat trip along the Fen which was a great way to see the extent of the land. We were lucky enough to be able to glimpse a kingfisher in the distance and a marsh harrier, along with several swans.
Another striking feature of the fens is this wind pump, which would use wind power to manage the level of the water. Although this is the oldest working wind pump it isn’t its original site and the fens here were never drained.
The reserve covers over 1,887 acres and we only had time to explore a relatively small section. Definitely worth visiting if you’re in the area to support the work they are doing.
You can find more photos here.
Louise Jayne's Blog 
A lovely read! Isn’t Wicken Fen beautiful?! I love this nature reserve, but like you, haven’t had the chance to explore all of it yet – there is just so much of it!
A little note – those aren’t actually newts, but Common Lizards. And it is unlikely to have been a Harris Hawk you saw as they aren’t a wild bird in the UK (odd ones are seen in the UK tho, which are escapees from falconries). Perhaps you saw a Buzzard or Marsh Harrier?
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Thank you! I definitely want to go back one day to explore it some more.
Ah! Thank you, have edited the post about the common lizards. Lol, I saw a Harris Hawk at a falconry display the week before and that’s why it was in my head. Clearly we actually saw a Marsh Harrier! Thanks for pointing that out.
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You’re welcome with the IDs.
It’s very difficult / wonderful to explore fully as it is just so large and there is so much to see and discover!
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