Nature in Cambridgeshire

If you're looking to enjoy the diverse nature in Cambridgeshire, join me on an unforgettable adventure! With protected meadows, ancient woodlands, expansive wetlands and the unique fenland landscape, Cambridgeshire offers a wealth of habitats to explore.

As someone who has called this area home for over four decades, I've witnessed firsthand the incredible biodiversity and beauty that awaits you.

Photo of the sun rising above the reeds giving everything a warm glow

Sunrise in the Cambridgeshire Fens

Come along as I guide you through some of my all-time favorite walking routes, like the circular trail around Grafham Water, which boasts stunning views and opportunities to spot over 170 bird species.

Together, we'll create lasting memories as we discover the hidden gems of Cambridgeshire's countryside.

Whether you're an avid birdwatcher armed with binoculars or a passionate wildlife photographer like myself, capturing the essence of nature, Cambridgeshire's trails offer something for everyone.

The Fens

Cambridgeshire is one of the four counties – along with Lincolnshire, Norfolk, and Suffolk – that make up the East of England's iconic fen country.

At first glance, the landscape appears as a vast expanse of flat, arable land with nutrient-rich black soil, stretching as far as the eye can see.

However, rewind the clock, and you'd find a strikingly different scene – a wetland paradise teeming with water and vegetation, providing a haven for countless species.

While centuries of drainage for agriculture have dramatically altered the fenland, precious remnants of this unique ecosystem persist.

Three must-visit National Nature Reserves showcase the best of what remains:

Holme Fen - Home to the lowest point in Britain at 7 meters below sea level, this reserve protects a rare silver birch woodland and a rich array of fenland plants.
Woodwalton Fen - This 208-hectare site features a mosaic of reedbeds, meadows, and marsh, supporting over 1,000 species of moths and butterflies.
Wicken Fen - As one of the oldest nature reserves in the country, dating back to 1899, Wicken Fen's 254 hectares harbor over 9,000 recorded species, including the elusive bittern and the iconic Konik ponies.

The ambitious Great Fen Project, a partnership between Natural England, the Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, and Northamptonshire, the Environment Agency, Huntingdonshire District Council, and the Middle Level Commissioners, aims to restore and connect 3,700 hectares of fenland habitat.

By linking Holme Fen and Woodwalton Fen, this visionary project will create a vast, continuous nature reserve, benefiting both wildlife and people for generations to come.

Konik ponies at Wicken Fen

The Washes

The Ouse Washes and Nene Washes, situated along the rivers Ouse and Nene, respectively, serve as vital flood storage areas.

During periods of high rainfall, these washlands are intentionally flooded, protecting nearby towns and farmland from inundation.

In the winter months, these areas transform into a haven for vast numbers of wildfowl and wading birds, with counts often exceeding 100,000 individuals.

As a member of both the RSPB and the Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, and Northamptonshire, which jointly manage the Ouse Washes (also known as Welches Dam), I can attest to the incredible opportunities for wildlife encounters along these linear trails.

Whether you opt for a short stroll or a longer trek, the chances of spotting a "lifer" – a species you've never seen before – are remarkably high. In fact, I've been fortunate enough to add three such sightings to my own "Bird List" while exploring the washes:

Common Cranes: Despite their name, these majestic birds are anything but common, with only a handful of breeding pairs in the UK. The washes are one of the few places in the country, along with Somerset, where you might catch a glimpse of these elusive creatures.
Short-eared Owls: Witnessing these magnificent birds hunting over the wetlands is an unforgettable experience, their silent flight and keen eyes perfectly adapted to locating prey in the vast expanse of the washes.
Cattle Egret: These small, white herons are a rare sight in the UK, with only a few individuals recorded each year. Spotting one in the washes was a true highlight, earning a well-deserved mention on regional bird sightings websites.

Sunrise at the Nene Washes

Nature in Cambridgeshire woodlands

Woodland walks in Cambridgeshire offer delightful experiences for nature lovers, with ancient forests, diverse wildlife, and stunning displays of wildflowers. Here are some top spots you won't want to miss:

Brampton Wood: The second largest ancient woodland in Cambridgeshire at 132 hectares, Brampton Wood is over 900 years old, having been mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086.It is one of the best places in the region to see carpets of wild English bluebells in the spring, with peak blooming typically occurring in late April to early May. The wood is also home to over 340 species of plants.
Monks Wood: As the largest woodland in Cambridgeshire at 157 hectares, Monks Wood has been a National Nature Reserve since 1953. It boasts an incredible diversity of beetles, with over 1000 species recorded, making it a top site in the UK for coleopterists. In the spring, visitors may spot bluebells and hear the melodious songs of Nightingales, a migratory bird known for its beautiful voice. In 2019, Monks Wood had an estimated 11 singing male Nightingales.
Holme Fen: This site contains the largest Silver Birch woodland in Britain, covering an area of approximately 120 hectares. The ethereal beauty of the pale, slender birch trees is especially stunning on misty mornings. Holme Fen is also notable for being the lowest point in Great Britain, at 7 meters below sea level, due to land subsidence after the draining of the surrounding fens.

Hinchingbrooke Country Park in autumn

Lake, pond or mere?

Cambridgeshire's fenland landscape once contained large, shallow lakes known as meres. The largest of these, Whittlesey Mere, covered an area of nearly 1,600 hectares (6 square miles) before it was drained in 1851. Known as England's Lost Lake its history is chronicled in Paul Middleton's 2018 book of the same name. (affiliate link).

Today, smaller meres persist in areas like Holme Fen and Wicken Fen.

These wetlands provide habitat for rare birds such as Marsh Harriers, Bitterns, and passerines, as well as mammals like otters and water voles. In 2020, there were an estimated 15-20 breeding pairs of Marsh Harriers in Cambridgeshire

Little Egret at Grafham Water

Grafham Water, a reservoir covering 1,500 hectares, is the largest body of water in the county. Its designated nature reserve section is a haven for wildfowl, attracting species like Tufted Ducks, Pochards, and Great Crested Grebes. In the winter, the reservoir hosts an average of 10,000 waterfowl.

Many of Cambridgeshire's "lakes" and ponds are actually flooded gravel pits that have been transformed into local nature reserves, some even gaining the designation of Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). Top spots for wildlife watching include:

Paxton Pits - A 77-hectare reserve with a mosaic of lakes, grassland, scrub and woodland. Over 160 bird species have been recorded here, including Nightingales, Turtle Doves and Hobbies. They even feature one of my Great White Egret photos on their site after I won a prize in their photo competition.
Godmanchester Nature Reserve - Spanning 59 hectares, this reserve features a large lake that attracts waterfowl like Smew and Goosander in the winter months. In 2018, a rare Black-throated Diver spent several weeks at the lake, and a common seal has also visited.
Hinchingbrooke Country Park - Covering 170 acres, the park includes woodland, grassland, lakes, and marshes. It is home to species like Kingfishers, Little Egrets, and Grass Snakes.
Ouse Fen Nature Reserve - This 700-hectare wetland restoration project features reedbeds, wet grasslands, and open water, providing habitat for species such as Bitterns, Marsh Harriers, Bearded Tits and Water Voles. As of 2021, the reserve had 12 booming male Bitterns.

Rivers and a rare chalk stream

If you are interested in unique places, you will want to include RSPB Fowlmere on your list as it holds one of only 200 chalk streams in the world, a habitat so rare that 85% of those are found in England.

Fed by natural springs from the chalk aquifer, the crystal-clear, mineral-rich waters of Fowlmere's stream support a healthy population of brown trout. Visitors have reported regular sightings of the endangered water vole, which has declined by 90% in the UK since the 1970s, as well as the elusive otter, a top predator that indicates a thriving ecosystem.

The River Great Ouse at Huntingdon

You might not expect a busy Cambridgeshire town of over 16,000 residents to be somewhere to take a nature walk, let alone to house rare wildlife. But Holt Island, a 5-acre nature reserve in the centre of St Ives, is one such hidden gem.

The island, reached by crossing a 30-meter footbridge, features a 400-meter raised boardwalk made from recycled plastic, ensuring accessibility for all visitors from April to October.

During one of my visits, I was delighted to find and photograph the Willow Emerald Damselfly (Chalcolestes viridis), a recent colonist to the UK first recorded in 2009, perching delicately on the island's mature willow trees.

For tips on capturing stunning images of these iridescent insects, check out my guide on photographing dragonflies and damsels here.

Small Copper butterfly

Meadow walks

Do you enjoy walking by a gently flowing river through a meadow bursting with colorful wildflowers, fluttering butterflies, and darting dragonflies? I certainly do, and Cambridgeshire offers an abundance of such idyllic spots.

Paxton Pits Nature Reserve, a 78-hectare site of former gravel workings mentioned earlier, features a well-maintained nature trail that meanders behind the visitor centre and through the reserve's species-rich meadows. Clear signage advises visitors to keep to the 1.5-meter wide pathway to avoid disturbing sensitive flora and fauna, while still allowing close-up views of the meadow's diverse wildlife.

For a shorter walk of approximately 2 kilometers (1.2 miles), follow the trail through the vibrant meadow beside Rudd Lake, where in June you might spot the striking bee orchid (Ophrys apifera) among the grasses. The path then takes a circular route around Hayling Lake, a haven for waterfowl like the great crested grebe, before retracing your steps beside the meadow.

You can choose to take the shorter walk, which leads through the meadow beside Rudd Lake and then takes a circular route around Hayling Lake before retracing your steps beside the meadow.

Alternatively, for a more substantial hike of around 6 kilometers (3.7 miles), continue along the path between Cloudy Lake and the River Great Ouse, where in summer you may encounter the banded demoiselle (Calopteryx splendens), a large iridescent damselfly.

The trail leads through Great Meadow and The Paddock. Turning left beside Peter's Field, you'll reach the far end of Heronry South Lake before heading back to the Visitor Centre. This route is particularly rewarding for dragonfly enthusiasts, with the potential to spot over 20 species, including the impressive emperor dragonfly (Anax imperator), Britain's bulkiest dragonfly with a wingspan of up to 11 centimeters.

Houghton Mill

For a wilder walk off the beaten path, I highly recommend visiting Houghton Meadows, a 90-hectare site of ancient hay meadows and pastureland nestled in a meander of the River Great Ouse.

From the village of Houghton, located midway between the historic market towns of Huntingdon and St Ives, head to the National Trust's Houghton Mill, a restored 18th-century watermill.

In addition to exploring the mill's fascinating heritage, visitors can embark on several circular walks around Houghton Meadows, crossing traditional foot bridges and enjoying stunning views across the river to the picturesque village of Hemingford Grey and the 13th-century St James' Church.

In June and July, the meadows come alive with a dazzling array of wildflowers, attracting a multitude of butterflies like the delicate marbled white (Melanargia galathea).

Dragonflies and damselflies abound near the river, with species such as the red-eyed damselfly (Erythromma najas) and the four-spotted chaser (Libellula quadrimaculata) frequently encountered.

Across the river, a field is often home to a charismatic herd of around 20 alpacas, whose quirky appearance and gentle demeanor delight visitors of all ages. It's important to note that after the annual hay cut in late July, dogs are not permitted on the Nature Reserve to protect ground-nesting birds and allow the meadow to recover.

Your turn to enjoy nature in Cambridgeshire

There has never been a better time to discover the county's extraordinary natural heritage. So, grab your walking boots, binoculars, or camera, and join me on an adventure through the diverse landscapes of Cambridgeshire – a journey that promises to inspire, educate, and create memories to last a lifetime.