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| Name and alternative(s)1 | abbr | from | to | cut | |
| Seventy Foot River (Bedford River) (renamed Old Bedford River 1652)2 |
BR, OBR | Earith, west side of Washes | (Old) Bedford Sluice at Salters Lode | 1637 | non-tidal |
| Old Bedford River2 (joined with the 40 Foot River) |
OBR | Welches Dam | (Old) Bedford Sluice at Salters Lode | 1652 | non-tidal |
| Hundred Foot Drain
(or River) (aka New Bedford River) |
NBR | Earith, east side of Washes | adjacent to Denver Sluice | 1652 | Tidal |
| 1 | The names of the rivers can be very confusing, not just by being named by width as explained above. The order of alternatives shown above does not necessarily indicate the correct or most commonly used ones. |
| 2 | The OBR was dammed c1652 at what became known as Welches Dam. The southern section was abandoned; the Forty Foot River was joined via a lock to the northern section which continued to Salters Lode. The two parts of the Old Bedford later became two completely separate river systems (see below) compounding the confusion. |
| Name | abbr | from | to | cut | |
| Counter Drain/Old Bedford River1 | CD/OBR | Colne & Somersham | Old Bedford Lock/sluice at Salters Lode | nth 1632-7 sth 1652 |
non-tidal |
| Old Bedford/Delph River2 | OB/DR | Earith Sluice | Welmore Lake Sluice | nth 17503 sth 1632-7 |
non-tidal |
| New Bedford River (Hundred Foot River)5 |
NBR | Earith | adjacent Denver Sluice | 1652 | Tidal |
| 1 | This river system combines the Cranbrook Drain from the "highlands" around Colne and Somersham to Black Sluice (BS) just north of Earith where it joins the start ('head') of the Counter Drain (CD), which runs to the west of and parallel to the Old Bedford River (OBR) to Welches Dam (WD) where it is joined to the northern section of the original OBR. |
| 2 | This river system combines the southern section of the original OBR from Earith Sluice to WD where it is joined to a newer cut, the River Delph, dug c1750 (or 1772?) from WD to the NBR at Welmore Lake. |
| 3 | Most historians say the date the Delph was cut is not known, but presume c1750 but see note 4 |
| 4 | The year 1772 is quoted by N. James in "Drowned and Drained" a Cambridge University publication in 2009, but no source attributed. |
| 5 | Vermuyden had the bed set 8ft (2,5m) higher than that of the Great Ouse at Denver. This resulted in the flow of the NBR being turned southeast at Denver by incoming tides inundating the South Level instead of going north to the sea. This mistake led to the building of Denver Suice. (Summer, The Great Level, p75) |
| Name | abbr | from | to | open | Level |
| Bedford Ouse (River Great Ouse) | Bedford | Earith | |||
| Forty Foot River/Drain or Vermu(y)den's River | Ramsey Meer | Welches Dam | 1651 | ML | |
| Sixteen Foot River/Drain | Forty Foot R | Pophams Eau | 1651 | ML | |
| Well Creek | Upwell | Salters Lode | ML | ||
| Old River of Welney/Old Croft River | Littleport | Upwell | 11thC | ML & SL |
"These wetlands...are between the Old... and New Bedford .... adjacent to and on the outer edge of those rivers are the Barrier Banks which form the rims of the water retaining area known as the Ouse Washes."In 1995 they published a nice schematic plan entitled "The Ouse Washes and Barrier Banks". Unfortunately my copy is too tattered to show here but it is exactly the same as below left apart from the title.
"Flood waters are stored on the Ouse Washes between the Barrier Banks".
The EA's current Water Level Management Plan (WLMP) of 2002 describes the Washes status as a reservoir in para 3.2.6 stating that
the Act's regulations principally relate to the floodbanks which form the reservoir - MLBB and SLBB.

Counterdrain shown dry;
CD/OBR low bank omitted; 'embankments' not named; cradge ditch omitted; large dry drain on right doesn't exist; no level/height
values shown;
right edge of Washes shown in mid-air.

"I do have to wonder what the LIDAR data source is. Is there any chance the profile from the video is actually correct and demonstrates why there are problems getting water off? I presume env agency data from their report comes from ground level surveys"Well maybe Graham has a point; there are a few washes which remain wet (eg one just south of Sutton Gault) but the general lay of the land (90%?) is to the west, draining into the Delph. The system wouldn't work otherwise. Explanations should show the norm not the exception.
What cannot surely be defended is the image on the left from
the video, showing grossly inaccurate levels of the NBR and its banks; and wrongly marking the Middle
Level Barrier Bank.
This diagram correctly shows the outer (barrier) bank of the Old Bedford/ Delph is higher than
the inner (cradge) bank of the New Bedford/100 Foot,| sluice/lock name & keeper's tel | location, rivers & OS grid ref |
built, rebuilt |
openings, gates2 | current dimensions1 and sluice operation |
||||||
| cillAOD | width | length | depth | hd/rm | head | |||||
| Hermitage Lock | Earith GOR to OWR TL 394 746 |
1651 1826 1968 |
? V-V V-V |
0.0 | 4.0m 13'1" 12'6" |
30.5m 100ft 90ft |
1.5m 5ft |
2.75m |
3.4m 11ft |
|
| Earith Sluice |
Earith GOR to OBR TL 388 747 |
1651 1824 1954 |
9 ? 7 ? 3 R |
0.62m |
6.71m |
automatic when Bedford Ouse reaches set
levels (drawmarks) 3.77 summer (Apr-Oct)7 3.17 winter (Nov-Mar)8 |
||||
| Black Sluice10 | 0.8m N of Earith. Cranbrook Drain to OB/DR TL 3971 7595 |
P | 0.60m | Manual. | ||||||
| Mepal lock | NBR to OBR | c1810 | V-V | n/k | 10'8" | 123ft | n/k | n/a | ||
| Forty Foot Lock3 | Welches Dam 40-ft to OBR TL 469 858 |
1651 1991 |
V-V V-V | -0.9m |
3.7m 12'2" 11ft | 47ft | not known | not known | ||
| Horseway Lock4 | 40ft MLC to 40ft EA | >18484 1985 |
V-V V-V |
min 12ft 11ft | min 50ft 60ft | min 4ft n/known | n/a | |||
| Welney Sluice (Welney Gate)9 |
Welney OBR TL 5295 9384 | 1973 | G | -0.6m | 4.3m 14'1" | n/a | not known | not known | ||
| Well Creek weir | Salters Lode OBR to WC TF 5855 0145 |
1.65m | automatic 3m wide flood spillway into MLC area if OB sluice can't be opened | |||||||
| Welmore Lake Sluice (John Martin Sluice) |
Welmore Lake DR to NBR TL 572 987 |
1825 1933 1999 |
4 V 2 G-V 3 G-V |
-1.4m | 7.3m | Lift Gates set daily by visiting Denver staff. Vees open by gravity when NBR level permits |
||||
| Old Bedford Sluice
(Lock) | Salters Lode OBR to GOR TF 5860 0152 | 1630 1652? 1828 1991 |
? ? V-V G-V |
-0.53m | 4.3m 14'1" | short | not known | not known | ||
| Salter's Lode Lock 01366 3823405 |
Salters Lode WC to GOR TF 5860 0162 | 1630 1652? 1828 2008 |
? ? V-V G-V | 3.8m 12'6" 12'6" |
24.4m 80ft 62ft | not known | 2.4m | |||
| Denver Lock6 |
Denver Ely Ouse to Tidal River TF 588 010 | 1730 1834 1924 1984 | V-V V-V ? G-G | -0.58m | 5.4m 17'8" |
29.5m 96'9" |
2.04m 6'8" | not known | ||
| Denver Sluice
6 "Little eyes" |
Denver Ely Ouse to Tidal River TF 588 010 | 1651 1730 1834 1924 1987 |
? ? 3 V-V 3 G-V 3 G-V | -2.7m | 1x5.0m 2x5.4m | see my Denver Sluice page, operating rules | ||||
| Denver Sluice6 "Big Eye" |
Denver Ely Ouse to Tidal River TF 588 010 | 1923 19?? |
G-G G | -3.5m | 10.7m 35ft |
approx 15.5m 50ft | not known | not known | ||
| Main source: EA OW WLMPs, 1996, 1998, 2002. | |
| 1 | Lock dimensiions in italics from Jim Shead's canals website; others from EA WLMP & GOR map; Andrew Hunter Blair: River Great Ouse and tributaries |
| 2 | G = "Guillotine" vertical lift gate; V = "Vee" mitred gates/doors; R= Radial gate; F=Flap gate; P=Penstock; D=Dam boards. Two letters indicate a set of gates/doors, 1st is upstream, 2nd downstream; Digits indicate number of sluice openings. |
| 3 | Disused and blocked off. The EA renamed it Welches Dam Lock |
| 4 | Disused but appears generally sound. ML Act 1848 authorised/required MLDC to build a pen sluice to keep water from Old Bedford out of the ML,subject to navigation rights. |
| 5 | Or 01366 382 292 |
| 6 | Denver Sluice has a navigation lock; three non-nav sluice gates known as "little eyes"; and an old very large once-navigable gate known as the Big Eye which is redundant and sealed-off. Denver is not part of the Ouse Washes, although is does have a considerable effect, and is also the operations centre for the Ouse Washes control structures |
| 7 | WLMP 2002 referred to OW Flood Control Strategy (FCS) recomendation toincrease summer drawmark to 3.81 to limit summer flooding of the Washes |
| 8 | The Great Ouse Tidal River Strategy (GOTRS) in 2009 recommended raising winter drawmark to 3.77 which would mean less water stored so quicker draining, and increase flow on NBR to help manage siltation. |
| 9 | Normally raised allowing navigation but closes without warning when Welches Dam PS is about to operate, both events automatically triggered when river level at WD reaches a pre-determined figure. |
| 10 | filled-in during bank-raising works c2020 |
| From south to north | discharge from/to1 | OS grid ref (all TL) |
built, power | output2 m3/s |
owner |
| Over | SL to BO | 3918 7455 | 1941 D 1971 E |
- 1.02 |
Over & Willingham IDB |
| Sutton Gault | SL to NBR | 425 789 | n/k D 1971 E | - 1.32 | Haddenham Level DC |
| Fortrey's Hall | ML to CD | 441 822 | 1749 W 1840 S 1926-8 D 1990 E | - - 2.55 + 3.00 | Sutton & Mepal IDB |
| Middle Level Transfer Welches Dam | OBR to ML | 4704 8581 |
EA (MLC?). Demolished 2015-16 (?) | ||
| Welches Dam | OBR to DR | 4712 8592 |
1948 D 2011 E |
12.63 10.05 | Environment Agency |
| Old Mill Drove | ML to CD/OBR | 4721 8619 | 1920s? D? | Manea & Welney DDC? | |
| Oxlode | SL to NBR | 482 858 | 2.29 | Littleport & Downham IDB | |
| Purls Bridge | ML to CD/OBR | 4845 8790 | 1970s? | 1.13 | Manea & Welney DDC |
| Westmoor Mills Hundred Foot | SL to NBR | 508 892 |
1756 W 1830 S 1926 D & S 1951 D & D 1985 E |
- - - 3.38 + 5.10 | Littleport & Downham IDB |
| Glenhouse (Colony) | ML to CD/OBR | 5115 9148 |
1760 W 1842 S 1928 D 1948 D 1998 D |
- - - 5.08 5.83 | Manea & Welney DDC |
| Cock Fen | ML to CD/OBR | 5438 9587 | 1975 D | 2.04 | Upwell IDB |
| Upwell Fen | ML to CD/OBR | 5649 9870 | ? E | 0.51 | Upwell IDB |
| Welmore Lake | Delph to NBR | 2010 E | Environment Agency | ||
| Lake Farm | Washes to CD/OBR | 5742 9984 |
?? D ?? E |
0.285 | private |
| 1 | SL=South Level; ML=Middle Level; OBR=Old Bedford River; NBR=New Bedford River (!00 Ft River); DR= Delph River; CD=Counterdrain; WC=Well Creek; BO=Bedford Ouse; RGO=River Great Ouse |
| 2 | Figures as shown in OW WLMP 2002; see individual PS pages for output of previous engines/pumps |
| 3 | |
| 4 | OW WLMP 2002 |
| 5 | Note reduction in output on conversion to electric. I understand this was due to maximum overhead supply being limited to 1000kva. It was considered un-economic to upgrade supply to provide sufficient power for more or larger pumps. |
| Name, south to north | OS grid ref all TL |
owner (IDB) | cill OD | built | |
| Argents farm | 434 810 | Sutton & Mepal IDB | 0.75 | ||
| Fortrey's Hall | 441 822 | Sutton & Mepal IDB | 0.75 | ||
| MLC transfer station, Welches Dam | EA | ||||
| Glenhouse2 | 511 915 | Manea & Welney DDC | none | ||
| Old Croft3 | 528 936 | Upwell IDB | 0.91 |
| Main source: EA OW WLMPs, 1996, 1998, 2002. | |
| 1 | |
| 2 | due to be replaced (Done 1999?) |
| 3 | The IDB says the Old Croft is not used for irrigation or drainage (amenity to maintain.old river) |
| 4 |
| Name,
from south to north |
OS grid all TL |
pipe diam/type |
gate operation, material, type |
cill OD | owner (IDB/DC) | IDB ref | built |
| Earith Hundred Ft | 397 752 | Haddenham Level | |||||
| Black Sluice1 | 398 754 | 1.30m brick tunnel | screw timber penstock | Hundred Foot | 34 | ||
| Youngs Holt | 409 768 | 0.225m glazed clay | handlift wood penstock | Hundred Foot | 32 | ||
| Sutton Drove | 423 788 | 0.3m concrete | handlift steel penstock | Hundred Foot | 31 | ||
| Sutton Gault | 425 789 | Haddenham Level | |||||
| Reads (near pits) | 433 804 | 0.3m concrete | screw steel penstock | Hundred Foot | 30 | c1798 | |
| Witcham Gravel | 455 825 | 1.30m brick tunnel | screw steel penstock | Hundred Foot | 28 | ||
| Jerusalem Drove | 459 828 | Littleport & D'ham | |||||
| Pontoon wash | 465 836 | screw steel penstock | Hundred Foot | 27 | |||
| Common Wash | 467 840 | screw steel penstock | Hundred Foot | 26 | |||
| Ely Singers | 475 851 | 0.40m glazed clay | screw steel penstock | Hundred Foot | 25 | ||
| Oxlode | 486 864 | screw steel penstock | Hundred Foot | 22 | |||
| Oxlode irrigation | 472 858 | Littleport & D'ham | |||||
| Cambient | 498 880 | 0.40m c/g steel | screw steel penstock | Hundred Foot | 18 | ||
| Dimmocks | 5015 8846 | 0.15m steel | screw steel penstock | Hundred Foot | 17 | ||
| Hundred Foot | 510 894 | Littleport & D'ham | |||||
| Hartleys | 512 898 | 0.40m c/g steel | screw steel penstock | Hundred Foot | 13 | ||
| Kents | 517 904 | 0.3m polypropylene | screw steel penstock | Hundred Foot | 11 | ||
| Motts | 528 921 | 0.45m concrete | screw steel penstock | Hundred Foot | 7 | ||
| Deptfords | 539 936 | 0.45m concrete | screw guillotine | 1.60m | Hundred Foot | 4 | |
| Charity | 552 954 | 0.45m concrete | screw guillotine | 1.65m | Hundred Foot | 2a | |
| Hagen Smart | 562 969 | 0.45m concrete | screw guillotine | 1.60m | Hundred Foot | 2 |
| Source: NRA OW WLMP, March 1996; EA OW WLMP, 2002, Fig 6 for HFW IDB refs. |
| Location, sth-nth, grid ref | name &/or type | across1 | construction | built rebuilt |
demol ished |
access |
| Earith sluice | road bridge | OBR | ||||
| Earith | causeway | Washes | ||||
| Earith | road bridge | NBR | cast-iron | 1826 | ||
| Sutton Fen | road bridge | CD | private | |||
| Sutton Fen | road bridge | OBR | private | |||
| Sutton Chain | ferry | washes | ||||
| Sutton Gault | road bridge | CD | ||||
| Sutton Gault | road bridge | OBR | concrete | |||
| Sutton Gault | causeway | washes | tarmac | |||
| Sutton Gault | footbridge | washes | timber | 1938 | ||
| Sutton Gault | road bridge | NBR | concrete | |||
| Mepal bypass | road bridge | CD | 1985 | |||
| Mepal bypass | road viaduct | OBR, Washes, NBR | concrete | 1985 | ||
| Engine Bank | (old) road bridge | CD | ||||
| Mepal | road bridge | OBR | concrete | 1930 | 1985 | |
| Mepal | road viaduct | washes | concrete | 1930 | 1985 | |
| Mepal | road bridge | NBR | concrete | 1985 | ||
| Mepal | road bridge | NBR | concrete | 1930 | ||
| Mepal | road bridge | NBR | timber | pre 18924 | 1930 | |
| Mepal | ferry | |||||
| Fortrey's hall | drain | brick arch | ||||
| Engine Bank | footbridge | CD | ||||
| Welches Dam | bidge on lock | 40 ft | 17 ton limit | |||
| Welches Dam TL 4707 8580 | DR | steel Bailey5 | ||||
| Welches Dam TL 4707 8592 | CD/OBR | |||||
| Welches Dam TL 4714 8595 | outlet | steel Bailey5 | ||||
| Oxlode | NBR | yes | to PurlsBr | |||
| Washes | road causeway | washes | ||||
| Purls Bridge | CD/OBR | yes | to Oxlode | |||
| Purls Bridge | DR | yes | to oxlode | |||
| Pymoor | rail over road | road | ||||
| Pymoor | rail over river | NBR | steel through truss | |||
| Washes | rail viaduct | washes | ||||
| Washes | rail embankment | washes | ||||
| Washes | rail viaduct | washes | ||||
| Manea | rail bridge | DR | ||||
| Manea | rail bridge | CD/OBR | steel through truss | |||
| Welney | ferry | washes | ||||
| Welney |
Old Bedford Br road bridge | OBR | cast iron | pre 18502 | yes | |
| Welney | Old Bedford Br road bridge |
OBR | concrete | n/k, 1994 |
||
| Welney | Delph Br road bridge | DR | timber | pre 18502 | yes | |
| Welney | Delph Br road bridge | DR | concrete |
n/k, 1994 | ||
| Welney | Wash Road road causeway | washes | tarmac | |||
| Suspension Br | The Br of
Suspension road bridge | NBR | wrought iron chain suspension | 18243 | 1926 | |
| Suspension Br | Suspension
Br road bridge | NBR | concrete bow string arch | 1926 | 1996 | |
| Suspension Br | Suspension Br road bridge | NBR | steel reinforced concrete | 1996 | ||
| WWT reserve | footbridge | NBR | restricted | |||
| Welmore Lake | road bridge over sluice | DR | public by foot | |||
| Denver Sluice | road bridge over sluice | RGO | ||||
| Salter's Lode TF 5849 0147 | road bridge | WC | 1999? | to fm & WL | ||
| Salters Lode TF 5854 0142 | road bridge | OBR | 1999? | to fm & WL | ||
| Salter's Lode TF 5860 0159 | road bridge at sluice | WC | brick arch | 1828? | ||
| Salter's Lode | OBR |
| 1 | OBR=Old Bedford River; NBR=New Bedford River (!00 Ft River); DR= Delph River; CD=Counterdrain; WC=Well Creek; RGO=River Great Ouse |
| 2 | Gardner's 1851 History of Cambridgeshire & Isle of Ely, pages 565-6. |
| 3 | Other sources say Susp Br built 1826 |
| 4 | from photo in Mepal Community archives |
| 5 | a pin-connected truss bridge similar to a UK military bridge. Further details and photos old & new go to the Bridges and causeways page |
| at, or between | and | ferry house | operational | operators |
| Sutton Chain | Sutton Fen (Jolly Bankers) |
|||
| Mepal |
over the washes | W of NBR | until 1930 when 1st viaduct built | John Waters was the last, buried at Mepal |
| Welney | Suspension Bridge | E of OBR | James family | |
| Suspension br | over the NBR only | until 1825 when bridge built over the NBR | ||
"house travellers and labourers employed in the vicinity; the latter particularly in times of flood, are there supplied with food and shelter, during their daily and nightly exertions in the protection of property."The pubs were leased every six years, by auction. The BLC accounts for 1830 shows the annual rents for the 20 totalled £696 (p635), and expenditure to "build and repair" of £277-8s-8d (p643). Four of these were some distance from the banks of the Washes, and excluded from the list below.
| Name | Location | OS grid ref | built | 1830 | brewery/owners | |
| Fish | Sutton Chain | BLC 1 | ||||
| Jolly Bankers | Sutton Fen | |||||
| (Chain) | Sutton Gault | Harlock 1822 | ||||
| Fish | Sutton Gault | BLC 9 | closed 1963 | |||
| Anchor | Sutton Gault | NBR | 1650 | BLC 2 | ||
| Three Pickerels 1 | Mepal bridge | NBR | BLC 3 | |||
| Three Horseshoes | Oxlode | NBR | BLC 4 | |||
| Crown | Oxlode | NBR | BLC 5 | |||
| Victoria | Welches Dam | OBR | Kellys, 1891, 1916 | |||
| Three Fishes | Welches Dam or Purls Bridge? | OBR | BLC 10, & 11 | Wells lists this twice, both at Welches Dam | ||
| Ship Inn | Purls Bridge | OBR | BLC 15 | |||
| Chequer | Purls Bridge | OBR | BLC 14 | |||
| Three Tuns | Bedford Bank East, Welney | OBR | BLC 12 | |||
| Crown | Suspension. Br | NBR | BLC 6 | |||
| Welney Hotel | Bedford Bank West, Welney | OBR | 1844 | no | ||
| Dog and Duck | 100 ft Bank, Hilgay | NBR | BLC 7 | |||
| Bridge | Earith | |||||
| Hardwicke Arms | Hermitage | BLC 8 | ||||
| Green Man | Bedford Bank West, Welney | OBR | BLC 13 | |||
| Ship | Denver Sluice | BLC 18 | Norfolk Pubs says this is also Jenyns Arms | |||
| Jenyns Arms | Denver Sluice | free house | ||||
| Crown | Denver Sl;uice | demolished 1950s | ||||
| Eagle Tavern | Bedford Bank West, Welney | OBR | ||||
| Carpenters Arms | Suspension Br | NBR | ||||
| Cock | Suspension Br | NBR | ||||
| Jolly Waterman | Salters Lode | WC | later moved to lock-keepers hse ? | |||
| 1 | named "Toad Hall" in the late 1980s |
| Name | Location | OS grid ref | built | owners |
| Fortreys Hall | Engine Bank, Mepal | |||
| Lock Keepers cottage | Welches Dam | |||
| anon | Welches Dam | |||
| Princess Victoria | Welches Dam | |||
|
Colony House | Bedford Bank West, Welney | |||
| Bridge House | Bedford Bank West, Welney | |||
| (Old) Welney Hotel | Bedford Bank West, Welney | |||
| Norway House | Bedford Bank East, Welney | |||
| derelict house | Bedford Bank East, Welney | |||
| Item | Location | OS grid ref | built |
| Earthworks | The Bulwark Earith Washes | Civil War | |
| Spigot Mortar emplacement (only the base remains) | nr Teal
Cottage Suspension Bridge |
TL 536 928 TL 535 9281 | WW2 |
|
Spigot Mortar emplacement (only the base remains) | east side of CD/OBR sth of bridge at Welney |
TL 527 935 TL 528 9361 | WW2 |
| Spigot Mortar emplacement (only the base remains) | The Bulwark Earith Washes | TL 3925 7491 | WW2 |
|
Spigot Mortar emplacement (only the base remains) | Sutton Gault grass verge nr pub |
TL 4291 7963 | WW2 |
| Metal domed M/gun emplacement | The Bulwark Earith Washes | TL 3930 7500 | WW2 |
| Pillbox | White Hall Farm at Salters Lode | TF 5859005 | WW2 |
| Pillbox type FW3/24 | TL 448864 | WW2 | |
| Pillbox | TL 457862 | WW2 | |
| Pillbox | TL 479852 | WW2 |
| 1 | the second grid ref is that shown on the defence of Britain database |
| Name | Location | OS grid ref | built | owners |
| nth-west of Susp Br, nth side of A1101 | TL 5348 9287 | RSPB | ||
| Cradge Bank | west of Susp Br sth side of A1101 | TL 5342 9285 | RSPB | |
| washes, west of NBR nth of Kents slacker | TL 518 909 | RSPB | ||
| east of Delph Br nth side of A1101 | TL 5305 9361 | RSPB | ||
On the left is the layout of part of the RSPB reserve showing the 10
hides.
P marks the car park next to the Visitor Centre - a very simple
shed - the emphasis here is on seeing the birds and other wildlife.
On the right is the plan of the WWT reserve.
"The objective of the project is to create at least 500 hectares (1,200 acres) of new wet grassland habitat to restore the populations of black-tailed godwit, snipe and ruff during the breeding season as well as wintering wigeon.See local MP's concerns regarding this plan.
The new habitat has to be close to the existing Ouse Washes with suitable soils and sufficient supply of water to create the optimum conditions for nesting and feeding birds. We have identified two sites close to the villages of Coveney and Sutton, Cambridgeshire, that meet the habitat requirements. Over the last few years we have been working with local landowners to agree land for the project.
The map (below) shows the location of the two sites and the approximate extent of the area we hope to create as new habitat.
![]()
Government has asked us to deliver the project on its behalf and is providing funding through an annual allocation to progress this work."

Page created May 2011, last edited: 29/11/25, 11:11