Hundreds of Acres of Fen Wetlands Begin Restoration at Speechly’s Farm
Excavators have started converting 136 hectares of former arable land at Speechly’s Farm in Cambridgeshire into restored fen wetlands and wet-farming fields.
Diggers have broken ground on a 136-hectare wetland restoration at Speechly’s Farm, converting former arable fields into fen habitat and wet-farming zones. Managed by the Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire, the scheme will support species such as lapwings, snipe, cranes, water voles and rare water beetles, while two 6.5-hectare paludiculture areas will produce typha and bulrush for products ranging from jackets to insulation.
By raising the water table, the project aims to halt peat oxidation, which currently loses two centimetres per year and releases carbon. The restored area will bridge Woodwalton Fen and Holme Fen, linking them with other nearby fen lands for the first time in centuries. Funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund supports the work, which is coordinated with local farmers, the drainage board and Natural England to manage water flow and demonstrate commercial viability of wet-farming. Project manager Lorna Parker notes limited public access will create a protected sanctuary for wildlife, with hopes that cranes and water voles will soon thrive there.
Why it matters
Restoring peat wetlands helps protect biodiversity, reduces carbon emissions, and shows how agriculture can coexist with climate goals.
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