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Photo: Dr Border at English Wikipedia, Public domain via Wikimedia Commons
Fenland National Trust nature reserve between Ely and Cambridge. One of the few remaining areas of the region's former marshland, preserved today as a Nature Reserve.
Wicken Fen is a 254.5-hectare (629-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest west of Wicken in Cambridgeshire. It is also a National Nature Reserve, and a Nature Conservation Review site. It is protected by international designations as a Ramsar wetland site of international importance, and part of the Fenland Special Area of Conservation under the Habitats Directive.
© OpenStreetMap contributors
Drainage of the fens relied on windmills up to 1800 then steam pumps took over. There were over 100 of these, and this beam engine of 1831 is one of the few survivors. It's occasionally set running, though nowadays by electricity.
Founded by St Ethelreda as a monastery church in 673, the present cathedral building was started in the 11th century and upgraded to a separate diocese in 1109. The cathedral has a unique octagonal tower and lantern, completed in 1328 after the collapse of the original Norman tower. You can get a year pass alongside your regular ticket. Enquire inside for a tours up the west tower for fantastic panoramic views. There is a Stained Glass Museum in the cathedral South Triforium.
In Oliver Cromwell's house opposite the cathedral, including tours of the building and a history of the fens.
Ely Museum tells the story of the Ely and the surrounding fens, and highlights the building's interesting history as a gaol. The museum was renovated between 2019 and 2021, and is now a well-designed, accessible building. It caters particularly well to mixed age groups, with, for example, free story and explorer kits for younger children at the entrance. The museum's entrance fee includes an annual pass.
Wildfowl Wetlands Trust bird sanctuary. Visitor centre and café.