218 Tin /'Yom of 11n> Cfnnf>i-;</f/<- Dixfrirf 



peninsula, On the land arc hedges with tlicir dependent 

 plants Nepet(t < ;i-l/<)i<i, ArUkriscus N////VS/ //>, (inliinn Ajm- 

 riuc, and llryon'm- <Hun-<i. On reaching tin- fen the hr< 

 cease abruptly, the line of field division being continued by 

 ditches fringed with Phragmites. 



It is this presence or absence of ditches and hedges which 

 forms the readiest method of determining the boundaries of 

 the fen. 



But few undrained portions of fen now remain. Four 

 isolated portions are found occupying the valleys ; one in the 

 valley of the Cam near Hauxton (Dernford), another near the 

 source of Quy water close to Fulbourn station, a third, the 

 most important, at Chippenham and two small pieces in the 

 valley of the Lark near Mildenhall. Besides these valley fens, 

 which have been included with the real fens for convenience 

 sake, there are small portions at Quy, beside the Bottisham 

 Lode, Stalode Wash between Burnt Fen and Lakenheath 

 stations, and the most important of all, Wicken Fen. This 

 last is worthy of some description. 



Wicken Sedge Fen which, with St Edmund's Fen, consists 

 of nearly a square mile of country, lies to the south of the 

 curved uplands of Wicken, north of Burwell Lode and east < >f 

 the Cam, and is distant about eleven miles from Cambridge. 

 Originally the fen must have been bounded on two sides 

 by downs and must have stretched away to the south for 

 some considerable distance over the country which is now 

 known as Adventurer's Fen. Now it lies at some little 

 elevation above the surrounding country, being bounded by 

 broad ditches retained by dykes. 



This elevation is probably due to the combined effects of 

 turf cutting in the surrounding fens, formation of turf in the 

 fen itself and shrinkage due to evaporation in its drained 

 surroundings. 



In dealing with this portion of the Cambridge district it is 

 best not to regard the fen as distinct from the high land but 

 to consider both together, tracing the tninsi'eivnre nt dry plant 



