Lakenheath Fen

⚠ Please be aware that on 5 and 6 November, our reserve team will be carrying out some maintenance and repairs to Mere Hide, the boardwalk and to the area in front of the hide. We won't be closing the hide on these days but due to the disturbance it is unlikely you will see anything from the hide during our working hours (roughly 9am to 4pm). These works are essential to take care of the hide in the long term, so thank you for your understanding.  ⚠

Come to Lakenheath Fen and see how the RSPB has transformed former carrot fields into a wetland home for Kingfishers, Common Cranes, Otters and Water Voles. Where once there was farmland, now there is a vast stretch of reedbeds and grazing marshes bursting with life, as well as rich woodlands that come alive with song in spring.

Since 1995, we’ve created early 500 hectares of reedbeds, grazed fenland and wet grasslands where wildlife abounds. We make sure wildlife continues to thrive by grazing grasslands to keep grass at the right length and controlling the water levels to benefit different birds at different times of year. Now the reedbeds are established, we cut them back to maintain a mosaic of old and new reeds.

This Suffolk nature reserve forms part of a network of fenland nature reserves close by. These include The National Trust’s Wicken Fen, the Woodland Trust’s Chippenham Fen and Woodwalton Fen, which is managed by Natural England.

These, together with the washlands of the rivers Great Ouse and Nene, ensure some of the region’s natural character and variety of wildlife are protected.