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Wicken
Fen
Wicken Fen Nature Reserve and the Wicken Fen Vision. Wicken
Fen was the very first Nature Reserve to be owned by The National
Trust and has been in our care since 1899. It remains one of
the most important wetlands in Europe.
www.wicken.org.uk |
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Denver
Sluices
Denver Sluice is a complex array of mechanisms for managing
water levels as far away as Essex. In modern Britain water is
a ‘hot’ topic, and we worry over the effect of rising
sea levels as well as, conversely, the impact of lack of rain
during the summer. In the fenland area water has always been
an issue; Denver Sluice has been at the centre of this man-made
environment since it was first dug by a Dutch engineer of great
genius in 1651, surviving natural and manmade disasters, the
impact of shrinking land and changing river courses. More
www.environment-agency.gov.uk |
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Stretham
Engine
The earliest and finest example of a land drainage steam engine
erected in 1831 at Stretham in Cambridgeshire. A visit to the
Stretham Old Engine is a must for people glad to quit the usual
tourist trail and willing to indulge in a bit of Fenland history
and industrial archeology. Close to the village of Stretham
near Ely this land drainage pumping station (now disused) is
scheduled as an Ancient Monument and has been restored by the
Stretham Engine Trust. It contains a fine steam powered double-acting
rotative beam engine, and is the last surviving complete example
of its kind in the Fens. The Trust has leased the pumping station
for one hundred years from the Waterbeach Internal Drainage
Board.
www.strethamoldengine.org.uk |
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Ely
Cathedral
Ely Cathedral s the principal church of the Diocese of Ely in
Cambridgeshire and the seat of the Bishop of Ely. It is known
locally as "the ship of the Fens" because of its prominent
shape that towers above the surrounding flat and watery landscape.
The building is still in active use, and also houses a collection
of stained glass from the 13th century to the present that is
of national importance and includes works from notable contemporary
artists inlcuding Ervin Bossanyi.
www.elycathedral.org |
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National
Stud Newmarket
The National Stud is the showcase for British Thoroughbred breeding.
It comprises over 500 acres of prime pastureland on the edge
of Newmarket, headquarters of racing in the UK. Its facilities
include accommodation for eight stallions and up to 200 mares
in nine separate yards.
www.nationalstud.co.uk |
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Imperial
War Museum Duxford
Originally operated by the Royal Air Force during WW1, Duxford
played a prominent role during the Battle of Britain and was
later used by US Army Air Forces. After the MOD declared the
site surplus to requirements in 1969, the entirety of the site
was transferred to the museum in February 1976. www.duxford.iwm.org.uk |
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Audley
End House and Gardens
Audley End remains one of England’s grandest country homes
with over 30 lavishly decorated rooms to enjoy and explore.
The sumptuous interior is largely due to the third Baron Braybrooke
who inherited Audley End in 1825, filling it with treasures
including paintings by Masters such as Holbein and Canaletto.
www.english-heritage.org.uk |
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Sidney
Sussex College Cambridge
Like many Cambridge colleges, Sidney has had its peaks and troughs
since its foundation in 1596 by Lady Frances Sidney, Countess
of Sussex. It has, throughout its more than 400-year history,
been variously perceived as a hothouse, fashionable and professorial
and, through its most famous alumnus Oliver Cromwell, linked
to the English Civil War.
www.sid.cam.ac.uk |
