"Wicken" Wicken by mke1963

The small village of Wicken lies to the north of Cambridge, on the low-lying fens, just a couple of metres above sea-level.
the village is best-known for the nearby Wicken Fen, Britain's oldest nature reserve which lies just to the south of the village.

However, the village is interesting and pretty, although many villages in the area are equally attractive.

The village green is solit into several pieces stretching along the road through the village. On the eastern part, the village pub, the Maid's Head, has tables out on the grass in front: an idyllic way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

Across Soham Mere to the north is the market town of Soham; Soham Mere, like all the 'meres' in the area was once a marsh, flooded for much of the year and used mainly for rough pasture for sheep and the grasses and reeds were cut for roofing, fencing and basket-making.

Over the centuries, the meres were gradually drained - note the numerous windmills all around this region - and the marshes converted to arable land. The removal of the water has led to the gradual subsidence of the fields - easily seen in the area around Wicken Fen where the water is retained for much of the year.

Wicken lies on a small rise, with the church at the eastern end, the pub in the middle and the road leading out to the west to the site of a long-disappeared medieval monastery - Spinner Abbey.

In the centre of the village, to the south of the road (and open on selected days) is the working windmill, accessible from the main road close to the pub. A footpath runs alongside the back gardens of the village on the south side if you want a photo and the windmill isn't open!

The village green is notable for the variety of mature trees planted alongside the road - almost every one is different.