Fen Drayton - Nature Reserve

Nature Reserve

Just north of the village is the Fen Drayton Nature Reserve, a 108-hectare (267-acre) reserve comprising four lakes formed from exhausted sand and gravel pits. These were worked since the 1950s, by ARC (now Hanson plc), and is now a habitat for some 190 bird species, along with other associated wildlife. In particular, Gadwall, Wigeon, Pintail, Goldeneye, Smew, Coot and Bittern populations may be seen: it is estimated that 2% of the UK's Bittern population, and 4% of the UK's cold weather Smew population, reside here, making it an important site. The RSPB purchased much of the site in 2007.

The reserve is accessible from the surrounding villages of Fen Drayton, Swavesey and Fenstanton. It is not accessible from nearby Holywell as Holywell is other side of the River Great Ouse and there is no bridge.

It is open every day (and all day), with no charge, and two car parks, rights of way (footpaths, bridleways and a byway) and hides around the lakes. In times of heavy rain and river flooding, the entire reserve goes under water, including car parks and most rights of way.

The Cambridgeshire Guided Busway passes through the reserve using part of the old Cambridge and Huntingdon railway and the busway was opposed at the planning stage for disturbing this reserve. The route for the guided busway was cleared or vegetation over the winter 2007–2008.

It is planned that the reserve will become part of a much larger wetland area along the River Great Ouse linking to the Hanson-RSPB Wetland Project at Needingworth Quarry that should become Britain's largest reedbed within the next 30 years. This will then connect to reserves at Ouse Washes and Welney north of Earith. The Ouse Washes are managed by the RSPB and Welney is run by the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust.

In January 2013, following a prolonged period of local flooding, a seal was spotted and filmed in a ditch linked to the nearby Great Ouse, some 50 miles from the sea.