Several events focus on the Cambridgeshire Fens and Must Farm near Peterborough.
What happens if we prioritise food production? How would the landscape transform if we focus on preserving biodiversity? These are a few of the questions set to be tackled during a unique, public workshop at the Cambridge Festival, Exploring the Future of the Fens (23 March).
The Cambridgeshire Fens and surrounding area hold a crucial place in the UK's agricultural landscape. With nearly a quarter of all lowland peat in England and Wales, this region's drained peat yields some of the nation's most fertile soil. Half of England's Grade 1 farmland calls the Fens home, contributing to 22% of the country's crop output and an impressive 35% of its vegetable production. From lettuce to celery, carrots to leeks, and more, the Fens are a significant source of UK-grown produce.
Beyond their agricultural prowess, the Fens are instrumental in bolstering the rural economy, generating over £3 billion and offering employment to tens of thousands in a region grappling with unemployment and deprivation.
Yet, amidst these achievements, the Fens face environmental challenges that demand urgent attention. The region has lost a staggering 30% of its peatlands, releasing millions of tonnes of carbon into the atmosphere. Additionally, only 1% of its original wetlands remain intact. Water scarcity looms on the horizon, projected to become critical in 5 to 10 years, while rising sea levels pose a growing threat.
Finding a sustainable solution is paramount. Simply rewilding the Fens to preserve its ecosystem is not feasible, given its crucial role in both the local community and the entire UK's food production.
To safeguard the Fens' ecosystem and support its farmers, the Cambridge Centre for Landscape Regeneration (CLR) researchers are diligently working on an integrated framework. This framework seeks to harmonise food production, reduce carbon emissions, secure water resources, manage flood risk, enhance biodiversity, and foster resilience.
During the workshop, everyone is invited to have their say on the future of the Fens and discover the vital work undertaken by the Cambridge Centre for Landscape Regeneration (CLR). The event explores the complex ecosystem of the Fens and investigates critical facets at play in the landscape including biodiversity, greenhouse gas emissions, water management, economic factors, and the delicate balance of all these factors with food production.
A further event delves into the fascinating Must Farm project near Peterborough, the first landscape scale archaeological investigation of deep Fenland. In Digging up the Past: The Archaeology of Must Farm (23 March), Chris Wakefield of the Cambridge Archaeological Unit explains what it is like to be an archaeologist and shares the story of one of the most exciting prehistoric sites ever found in the UK. Must Farm, a Bronze Age village built on stilts over a river, is helping archaeologists to understand how people were living in the Cambridgeshire Fens almost 3,000-years-ago.
Several events look at the past, present and future of the Mill Road area, dubbed the ‘Soho of Cambridge’:
In Does Mill Road matter? Local history and museums in the 21st century (15 March), Roger Lilley, chair of the Trustees of the Museum of Cambridge, takes a fascinating look at the relationship between a local history museum and a local history group, and the opportunities presented for their collaborations. He talks about the Museum of Cambridge, its history, trials, tribulations, and future development, and explores how the Museum can interact with local history societies, such as the Mill Road History Society.
The Museum of Cambridge has told the extraordinary stories of ordinary people since 1936. It holds a collection of over 40,000 everyday objects, which evoke the diverse daily lives of those living in this region over the last 300 years.
During the talk, everyone is encouraged to comment on how they would like to see the future of the Museum of Cambridge, and whose responsibility it ultimately is to ensure that its collection and influence continue into the 21st century.
In Ten years of discovery at David Parr House: Reflections on the journey so far (20 March), Annabelle Campbell, the Director of David Parr House, celebrates 10 years of the charitable trust. The talk is about the discovery of 186 Gwydir Street and the road to saving, restoring and opening this extraordinary house to the public. During the talk, Annabelle explores the life of the Victorian working-class decorative artist David Parr and his family, the Arts and Crafts industry in Cambridge, and a family home preserved for 135 years across three generations.
In This Is Our Street! - Pop-up exhibition uncovering the story of 'Sturton Town' (23 & 24 March), the story of people living and working in Petersfield formerly known as ‘Sturton Town’ from the Victorian era to today is brought to life in a pop-up exhibition and programme of talks. These events present the findings of over five years of research by local historian and Director of Historyworks Professor Helen Weinstein in collaboration with the local community.
In This Is Our Street! - Helen Weinstein leads a walking tour telling the story of Gwydir Street off Mill Road (27 March), walkers can explore the story of Gwydir Street from the Victorian era to today on a walking tour. Led by Professor Helen Weinstein, the tour brings to life the findings of local community history research. The tour starts at the top of Gwydir Street by the Bath House, and ends at the Alexandra Arms pub.
Once an unfashionable area, Gwydir Street, which backs onto Mill Road Cemetery, was becoming ‘the Soho of Cambridge’ by the 1960s, as young families moved away to be replaced with immigrants from Italy, Jamaica, Poland, former Yugoslavia and other countries. It remains home to many notable buildings, such as the Bath House, Dales Brewery and the former Pye Telecom’s site, and has also been home to notable artisans, such as harpsichord maker Trevor Beckerleg and decorative artist David Parr, whose house has been conserved as a public museum.
The tour highlights key people and places on the street. It accompanies a pop-up exhibition and programme at Mill Road Community Centre, during the Cambridge Festival family weekend, to celebrate the culmination of This Is Our Street! and the Blue Plaque projects.
In This Is Our Street! - Street exhibitions telling the story of Petersfield (14-28 March), the story of the Petersfield area between Mill Road and the railway, which was known in the Victorian era as ‘Sturton Town’, is brought to life with public street exhibitions and commemorated in blue plaques that will be exhibited on windows and gates along various Petersfield area streets. The displays tell the incredible stories of the former working-class occupants.
These projects were led by Historyworks and Gwydir Street Friends in collaboration with local resident groups, schools, businesses and organisations supporting this local history research, namely Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire Family History Society, the Cambridgeshire Collection at Cambridge Central Library, the Cambridgeshire Archives, Capturing Cambridge at the Museum of Cambridge, Mill Road Cemetery and the Mill Road History Society.
To view the full programme and book tickets visit the Festival website here.
Image: Future of the fens. Photo by Karen Cann on Unsplash
