Welney's Birds

The Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT) reserve at Welney Washes is tucked away in the south east corner of Norfolk, on the border with Cambridgeshire. It covers 850 acres (344ha) of freshwater grazing marshland that floods regularly - the largest such area remaining in Britain. This unique habitat was formed when two massive drainage channels were created, leaving a strip of land between them that is about ½ mile (800m) wide. This area is known as the Ouse Washes.

The Ouse Washes were not created with the intention of providing breeding areas for birds. Instead, they were designed to act as a reservoir to hold excess water when the main drainage system is unable to cope. Several attempts were made to drain the Fens - by the Romans and by medieval engineers - but it was not until the 17th century that this wilderness of sedge, reed and bog was finally vanquished. The wealthy Duke of Bedford owned a large expanse of fenland, and wanted to do more with it than graze sheep in the summer and watch it flood all winter. He employed a talented Dutch engineer called Cornelius Vermuyden to design a new river system that would allow flood water to be channelled more directly out to sea, rather than flowing into the meandering River Great Ouse.

The cut between Earith in Cambridgeshire and Denver in Norfolk, was named the Old Bedford River and was completed in 1637. Although it vastly improved the duke's summer grazing grounds, his land still flooded in winter. A second cut was made, running parallel to the first, and called the New Bedford River. The banks on both rivers were raised, so that the area between them could take surplus water during times of flood - the Ouse Washes. When you visit you will see information boards telling you how each river bank has been built up to allow controlled flooding, but to prevent overflowing into the surrounding low-lying land.

Today, the area between the two channels is much as it always was: grazed or cut for hay during the summer and flooded during the winter. Because of this, and because parts are closed during the bird breeding season, this walk is only open for part of the summer - usually July and August - but it's well worth the wait.

This walk takes you through some of the most spectacular birdwatching territories in the country. As visitors are asked not to make a noise or sudden movements that might startle the birds, many species seem totally unaware that they are under scrutiny. A visit to Welney is magical at any time of year, even when the footpath is closed and walkers are restricted to the Screenbank Walk that takes you between hides. Try coming in November, when thousands of swans crowd into the flooded washes to rest for the night. The noise is spellbinding and white necks poke up like periscopes as far as the eye can see.

While you're there

For those who are interested in still more birdwatching, the RSPB has a large reserve at Ouse Washes, to the south of Manea at Welches Dam. Facilities include a car park, a visitor centre and several free hides.

What to look forwhat to look fordon't miss a spell in the wwt's observatory looking over the bewick's swan lagoon. twenty wildfowl species have been recorded here, but most impressive are the sheer numbers of birds that arrive in winter. counts have included 3,000 bewick's swans, 1,000 whooper swans and 30,000 wigeon.

Where to eat and drink

There is a little tea room in the visitor centre at Welney, where you can sit and read the information about the site. It sells cakes, snacks, teas and coffee.