Great Fen Heritage Group

The Great Fen Heritage Group is an active group of volunteers who meet regularly at the Countryside Centre. We are interested in all aspects of the rich Fenland heritage, from archaeology and architecture to historical events and local people’s stories. The changing Fenland landscape, its wildlife and its place in the lives of local communities, is a theme running through all our activities.

Examples of what we do

• Recording local people's stories and memories on a variety of topics and creating booklets, audio clips and other materials.
• Creating and using memory boxes for community visits and reminiscence work with people who may feel isolated.
• Field walking around the site of Whittlesey Mere to collect artefacts from previous eras.
• Learning to use metal detectors and archaeological equipment.
• Contributing to the recent Fen Spitfire excavation.
• Connecting with other local groups to support each other’s areas of interest.
• Archiving photos, objects and other materials.
• Showing our work at local festivals and other events  

Why not join in? 

Whether you have specialist skills or a general interest in our links with the past, we would love to talk to you about what we do. Perhaps you have relevant photos, maps, documents or memories you could share with us.

Just get in touch by calling the team on 01487 815524.

Special Focus - 1900-1950

What was life like in the Great Fen 1900-1950? That’s what the Great Fen Heritage Group would like to discover! Can you help?

Through personal or group interviews, the Heritage Group would like to capture the history of the Great Fen area from various perspectives. Alongside a wider project researching this period’s farming, industry, lifestyles, transport and more, they are particularly keen to engage with the ladies who live in, or who previously lived in the area (including Ramsey, Upwood, Conington, Holme, Whittlesey, Woodwalton, Raveley, Farcet and Stilton). If your own memories don’t reach this far back, they’d love to hear your recollections of Grandmothers, Mothers and other female family members. How were households managed, how did you or they wash laundry, cook, clean and manage a family’s needs? Perhaps ladies had jobs outside of the home. The interviews would be recorded with permission from the interviewees and eventually included in the Heritage Group’s archive. All of this information is so important to record for future generations.

If there are any ladies willing to assist with this project, please contact Jessie on 01733 242683. Thank you!