Chippenham Fen National Nature Reserve

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Overview

The main interest of the Chippenham Fen NNR is its flora, with a diverse range of plants species thriving in a classic fen habitat. The invertebrates are another important feature of the site, particularly the two-winged and biting flies which include midges, mosquitoes and horseflies. Cambridge milk-parsley grows well on the site. This plant is only found in three other sites in the UK and is protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act. More than 400 species of wildflowers have been recorded including marsh helleborine, black bog rush, bogbean, bog pimpernel and saw-wort, southern marsh and fragrant orchids. Over 500 moth species are found here, including silver barred and reed leopard. Recently, Rosser’s sac spider was rediscovered at the site for the first time in nearly 20 years. Breeding birds include woodcock, snipe, and an astonishing nine species of migrant warblers, which fill the fen with their song in summer.

Location

Chippenham

About the area

To the west of East Anglia is Cambridgeshire, a county best known as the home to the university that makes up the second half of ‘Oxbridge’ (the other half is Oxford). As well as its globally renowned educational credentials, it also has a rich natural history; much of its area is made up of reclaimed or untouched fens.

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Chippenham Fen National Nature Reserve

Chippenham

01638 721329

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Chippenham Fen National Nature Reserve

Recommended by

Overview

The main interest of the Chippenham Fen NNR is its flora, with a diverse range of plants species thriving in a classic fen habitat. The invertebrates are another important feature of the site, particularly the two-winged and biting flies which include midges, mosquitoes and horseflies. Cambridge milk-parsley grows well on the site. This plant is only found in three other sites in the UK and is protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act. More than 400 species of wildflowers have been recorded including marsh helleborine, black bog rush, bogbean, bog pimpernel and saw-wort, southern marsh and fragrant orchids. Over 500 moth species are found here, including silver barred and reed leopard. Recently, Rosser’s sac spider was rediscovered at the site for the first time in nearly 20 years. Breeding birds include woodcock, snipe, and an astonishing nine species of migrant warblers, which fill the fen with their song in summer.

Location

Chippenham

About the area

Area image

To the west of East Anglia is Cambridgeshire, a county best known as the home to the university that makes up the second half of ‘Oxbridge’ (the other half is Oxford). As well as its globally renowned educational credentials, it also has a rich natural history; much of its area is made up of reclaimed or untouched fens.

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Chippenham Cambridgeshire Things To Do in Cambridgeshire