In this landmark moment, 120 hectares of land at Speechly’s Farm completes a fenland jigsaw; for the first time since drainage in the 1850s, it will create a continuous corridor of natural wet fenland between Woodwalton Fen and Holme Fen National Nature Reserves.

A crucial centre piece of the National Lottery Heritage Fund Peatland Progress project, the land represents the next vital chapter in a 50-100 year vision for the transformation of the Great Fen: raising £400,000 will unlock more than £4m of funding.

This connection will help fen wildlife thrive, enabling the restoration of even more wet peatland to protect the planet and support the livelihoods and wellbeing of local people.

The work that lies ahead will see the creation of new pools, ditches, grasslands and reedbeds as well as an expansion of the pioneering wet farming trials, all helping to clean the water that flows into Woodwalton Fen NNR and beyond. Fen violet, dragonflies, tansy beetles, otters, bitterns, barn owls and endangered water voles will all have more habitats in which to find a home.

Kate Carver, Great Fen Project Manager says: “Peatland Progress tackles some of the biggest challenges of the day – climate change and biodiversity loss – and this land completes the connection between two precious fragments of irreplaceable fenland ecology, Holme Fen NNR and Woodwalton Fen NNR.”

As part of the Peatland Progress project at the Great Fen, the National Lottery Heritage Fund is willing to put in £4m to secure Speechly’s Farm, but first the Wildlife Trust BCN needs to raise a £400,000 ‘deposit’ to unlock this landmark opportunity.