Four Lodes Trail at Wicken Fen

The Four Lodes Trail explores the heart of Wicken Fen, one of Britain's oldest nature reserves and a rare surviving fragment of the wild fenland that once covered much of Cambridgeshire. Setting out from Wicken village, the route heads across Wicken Poor's Fen, an area of open access land where reed beds and grazing marsh stretch away under famously big skies.

The path leads past The Mere, a shallow open water that draws wildfowl and waders, before turning into Adventurers' Fen, a restored landscape of pools, sedge and scrub. From here the trail follows Monk's Lode, one of the straight drainage channels that give the walk its name, offering long views along the water and easy, level going underfoot.

Returning to Wicken, there is time to look in at the Wicken Methodist Church in the village, or extend the day with a wander toward Baker's Fen and Breed Fen nearby. At 6.9 km and almost flat, it is a gentle but immersive introduction to the peat fens.