and it all starts with reading a book or two

If you know me you know I love books especially books on aspects of east anglian history.

One of our local heroines is Etheldreda who has links to Ely cathedral and other villages closeby. Another local this time a hero is Hereward again with links to Ely.

In both books there is talk of standing on the ridge of land that Haddenham Aldreth and Wilburton stand on and looking out over the fens towards the south and cambridge and beyond. In the days pre drainage the near view would have seen the lush green of reeds and willows intersected by ribbons of water of various depths and widths with perhaps the off large pool here and there. Since drainage though the view is very organised with rectangular fields stretching into the distance all separated by ditches sometimes with a remnant strip of reed or a bit of hedge or a tree or two.

 

I have often wondered what it might have looked like  in the days pre-drainage.

A few years ago at the base of the ridge in Wilburton a solar farm was installed which you can see easily enough from the ridge, then last year work started on extending it.

I had a really good look a few days ago as I was driving past, area has been increased a lot and there it sits a grey blue block of colour contained within the network of regular fields. And what does it remind me of water. And I think to myself can we perhaps now start to imagine what the landscape used to look like using this block as a guide.

Will we again see the army of William massing on the far shore, the men the horses the towers on the causeway. Will Hereward again send fire rushing through the reeds sending men and horse and the ladies in the towers tumbling into the water.

And it all starts with reading a book or two and imagining.