The dream of a brand-new Flag of the Fens has hit a brick wall. Once hailed as a unifying symbol for Cambridgeshire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, and Suffolk, the initiative now lies dormant—its momentum killed by politics, tradition, and the resignation of its most passionate champion.
Former Fenland councillor Elisabeth Sennitt Clough, poet and cultural campaigner, was the driving force behind the proposal for a competition-designed regional flag.
Her vision was ambitious: a public contest that would give communities across the Fens a shared sense of identity.
“Being born in the Fens myself, I know how important it was historically for each island to have their own identity,” she explained.
But the plan ran into stiff resistance. The Wisbech Society and other heritage groups argued there was no need for a new flag.
The region already has a popular unofficial banner, created in 2016 by James Bowman. With its striking Fen Tiger and agricultural colours, it’s flown from homes, businesses, and even parish councils, gaining decades of grassroots support.
“Why launch a rival flag?” asked Wisbech Society trustee Susanah Farmer.
Council debates revealed deep divisions. Some councillors worried a competition would look performative; others championed pride and tradition.
When Sennitt Clough resigned, the project lost its heart. One committee meeting was cancelled, steering groups vanished, and the council’s forward plan no longer mentions the competition. Without a champion, the initiative collapsed.
Now, the existing Bowman flag appears set to remain the Fens’ banner of choice.
Widely embraced by the public and quietly endorsed by local authorities, it has legitimacy that no bureaucratic competition could manufacture.
Sennitt Clough’s vision for a new flag may never take flight, leaving the Fens to continue flying the flag that communities themselves adopted.
Once touted as a symbol to unite a region, the competition-designed Flag of the Fens is now little more than a footnote in local politics.
Tradition—and a strong grassroots movement—have won.
The flag that wouldn’t fly? It seems it never stood a chance.
Many people have said they would like a flag of the Fens but find those currently on the market too expensive. So, one man in Ely bought a batch of these 5x3ft ones, with eyelets in each corner. They were available this summer for £15 each (cost price) from Liberty Belle Cruises, near the Maltings on Ely Riverside.
