A rare surviving fenland cottage at Wicken Fen National Nature Reserve has been granted Grade II listed status by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport following advice from Historic England.
Fen Cottage, believed to date from around 1700, was built using locally sourced clay, peat and sedge grass thatch and is regarded as one of the last surviving homes of traditional fen dwellers in Cambridgeshire.
Originally standing in the hamlet known as “the Lode” on the edge of Wicken village, the cottage now forms part of the National Trust’s internationally important nature reserve.
For centuries, fen dwellers relied entirely on the surrounding landscape for their livelihoods. Communities cut sedge for thatching, dug peat for fuel, gathered clay for bricks and tiles, collected buckthorn for gunpowder production and hunted birds, eels and fish from the waterways.
During the mid-19th century, Fen Cottage became home to Charles and Jane Butcher. Four generations of the Butcher family lived there, with the final resident, Alice Butcher, remaining in the cottage until her death in 1972 at the age of 93.
The property evolved alongside the family. It was extended around 1800, adapted again during the 19th century and altered in the 20th century to support Alice’s disabled son, Reggie.
Inside, the cottage retains many original features, including back-to-back fireplaces serving the two original rooms. A plank door connects the living room and bedroom, where a ladder leads to a sleeping loft. Later additions include an extended kitchen with an iron range cooker, bread oven and pantry.
The cottage has been cared for by the National Trust since 1974 and underwent restoration between 1988 and 1990. Today, it opens to visitors during the summer as part of the Wicken Fen experience.
Tony Calladine, East of England Regional Director at Historic England, said: “This 300-year-old cottage is a rare record of how people once depended on their natural surroundings. The Fen fed, housed, and employed the people around it.”
More details here:
National Trust – Wicken Fen National Nature Reserve
