Coe Fen
Encyclopedia
Coe Fen is a semi-rural meadow
land area to the east of the River Cam
in the south of the city of Cambridge
, England
. It lies at the back of Peterhouse
(one of the University of Cambridge
colleges) to the north, the Fitzwilliam Museum
, and The Leys School
to the south. The fen
is straddled by the Fen Causeway
(A1134 road) across the Cam. There is also a footbridge at the back of The Leys School to the south and Crusoe Bridge is just north of the Fen Causeway Bridge.
The area is very bucolic considering its closeness to the centre of Cambridge and cows graze the grassland here. Walking and cycling is pleasant in the area and in the summer there is punting
on the river.
On the opposite (west) side of the river is Sheep's Green.
There were up to three watermill
s in the area. The land between the
artificially raised banks of the watercourse
s was liable to flooding and thus only suitable for grazing (cows on Coe Fen, sheep on Sheep's Green, hence the names). By the 19th century, the fen had become very bog
gy and was partially drained to help avoid disease. Today, the land is a semi-natural area.
Meadow
A meadow is a field vegetated primarily by grass and other non-woody plants . The term is from Old English mædwe. In agriculture a meadow is grassland which is not grazed by domestic livestock but rather allowed to grow unchecked in order to make hay...
land area to the east of the River Cam
River Cam
The River Cam is a tributary of the River Great Ouse in the east of England. The two rivers join to the south of Ely at Pope's Corner. The Great Ouse connects the Cam to England's canal system and to the North Sea at King's Lynn...
in the south of the city of Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It lies at the back of Peterhouse
Peterhouse, Cambridge
Peterhouse is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. It is the oldest college of the University, having been founded in 1284 by Hugo de Balsham, Bishop of Ely...
(one of the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
colleges) to the north, the Fitzwilliam Museum
Fitzwilliam Museum
The Fitzwilliam Museum is the art and antiquities museum of the University of Cambridge, located on Trumpington Street opposite Fitzwilliam Street in central Cambridge, England. It receives around 300,000 visitors annually. Admission is free....
, and The Leys School
The Leys School
The Leys School is a co-educational Independent school, located in Cambridge, England, and is a day and boarding school for about 550 pupils aged between 11 and 18 years...
to the south. The fen
Fen
A fen is a type of wetland fed by mineral-rich surface water or groundwater. Fens are characterised by their water chemistry, which is neutral or alkaline, with relatively high dissolved mineral levels but few other plant nutrients...
is straddled by the Fen Causeway
Fen Causeway
Fen Causeway or the Fen Road is the modern name for a Roman road of England that runs between Denver, Norfolk in the east and Peterborough in the west. Its path covers , passing March and Eldernell before joining the major Roman north-south route Ermine Street west of modern-day Peterborough...
(A1134 road) across the Cam. There is also a footbridge at the back of The Leys School to the south and Crusoe Bridge is just north of the Fen Causeway Bridge.
The area is very bucolic considering its closeness to the centre of Cambridge and cows graze the grassland here. Walking and cycling is pleasant in the area and in the summer there is punting
Punt (boat)
A punt is a flat-bottomed boat with a square-cut bow, designed for use in small rivers or other shallow water. Punting refers to boating in a punt. The punter generally propels the punt by pushing against the river bed with a pole...
on the river.
On the opposite (west) side of the river is Sheep's Green.
History
Coe Fen and Sheep's Green form a natural area that was once important for the commercial activity of Cambridge.There were up to three watermill
Watermill
A watermill is a structure that uses a water wheel or turbine to drive a mechanical process such as flour, lumber or textile production, or metal shaping .- History :...
s in the area. The land between the
artificially raised banks of the watercourse
Watercourse
A watercourse is any flowing body of water. These include rivers, streams, anabranches, and so forth.-See also:* physical geography* Environmental flow* Waterway* Hydrology* Wadi-External links:...
s was liable to flooding and thus only suitable for grazing (cows on Coe Fen, sheep on Sheep's Green, hence the names). By the 19th century, the fen had become very bog
Bog
A bog, quagmire or mire is a wetland that accumulates acidic peat, a deposit of dead plant material—often mosses or, in Arctic climates, lichens....
gy and was partially drained to help avoid disease. Today, the land is a semi-natural area.