Little Ouse Headwaters Project

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The Little Ouse Headwaters Project (LOHP) was set up in 2002 by local residents to promote conservation and enjoyment of the fenland habitats bordering the upper reaches of the River Little Ouse, which lies on the Norfolk-Suffolk border. The site lies between Blo' Norton in Norfolk and Thelnetham in Suffolk. It includes a number of areas including Hinderclay Fen, Blo' Norton Fen, Betty's Fen, The Frith, Blo' Norton Lowes, Blo' Norton Little Fen and Parker's Piece. The area also include parts of the Blo' Norton and Thelnetham Fen Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).

River Little Ouse river in the east of England

The River Little Ouse is a river in the east of England, a tributary of the River Great Ouse. For much of its length it defines the boundary between Norfolk and Suffolk.

Norfolk County of England

Norfolk is a county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the northwest, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea and, to the north-west, The Wash. The county town is Norwich. With an area of 2,074 square miles (5,370 km2) and a population of 859,400, Norfolk is a largely rural county with a population density of 401 per square mile. Of the county's population, 40% live in four major built up areas: Norwich (213,000), Great Yarmouth (63,000), King's Lynn (46,000) and Thetford (25,000).

Suffolk County of England

Suffolk is an East Anglian county of historic origin in England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east. The county town is Ipswich; other important towns include Lowestoft, Bury St Edmunds, Newmarket and Felixstowe, one of the largest container ports in Europe.

Contents

The project is a registered charity and holds monthly work parties to manage the habitat of the various fens. The Little Ouse Headwaters Project won the CIWEM/RSPB Living Wetlands Award in 2006.

Both the River Waveney and the River Little Ouse have their sources at Redgrave Fen. The Waveney runs eastwards - forming the border between Norfolk and Suffolk - while the Little Ouse flows westwards and eventually joins the River Great Ouse at Denver Sluice.

River Waveney river in East Anglia, United Kingdom

The Waveney is a river which forms the boundary between Suffolk and Norfolk, England, for much of its length within the Broads.

River Great Ouse river in the United Kingdom

The River Great Ouse is a river in the United Kingdom, the longest of several British rivers called "Ouse". From Syresham in central England, the Great Ouse flows into East Anglia before entering the Wash, a bay of the North Sea. With a course of 143 miles (230 km), mostly flowing north and east, it is the one of the longest rivers in the United Kingdom. The Great Ouse has been historically important for commercial navigation, and for draining the low-lying region through which it flows; its best-known tributary is the Cam, which runs through Cambridge. Its lower course passes through drained wetlands and fens and has been extensively modified, or channelised, to relieve flooding and provide a better route for barge traffic. Though the unmodified river probably changed course regularly after floods, it now enters the Wash after passing through the port of King's Lynn, south of its earliest-recorded route to the sea.

The Project

The LOHP has won awards for its work as a conservation organisation. These include the prestigious Living Wetlands award, [1] and Suffolk's 'greenest county' award for community action. [2]

History

After the Second World War the course of the River Little Ouse was over-deepened which led to the drying-out of the surrounding fen and the conversion of much of the land to arable use. [3] The ending of traditional management practices and the lowering of the water table also led to increased dehydration which caused a decline in the bio-diversity of the area. The work carried out by the Little Ouse Headwaters Project has helped to reverse these effects.

See also

Related Research Articles

The Broads network of rivers and lakes in the English counties of Norfolk and Suffolk

The Broads is a network of mostly navigable rivers and lakes in the English counties of Norfolk and Suffolk. The lakes, known as broads, were formed by the flooding of peat workings. The Broads, and some surrounding land, were constituted as a special area with a level of protection similar to a national park by the Norfolk and Suffolk Broads Act 1988. The Broads Authority, a special statutory authority responsible for managing the area, became operational in 1989.

The Wash Bay and estuary at the north-west corner of East Anglia on the East coast of England,

The Wash is a square bay and estuary at the north-west corner of East Anglia on the East coast of England, where Norfolk meets Lincolnshire, and both border the North Sea. One of the broadest estuaries in the United Kingdom, it is fed by the rivers Witham, Welland, Nene and Great Ouse. It is a 62,046-hectare (153,320-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest. It is also a Nature Conservation Review site, Grade I, a National Nature Reserve, a Ramsar site, a Special Area of Conservation and a Special Protection Area. It is in the Norfolk Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and part of it is the Snettisham Royal Society for the Protection of Birds nature reserve.

Redgrave and Lopham Fens Suffolk Wildlife Trust nature reserve

Redgrave and Lopham Fens is a 127 hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest between Thelnetham in Suffolk and Diss in Norfolk. It is a National Nature Reserve, a Ramsar internationally important wetland site, a Nature Conservation Review site, Grade I, and part of the Waveney and Little Ouse Valley Fens Special Area of Conservation. It is managed by the Suffolk Wildlife Trust.

The Fens Natural region in United Kingdom

The Fens, also known as the Fenlands, are a coastal plain in eastern England. This natural marshy region supported a rich ecology and numerous species, as well as absorbing storms. Most of the fens were drained several centuries ago, resulting in a flat, dry, low-lying agricultural region supported by a system of drainage channels and man-made rivers and automated pumping stations. There have been unintended consequences to this reclamation, as the land level has continued to sink and the dykes must be built higher to protect it from flooding.

Ouse Washes nature reserve in the United Kingdom

Ouse Washes is a linear 2,513.6 hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest stretching from near St Ives in Cambridgeshire to Downham Market in Norfolk. It is also a Ramsar internationally important wetland site, a Special Protection Area under the European Union Birds Directive, a Special Area of Conservation, and a Nature Conservation Review site, Grade I. An area of 186 hectares between March and Ely is managed by the Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire, and another area near Chatteris is managed by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. The Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust manages another area near Welney.

Suffolk Wildlife Trust

Suffolk Wildlife Trust (SWT) describes itself as the county's "nature charity – the only organisation dedicated wholly to safeguarding Suffolk's wildlife and countryside." It is a registered charity, and its headquarters is at Brooke House in Ashbocking, near Ipswich. It was founded in 1961, and is one of 47 wildlife trusts covering the Great Britain and Northern Ireland. As of March 2017, it has 13,200 members, and it manages 3,120 hectares of land in 60 nature reserves, most of which are open to the public. It had an income of £3.9 million in the year to 31 March 2017.

Blo Norton village in the United Kingdom

Blo' Norton is a village and civil parish in the Breckland district of Norfolk, England, on the River Little Ouse, about 6 1⁄2 miles (10 km) west of Diss. The 2001 Census recorded the parish population as 270 people, living in about 100 households.

Angles Way

The Angles Way is a long-distance footpath in England, close to the River Waveney and River Little Ouse and thus close to the Norfolk/Suffolk border between Great Yarmouth and Thetford.

A1066 road road in England

The A1066 is a road in Great Britain which is predominantly in Norfolk, though it briefly straddles the border with Suffolk. It joins the towns of Thetford and Diss and roads A134 and A140. It is a primary route in the zone number 1. It runs west to east and is approximately 17 1⁄2 miles (28.2 km) long, or 16 3⁄4 miles (27.0 km) as the crow flies.

Roswell Pits nature reserve in the United Kingdom

Roswell Pits is an 8 hectare nature reserve on the eastern outskirts of Ely in Cambridgeshire. It is managed by the Environment Agency. It is part of the Ely Pits and Meadows Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI)) and Geological Conservation Review site. The SSSI designation for both biological and geological interest. The site was formerly managed by the Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire.

Lound, Suffolk village and civil parish in the district of Waveney, in Suffolk

Lound is a village and civil parish in the north of the English county of Suffolk. It is in the Waveney district and part of the area known as Lothingland between Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth. Lound lies 4.5 miles (7.2 km) north of Lowestoft, 5 miles (8.0 km) south of Great Yarmouth and 2 miles (3.2 km) west of Hopton on Sea and the North Sea coast. The village lies just west of the main A12 dual carriageway between Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft.

Hinderclay farm village in the United Kingdom

Hinderclay is a village and civil parish in the Mid Suffolk district of Suffolk in eastern England. The village is located around 14 miles (23 km) - from Bury St Edmunds in an area of rolling arable land to the south of the Little Ouse river valley. Neighbouring villages include Thelnetham and Rickinghall. In 2005 its population was 340. The parish also contains the hamlet of Thorpe Street.

Thelnetham village in the United Kingdom

Thelnetham is a village and civil parish in the St Edmundsbury district of Suffolk in eastern England. Located on the southern bank of the River Little Ouse, six miles west of Diss, in 2005 its population was 230. The village of Blo' Norton lies on the Norfolk side of the river. The name of the village derives from the Old English words "thel" which means a plank bridge, "elfitu" meaning swans and "hamm" meaning a meadow or enclosure. Hence the village is the "meadow with the plank bridge and the swans".

Barnby Broad and Marshes human settlement in United Kingdom

Barnby Broad and Marshes is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in the Waveney district of the English county of Suffolk. The site is 189.6 hectares in size. It is in the parishes of North Cove and Barnby, located between Beccles and Lowestoft in the north of the county. The site is bordered on its southern edge by the East Suffolk railway line and to the north by the River Waveney. It is a Special Area of Conservation, a Special Protection Area under the EC Birds Directive, and a Ramsar internationally important wetland site. There are two Suffolk Wildlife Trust nature reserves in the site, Castle Marshes and North Cove.

Blo Norton and Thelnetham Fens Suffolk Wildlife Trust nature reserve

Blo' Norton and Thelnetham Fens are a 21.3 hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) on the Norfolk/Suffolk border. Blo' Norton Fen is in the parish of Blo' Norton in Norfolk and Thelnetham Fen is in Thelnetham parish in Suffolk. It is a Nature Conservation Review site, Grade 2, and part of the Waveney and Little Ouse Valley Fens Special Area of Conservation, Thelnetham Fen is managed by the Suffolk Wildlife Trust and Blo' Norton Fen by the Little Ouse Headwaters Project (LOHP).

Ouse Washes Landscape Partnership

The Ouse Washes Landscape Partnership scheme (OWLP) is a 3-year project supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund which runs from 2014 - 2017. The scheme focuses on the promotion of the area surrounding the Ouse Washes, the heart of the Cambridgeshire and Norfolk Fens, and on encouraging community engagement with the area’s diverse heritage.

Buggs Hole Fen, Thelnetham

Bugg's Hole Fen is a 3.7 hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest north-west of Thelnetham in Suffolk.

Weston Fen Suffolk Wildlife Trust nature reserve

Weston Fen is a 49.7 hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Hopton in Suffolk. It is part of the Waveney and Little Ouse Valley Fens Special Areas of Conservation, and an area of 37 hectares is managed as a nature reserve called Market Weston Fen by the Suffolk Wildlife Trust.

Cut-off Channel

The Cut-off Channel is a man-made waterway which runs along the eastern edge of the Fens in Norfolk and Suffolk, England. It was constructed in the 1950s and 1960s as part of flood defence measures, and carries the headwaters of the River Wissey, River Lark and River Little Ouse in times of flood, delivering them to Denver Sluice on the River Great Ouse. In the summer months, it is also used as part of a water supply scheme for drinking water in Essex.

References

  1. ↑ BBC. "Living wetland receives prestigious award".
  2. ↑ http://www.greensuffolk.org/what_are_we_doing/awards/2009_awards_winners/communities/landscape_and_biodiversity_sponsored_by_ransomes_jacobsen%5Bpermanent+dead+link%5D
  3. ↑ http://www.seenet.info/documents/Lessons/TENmaterials/The%20Little%20Ouse%20Headwaters.pdf%5Bpermanent+dead+link%5D


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