Fen Drayton
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Fen Drayton | |
|---|---|
| OS Grid Reference: | TL335683 |
| Lat/Lon: | |
| Population: | 827 (2001 Census) |
| Dwellings: | 329 (2001 Census) |
| Formal status: | Village |
| Administration | |
| County: | Cambridgeshire |
| Region: | East Anglia |
| Nation: | England |
| Post Office and Telephone | |
| Post town: | Cambridge |
| Postcode: | CB24 |
| Dialling Code: | 01954 |
Fen Drayton is a small village between Cambridge and St. Ives in Cambridgeshire, England, and between the villages of Fenstanton and Swavesey.
Much of the working population commutes to work in one of the larger towns or cities nearby, however, there are also a number of farms in the village, some still active.
The village has a primary school, village hall, tennis courts and football fields, where Drayton Lions Football Club play their home matches, and a pub (The Three Tuns). The church (a Church of England) is dedicated to St Mary the Virgin.
Contents |
[edit] 2001 Census
According to the 2001 census, it is home to 827 people, living in some 329 dwellings.
The population was nearly entirely white (99.3%), with 0.4% Asian/Asian British, and 0.4% of mixed ethnicity. (Ethnic codes used in the 2001 census)
71.5% of the population were Christian, compared to 1.1% listed under 'other religion' (27.4% claimed 'no religion' or did not state a religion).
[edit] Nature Reserve
Just north of the village is the Fen Drayton Nature Reserve, a 108 hectare reserve comprising four lakes formed from exhausted sand and gravel pits. These were worked since the 1950s, by ARC (now Hanson plc), and is now a successful habitat for some 190 bird species, along with other associated wildlife. In particular, Gadwall, Wigeon, Pintail, Goldeneye, Smew, Coot and Bittern populations may be seen: it is estimated that 2% of the UK's Bittern population, and 4% of the UK's cold weather Smew population, reside here, making it an important site. Recent plans for a guided busway in the area [1] have come under attack for potentially disturbing this site. [2]
The RSPB purchased much of the site in 2007.[1] Cambridgeshire County Council employed contractors over the winter 2007-2008 to clear the vegetation along the disused rail corridor in readiness for guided bus construction work beginning towards end of 2008.
The reserve is accessible from the surrounding villages of Fen Drayton, Swavesey and Fenstanton. It is not accessible from nearby Holywell unless you're in a boat as Holywell is north side of the River Great Ouse and the nature reserve is on the south side. It is open every day (and all day), with no charge, and two car parks, rights of way (footpaths, bridleways and a byway) and hides around the lakes. In times of heavy rain and river flooding, the entire reserve goes under water, including car parks and most rights of way.
