Fen Drayton Nature Reserve

Fen Drayton Lakes began life as a flooded sand and gravel quarry next to riverside meadows. Now, a huge variety of wildlife is drawn to the area, including otters, dragonflies, ducks, swans and geese. There's something to see (and hear) all year round.

Fen Drayton Lakes stands at one end of a string of wetlands and fens that runs for 25 miles (40km) along the Great Ouse floodplain. You won’t be able to miss majestic mute swans on the lakes but you’ll need to look a little harder to see the many colourful insects. The riverside meadows are alive with nature – reeds rustling, birds warbling, grasshoppers chirping and bees a buzzin’.