Coe Fen

The rear of Peterhouse from the very rural Coe Fen.

View north on the River Cam with Sheep's Green on the left and Coe Fen on the right. The top of King's College Chapel can be seen in the background.

Coe Fen is a rural meadowland area to the east of the River Cam in the south of the city of Cambridge, England.^[1] 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.^[2] 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^[3] and in the summer there is punting on the river.

On the opposite (west) side of the river is Sheep's Green.

History

Coe Fen, together with Sheep's Green, are a natural area that was once important for the commercial activity of Cambridge.^[1] There were up to three watermills in the area. The land between the artificially raised banks of the watercourses 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 boggy and was partially drained to help avoid disease. Today, the land is a semi-natural area.

Use of the name

Coe Fen (as Coefen) is the name of a hymn tune by Ken Naylor, used for the hymn How shall I sing that majesty.

See also

• List of bridges in Cambridge

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Coe Fen / Sheep's Green, Cambridge City Council.
2. ^ TL4457: Coe Fen, Geograph.
3. ^ Coe Fen, Lammas Land and the Mill Pond, Cambridge Corners.

Coordinates: 52°11′57″N 0°07′05″E / 52.19912°N 0.11799°E / 52.19912; 0.11799