Fen Drayton

Infobox UK place
official_name= Fen Drayton
country= England
region= East of England
os_grid_reference= TL335683
latitude= 52.29
longitude= -0.03
post_town= CAMBRIDGE
postcode_area= CB
postcode_district= CB24
dial_code= 01954
shire_county= Cambridgeshire
population= 827 (2001 Census)
hide_services= Yes

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.

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).

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 [http://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/transport/guided/] have come under attack for disturbing this site. [http://www.savethelakes.co.uk/English%20Nature%20Letter.htm]

The RSPB purchased much of the site in 2007, disturbing the site still further with excessive signage and other paraphernalia designed to increase the number of birdwatchers visiting the area. [ [http://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/guide/f/fendraytonlakes/ RSPB: Fen Drayton Lakes nature reserve] ] 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.

References

External links

* [http://www.draytonlions.co.uk Drayton Lions Football Club]
* [http://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/211339DF-086B-4198-A9AE-5DD6A2B8DEA3/0/FenDrayton.pdf 2001 Census]
* [http://www.village-links.co.uk/fendrayton.html Village Links]
* [http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/CAM/FenDrayton/ UK & Ireland Genealogy page]
* [http://www.fendraytonschool.co.uk/ Fen Drayton School]
* [http://www.honeyhill.org/ St Mary's Church, Fen Drayton]
* [http://www.hanson.co.uk/Responsibility/environment/restoration/casestudyCambridgeshire1.html Nature Reserve case study from Hanson]
* [http://www.st-ives.info/outdoors/FendraytonNature/ St Ives Information about Nature Reserve]