Grunty Fen facts for kids
Grunty Fen was once a small area in Cambridgeshire, England. It is about four miles southwest of the city of Ely. In 1933, Grunty Fen joined with the nearby area of Wilburton.
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History of Grunty Fen
Grunty Fen is a low-lying area in the middle of the Isle of Ely. It sits between villages like Wilburton, Stretham, Witchford, and Wentworth. This land is very low, less than 5 meters (about 16 feet) above sea level.
For a long time, this area was too wet to live on. Even after the large Fens area was drained in the 1600s, Grunty Fen remained very marshy. For many years, people only used it for grazing sheep or cutting peat (a type of soil used for fuel).
Draining the Land
Grunty Fen was one of the last parts of the Fens to be drained. In 1838, a special ditch called a "catchwater drain" was dug. It took about 20 more years for the land to become completely dry. After this, the land was used for farming.
However, the soil was thin and peaty, which meant it wore away easily. By the time of the Second World War, much of the area was no longer farmed. Today, there are several working farms in Grunty Fen.
Grunty Fen's Past Life
The area of Grunty Fen covered about 1,793 acres. At one point, it was not part of any main parish. Instead, it was split among several nearby parishes like Ely, Witchford, and Wilburton.
In 1921, only 97 people lived in Grunty Fen. Because it was so small, it officially joined the nearby Wilburton parish in 1933.
The "Grunty Fen Express"
A railway line called the Ely and St Ives Railway used to cross Grunty Fen. People jokingly called it the "Grunty Fen Express." Two train stations, Wilburton and Stretham, were located within the Grunty Fen area. They opened in 1866. Passenger trains stopped using these stations in 1931, and they closed completely in 1964.
A Famous Question
Grunty Fen even made national news once! Clement Freud, who was a Member of Parliament (MP) for the Isle of Ely, asked the Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher if she planned to visit Grunty Fen. He said the people there were worried about their wages.
Prime Minister Thatcher replied that the 97 residents were a happy farming community with very few people out of work. Clement Freud even owned a racehorse named Grunty Fen!
