Cambridgeshire

Waterbeach

For Mothers’ Day we visited fields of rare hyacinths, grown in Waterbeach.  The fields north of Cambridge become Fenland, with rich fertile black soil and flat land.  This region was marsh, drained and reclaimed during the seventeenth century.  It is still low-lying and intersected by rivers and streams, with roads raised up above the level of the original marsh.

Hyacinth close-up
Mixed hyacinths

The farm lies between the rail line to London and the River Cam.

hyacinth field
A train passes
hyacinth field
Nursery field for rare hyacinths
honey bee in flower
Honey bee in flower

hyacinths

hyacinths

colourful hyacinths

blue hyacinths

bumblebee in hyacinth

bumblebee in hyacinth
Bumblebee in blue hyacinth

mixed hyacinths

 

hyacinths

 

blue hyacinth
NR8301 hyacinth variety

rare hyacinths

hyacinths

The rich fertile soil of the fens
The rich fertile soil of the fens

 

houseboat
Houseboat
house boats
River Cam at Waterbeach

River Cam at Waterbeach

 

lock 2
Lock on the River Cam

The river is divided here by a weir and a lock.  This happens when the river goes downhill, and the weir is a way to control the flow of the river to avoid rapids.  For those of you who don’t know, a lock is a section of canal where one gate is opened for a boat to go in, and the level of water in the lock is raised up or down, then the second gate opened so the boat can drive out, at the level of the river on the other side.  It makes these parts of the river navigable.

lock
A man opens the lock gate for his boat to go through

 

yachts
Yacht race on the River Cam

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