|Unitary Authority||East Anglia|
|SAC EU Code||UK0014782|
|Status||Designated Special Area of Conservation (SAC)|
|* This is the approximate central point of the SAC. In the case of large, linear or composite sites, this may not represent the location where a feature occurs within the SAC.|
General site character
Inland water bodies (Standing water, Running water) (5%)
Bogs, Marshes, Water fringed vegetation, Fens (70%)
Other arable land (5%)
Broad-leaved deciduous woodland (20%)
Download the Standard Data Form for this site as submitted to Europe (PDF <100kb)
Note When undertaking an appropriate assessment of impacts at a site, all features of European importance (both primary and non-primary) need to be considered.
Annex I habitats that are a primary reason for selection of this site
Fenland contains, particularly at Chippenham Fen, one of the most extensive examples of the tall herb-rich East Anglian type of M24 Molinia caerulea – Cirsium dissectum fen-meadow. It is important for the conservation of the geographical and ecological range of the habitat type, as this type of fen-meadow is rare and ecologically distinctive in East Anglia.
7210 Calcareous fens with Cladium mariscus and species of the Caricion davallianae * Priority feature
The individual sites within Fenland cSAC each hold large areas of calcareous fens, with a long and well-documented history of regular management. There is a full range from species-poor Cladium-dominated fen to species-rich fen with a lower proportion of Cladium and containing such species as black bog-rush Schoenus nigricans, tormentil Potentilla erecta and meadow thistle Cirsium dissectum. There are good transitions to purple moor-grass Molinia caerulea and rush pastures, all set within a mosaic of reedbeds and wet pastures.
Annex I habitats present as a qualifying feature, but not a primary reason for selection of this site
- Not Applicable
Annex II species that are a primary reason for selection of this site
- Not Applicable
Annex II species present as a qualifying feature, but not a primary reason for site selection
Many designated sites are on private land: the listing of a site in these pages does not imply any right of public access.