Transcript Themes PP_May 2013 - Ouse Washes: The Heart of the Fens

Ouse Washes Landscape Partnership: Themes
Water Everywhere
• Water defines the Ouse Washes
landscape
Hidden Heritage
• The heritage of the Ouse Washes
landscape is largely unknown or ‘hidden’
Fen Folk & Legends
• The landscape is full of fascinating stories
about real and imaginary people
Migration Stories
Future Heritage
• Movement and migration are key
elements of the landscape
• The future of the landscape is uncertain,
with increasing demands on its resources
Ouse Washes Landscape Partnership: Themes
Water
Everywhere
• Water defines the Ouse
Washes landscape
Careful management of water is key to the functioning of
the landscape – getting water at the right time to or from
the right place is essential to get the balance right for
farming, people and wildlife
Ouse Washes Landscape Partnership: Themes
Hidden
Heritage
• The heritage of the Ouse Washes
landscape is largely unknown or
‘hidden’
The Ouse Washes landscape is not often recognised as a
distinct landscape. Nevertheless there are countless
fascinating but largely unknown stories to tell showing the
landscape’s distinctive history and development, its past
and present: unknown and invisible archaeology;
fascinating history and historic structures; beautiful and
tranquil nature areas
Ouse Washes Landscape Partnership: Themes
Fen Folk &
Legends
• The landscape is full of fascinating
stories about real and imaginary
people
Famous and infamous characters have helped shape the
landscape and how it is perceived; folklore & traditions
abound
Ouse Washes Landscape Partnership: Themes
Migration
Stories
• Movement and migration are
key elements of the landscape
Although seemingly timeless, the landscape is
nevertheless always ‘on the move’, with daily and
seasonal changes. Many waves of people migrations have
all enriched the landscape’s heritage
Ouse Washes Landscape Partnership: Themes
Future
Heritage
• The future of the landscape is
uncertain, with increasing demands
on its resources
By bringing people and organisations closer together, the
past, present and future issues the landscape faced and
faces will be better understood. There is ample scope to
link past experiences with future strategies and activities.
This is an essential step to provide satisfying solutions for
all involved and a long-term legacy for the Ouse Washes
landscape, its heritage and communities
THEME
1
WATER
EVERYWHERE
2
HIDDEN HERITAGE
3
FEN FOLK &
LEGENDS
4
MIGRATION
STORIES
5
FUTURE HERITAGE
KEY MESSAGE & FURTHER DESCRIPTION
Water defines the Ouse Washes landscape – its past, present and
future.
Careful management of water is key to the functioning of the
landscape – getting water at the right time to or from the right place
is essential to get the balance right for farming, people and wildlife.
The heritage of the Ouse Washes landscape is largely unknown or
‘hidden’.
The Ouse Washes landscape is not often recognised as a distinct
landscape. Nevertheless there are countless fascinating but largely
unknown stories to tell showing the landscape’s distinctive history
and development, its past and present: unknown and invisible
archaeology; fascinating history and historic structures; beautiful and
tranquil nature areas.
The landscape is full of fascinating stories about real and imaginary
people.
Famous and infamous characters have helped shape the landscape
and how it is perceived; folklore & traditions abound.
EXAMPLE SUBJECTS
Water management; land below sea level; Drainage on industrial scale; Engineering;
Sluices; Embankments; Ditches; Flooding; Flood prevention; Water Flows; Climate
change; Climate change adaptation; Water storage; Wetland archaeology; Palaeoenvironmental evidence; Black Peat; Roddons; Internationally significant wetlands;
Washland; Distinctive landscape; Balance between water and land; Wildlife; Wintering
and Breeding bird populations; Swans; Water voles; Otters; Eels; Basketry; Willows;
Fishing; Wildfowling; Grazing; Reed beds; Stories of storms and floods; Welney; Fen
Ague
Neolithic/Bronze Age landscape; Romans; Anglo-Saxons; Well-preserved wetland
archaeology; Huguenots; Fen Adventurers; Prisoners of War working on drainage
schemes; Man-made landscape (David Bellamy’s ‘Manscape’); Unusual linearity of the
landscape; Flat Earth society – 19th century experiments; Hover train experiment; Colony
Farm in Manea; Charles I’s plans for Charlemont; Churches in the landscape; Drainage
Engineering structures; Earith Bulwark; Beauty in huge open skies and extensive vistas;
Tranquillity; Serenity; Rare and precious Flora and Fauna; Access opportunities.
Image of distinct and tough Fen Folk; Strong identity and connection with the land;
Vermuyden and Adventurers; Charles I; Etheldreda; Hereward the Wake; Oliver
Cromwell; Ice Skating heroes; Literature on Fens and Fen people; Landscape Paintings;
Folklore and oral traditions; Molly dancers; Plough Monday traditions; Fen Tigers, ‘Devils’
and Bog creatures; ‘Figures of the Fens’ branding.
Movement and migration are key elements of the landscape - its
past, present and future -, for people, wildlife and water.
Although seemingly timeless, the landscape is nevertheless always
‘on the move’, with daily and seasonal changes. Many waves of
people migrations have all enriched the landscape’s heritage.
Changing prehistoric settlement patterns related to dramatic landscape changes;
Transgressions & regressions of sea influencing landscape; Historic mass population
displacements following drainage schemes; Settlement of refugees (Huguenots) and
Capitalists (Fen Adventurers); Modern immigration (Eastern Europeans; agriculture);
Irish, Portuguese; Traveller Communities; Seasonal Bird migrations; Wildlife Changes;
Climate Change Adaptations for people, farming and wildlife; Seasonal and daily
changes in water levels and movement.
The future of the landscape is uncertain, with increasing demands on
its resources: water, land, public access, space for nature.
By bringing people and organisations closer, the past, present and
future issues facing the landscape will be understood better. There is
ample scope to link past experiences with future strategies and
activities. This is essential to provide satisfying solutions for all
involved and a long-term legacy for the Ouse Washes landscape, its
heritage and communities.
Rural; farming important in the landscape; Working landscape; Grade 1 classified land;
Food production, Land-based activities; Grazing; Wildlife-friendly farming; Wildlife; Bird
watching; Ecosystem services; Sustainability; Improving Public access; Walking; Cycling;
Disabled access; Boating; Water links; Ice Skating; Tourism; Fishing; Marketing &
Branding of landscape; Changes resulting from flood prevention measure; Climate
change adaptations; Wildlife habitat creation and ‘offsetting’; Green Infrastructure
Strategies; Fens for the Future Vision; the Great Ouse Wetland Vision; Fens Waterways
Link Developments. HLF themes: Increasing Conservation; Increasing Community
Participation; Increasing Understanding & Learning; Increasing Access & Enjoyment;
Increasing Skills.