Wildlife reserves · London
Roswell Pits
Roswell Pits — nature reserve in the United Kingdom.
Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 2 h–4 h
- Best time of year
- Autumn & winter (migration & wildfowl)
- Nearest railway station
- Ely · 1.7 km
- Free entry
- Family-friendly
- Dog-friendly
- Limited wheelchair access
About
Roswell Pits is a wildlife reserve in the United Kingdom. Managed by Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire. Wikidata describes it as: "nature reserve in the United Kingdom". Coordinates: 52.4020°, 0.2840°.
Photo gallery
Protected designations
- Site of Special Scientific Interest: Ouse Washes SSSI
- Site of Special Scientific Interest: Ely Pits and Meadows SSSI
- Ramsar wetland: Ouse Washes
Designations sourced from Natural England open data under OGL v3.
From the Wikipedia article
Roswell Pits is a 20 acre nature reserve on the eastern outskirts of Ely in Cambridgeshire. It is managed by the Environment Agency. It is part of the Ely Pits and Meadows Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI)) and Geological Conservation Review site. The SSSI designation for both biological and geological interest. The site was formerly managed by the Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
History
The pits were a source of gault, an impervious clay used to maintain river banks in the low-lying regions of the South Level of the Fens. Following the re-routing of the rivers in the region by Cornelius Vermuyden and his Adventurers in the 1650s, to more effectively drain the Fens, the peaty soils began to dry out and shrink. As the land surface sunk below the levels of the rivers, it became important to maintain the banks with something impervious to water, to prevent seepage into the newly drained agricultural land, and to prevent collapse of the banks and flooding of the land in times of heavy rainfall. Roswell Pits were an ideal source of this material, as they were located adjacent to…
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 52.4020, 0.2840
- County
- Cambridgeshire
- District
- East Cambridgeshire
- Parish
- Ely
- Postcode
- CB7 4TX
- Parliamentary constituency
- Ely and East Cambridgeshire
- Nearest railway station
- Ely — 1.7 km
Sources
- wikidata: Q7370123 (CC0)
- wikipedia: Roswell Pits (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- commons: Roswell Pits.jpg (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Frequently asked questions
- Where is Roswell Pits?
- Roswell Pits is in Cambridgeshire, London, United Kingdom (postcode CB7 4TX), in the parish of Ely.
- Who owns Roswell Pits?
- Roswell Pits is owned by Environment Agency and operated by Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire.
- Is Roswell Pits a protected site?
- Yes — Roswell Pits is part of the Ouse Washes SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest and the Ely Pits and Meadows SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest.
- Is Roswell Pits free to visit?
- Yes, Roswell Pits is free to enter.
- How do I get to Roswell Pits?
- The nearest railway station is Ely, about 1.7 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode CB7 4TX.
- Are dogs allowed at Roswell Pits?
- Most wildlife reserves allow dogs on lead only, with restrictions during ground-nesting bird season (March-July). Check signage at the reserve.