Crowland & Cowbit

Crowland sits on the fringes of The Fens, its historic centre dominated by the striking, ruined Abbey of St Guthlac. The town is dissected by the River Welland and several drainage channels, a reminder of the area's long battle with water management. The unique triangular Trinity Bridge, built in the 14th century to span three now-diverted streams, stands as a central landmark in the dry market place.

To the east, the landscape opens into the flat, expansive fields of Cowbit, a village whose name derives from 'Cow Island'. This is intensely agricultural land, crisscrossed by straight dykes and drainage ditches essential for maintaining the fertile soil. The area is defined by the straight course of the River Welland and the presence of Cowbit Wash, a large area of low-lying grazing land that acts as a flood storage reservoir for the river system.