The Fen Edge
The close proximity to the fen edge would have been important to the inhabitants of Longstanton and District. It is known that the exact location of the fen edge would have ebbed and flowed on an annual basis; with the fen waters deeper and encroaching further inland during the winter. In addition to seasonal variations more significant climate changes have occurred over thousands of years. For instance it is known that the climate became wetter in about the 3rd Century AD.
The following link has been suggested to us. On the site you can see where the fen edge would be if the water level reaches certain contours. Use the zoom and directional arrows to centre the map on Longstanton. Hopefully we can find evidence of exactly what level the fen waters were at different points in history. This knowledge will help explain why people lived where they did at any point in time.
In the meantime, change the setting from the 5 metre to the 8 meter contour and you will see that Longstanton does indeed become an “island in the marsh” (a reference to Inholms – the name given to part of the Pre- Enclosure closes). Perhaps this Danish name indicates that water levels had indeed risen between the Roman and Anglo-Saxon periods. This may be why the Anglo-Saxon settlement of Longstanton is centred on the highest point in the parish. With the water reaching the 5 metre contour or higher, dry land access to the fens in this area could only be achieved by passing through Longstanton parish. Even at the 8 metre contour the High Street and the Inholms enclosure remain just above the water line. Was the Inholms enclosure made from what was the Danes “island in the marsh”? If so, then the map suggests that the water level during this period was around the 7 metre contour. It is possible that the water reached as high as 8 metres but this would have put the Anglo-Saxon village of Longstanton very close to the water’s edge.
Only archaeological excavations and a definite knowledge of the fen edge position during the Anglo-Saxon period could help us answer this question.
Written by HAE Stroude