Culture And Memory

Walking and Working Westings Meadow

Westings Meadow’s hidden heritage spans centuries of communal stewardship and the dramatic changes that followed enclosure, mechanisation and flood control. Now, through community-led nature restoration, it is coming full circle. We will work with local people to preserve at-risk memories of its pre-industrial past and help communities reconnect with this shared natural and working heritage. In 2022 a Langdyke Countryside Trust volunteer rediscovered references to Westings, a 500-acre flood-meadow once shared by five fen-edge villages. 2026 marks 70 years since the Maxey Cut flood-relief channel reshaped the land and 185 since poet John Clare described walking there. Westings’ rediscovery has inspired strong community interest. Responding to demand, we will work with communities to uncover and share its stories through oral histories, school mini-festivals, walks, events and exhibitions, nurturing new connections between people, place and nature. Its legacy includes placemaking, wider engagement and stronger stewardship with heritage saved for future generations.