Norfolk Conservation Corps - More Information

The History of the Corps: The Story So Far, Volume 1
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At Scarning Fen, we have no cowslips to count to judge the success of our work. We had, instead, something even more precise. In 1991, the site was visited by Professor Francis Rose, author of the best wild flower identification book, The Wild Flower Key, and a very great expert on sites such as Scarning Fen. He came to Norfolk to study a series of sites which he had last visited in 1956, helped then by his young assistant, a chap called David Bellamy (I wonder what became of him?). In 1991, revisiting all these sites, he found that the only one in as good a condition now was Scarning Fen. (The Norfolk Conservation Corps has never worked on any of his other study sites.)

In his official report for English Nature, Francis Rose wrote: "I have known Scarning Fen since 1955 ... I was impressed, even then, with the remarkable, and indeed exceptional, nature of the site. ... [A combination of factors, including lack of management] has led to the deterioration of the majority of these sites, and the total spoliation of most of them. ... At the present time, it is clear that Scarning Fen is the best example by far of the spring-fen type of community remaining ... By far the most interesting species present at Scarning Fen is the hepatic Leiocolea rutheana.

This is still present in great abundance. ... Elsewhere in Britain, it is only known at Frilford Fen, Berks., last seen in 1984! ... I visited Scarning Fen on 9.9.91, 23.10.91., and 24.10.91. ... Leiocolea rutheana is very plentiful... The present management of the fen is excellent and I wish to pay a tribute to the fine work done there by the Norfolk Conservation Corps in keeping the fen mown in recent years. I understand that it was not in nearly such good condition some years ago*, but this management work shows how a fen of this type can be restored ..." *i.e. before the Corps started working on it.

Potter's Fen has, fortunately, been managed by us ever since management began on the sixth of November, 1988. Francis Rose again: "Potter's Fen: This is really an extension of Scarning Fen. I had not visited this part of the S.S.S.I. until October, 1991, but it holds plant communities rather similar to those of the main Scarning Fen. ... Potter's Fen was, until recent years, heavily overgrown with Molinia, fen scrub, etc.: it is only due to the valiant efforts of the Norfolk Conservation Corps' volunteers that these richer communities have been restored, even in part; hopefully, continued drastic management will lead to improved development of the short sedge - Schoenus communities in future years."

Francis Rose, however, does not know the whole story. The management of this site began when, at last, it was learned who actually owned the site. The Norfolk Naturalists' Trust were then able to get a management agreement, and we could start work, so we did. A clever know-it-all of the Norfolk Conservation Corps planned and arranged everything. He borrowed Mad Milton and his chainsaw from George Taylor (of the Broadland N.N.T.), who was his boss at the time, and had a huge amount of scrub, very big trees, cleared from one corner of the site, and the Corps' volunteers came along, on several visits, and gathered and burned all the felled material.

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