The Fens have a beauty all of their own. Big skies, long straight roads and flat open land stretching to the horizon, with market towns and church towers rising out of the landscape. It's a quieter kind of beauty, and one that rewards a slower look.
The Fenland colouring book from Britain in Lines brings together the towns of the Fenland district in one calm, considered collection.
About Fenland
For centuries the Fens were wetland and marsh, with towns built on the few islands of higher ground. The great drainage schemes of the 17th century transformed the area into some of the most fertile farmland in Britain, and the towns grew wealthy on farming and river trade.
That history has left a surprising wealth of architecture: Georgian riverside houses, grand churches with remarkable roofs, market squares and historic civic buildings, all set against those famously wide skies.
Towns featured in the Fenland colouring book
Wisbech
Often called the capital of the Fens, Wisbech is known for its fine Georgian buildings, especially along the North Brink beside the River Nene. It's also home to the Wisbech and Fenland Museum, one of the oldest purpose-built museums in the country.
March
March is a historic railway and market town, and its St Wendreda's Church is famous for one of the most spectacular angel roofs in England, with over a hundred carved angels looking down from above.
Whittlesey
A characterful market town with an old Buttercross in its Market Place, Whittlesey is best known for its Straw Bear Festival each January, when a figure dressed head to toe in straw dances through the streets.
Chatteris
A friendly Fen town with a long history, Chatteris offers traditional streets and buildings that capture everyday Fenland life.
Ramsey
Ramsey grew up around a great medieval abbey, and its historic buildings reflect that heritage.
Why the Fens are lovely to colour
Fenland's buildings are full of quiet detail: brickwork, tall church towers, Georgian windows and riverside frontages. Pair them with those huge Fen skies and you have endless room to play with sunsets, soft greys and fresh spring greens.
Inside the Fenland colouring book
The book includes 20 hand-drawn illustrations of Fenland's civic buildings, churches, museums and town landmarks, with open, uncluttered line work that's relaxing to colour. It's printed in the UK on thick 160gsm paper, wire-bound to lie flat, with a soft-touch cover, for £16.99.
A thoughtful Fenland gift
Fen folk are proud of where they come from, and this book is a lovely gift for anyone with roots in Wisbech, March, Chatteris, Ramsey, Whittlesey or anywhere across the Fens and Cambridgeshire. 10% of every sale goes to Martin House Children's Hospice.
