Car Dyke

Car Dyke is an ancient water channel that runs for about 57 miles along the western edge of the Fens. The waterway has a wide bed with earthen banks on both sides and still affects how fields drain today.

Roman engineers built this long channel in the second century as one of the largest artificial water projects created during their time in Britain. The system shows how they managed and controlled water in the marshy landscape.

The name comes from a medieval English word for marsh, showing how local people understood their wetland home. Today, you can sense this connection in how the landscape is still shaped by water and how people talk about the area.

You can explore sections of the old channel by walking along field edges and paths, where you can see how it cuts through the landscape. Spring and summer offer easier access since the wetland paths tend to be drier during these seasons.

Archaeologists found a Roman-era boat and pottery pieces near the channel during digs. These discoveries show that the waterway served as a trade and transport route for people moving through the region.