At approximately ten minutes past nine this morning, Sunday 7th August 2011, I made history by being the first person to use the new Fen Drayton Lakes guided busway stop on the very first scheduled busway service!
Now the service is up and running, it's fantastic to be able to reach Fen Drayton Lakes with such ease by public transport. It's usually difficult to reach many reserves by public transport (I'm also a big fan of the Coasthopper bus serving Titchwell on the North Norfolk coast) and now it's so easy to pop in from Huntingdon, St Ives or Cambridge.
I think we'll find the reserve has quite a few more visitors now, and all arriving by renewable bio-fuel powered public transport. :-)
That is something that no-one else can claim. There are a couple of photos of guided buses on our photos page - you were on the bus photographed by Steve.
Hi Stuart
Great news Stuart, and at long last...meaning that the funds used for the railtrack are not wasted after all.
Last time we where at Fen Drayton Lakes, we saw the ghost tramlines with grass growing between the lines
Now it is active and is working.
Fabulous news
Must must sometime in the future ourselves to see what it is like
Regards
Kathy and Dave
OH and I visited FDL for the first time this summer. A wonderful reserve to explore, particularly as I enjoy water, and the birds and animals that are attracted to it. My passion however is osprey (Loch Garten, Rutland, Dyfi etc) and I follow the various websites, webcams and blogs - and now following their migration on GE Have you had any migrating osprey enjoying a stop-over on your Lakes? Or indeed staying with you for any length of time?
Edit: I should add that we aimed to drive to St Ives Guided Bus Stop and cycle the route to the Lakes. Although we could see the route, we couldn't find a car park near by.
Ospreys do visit us when they are migrating through the area, but rarely stay for more than a couple of hours.
Regarding cycling from St Ives - the cycle track is currently closed while contractors are raising the level of it ahead of laying a new surface. Closure notices say the track should re-opne in November. The exact date is not known. When it does open, cyclists coming from St Ives should turn left at the bus stop crossing to reach the car park. (Turn right if coming from Swavesey).
You can cycle from St Ives vis Fenstanton & Fen Drayton villages - follow the route signs for National Cycle Route 51.
So glad to hear you do have ospreys. A lot seem to have passed through Cambs/Beds this year. Indeed one was at RSPB Sandy last week, and I quote their blog of its sighting: "seen munching fish in a tree on the new heath here at The Lodge on a handful of occasions in the last five days".
Thanks for the info re the cycle track. It is helpful to know.