Sheep’s Green and Coe Fen reserves sit on the south bank of the River Cam, in west Cambridge.
They were traditional grazing sites for sheep and cattle, and Charles Darwin is said to have conducted many beetle surveys on the site.
In wet weather you can see the patterns of ancient streams meandering across Sheep’s Green. The land is a flood plain and is prone to flooding events.
Bathing water designation for Sheep's Green
In 2023, Cambridge City Council supported the Cam Valley Forum application to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) for bathing water designation along a 270m stretch of the River Cam at Sheep’s Green.
Sheep’s Green was already being used for swimming, with an average of 300 people visiting during its busiest two days of the year in 2023. However, data showed that sewage discharge events were causing high pollution levels to the city’s rivers and chalk streams, causing damage to the watercourses with health implications for those that bathe in them.
Securing bathing water designation means the Environment Agency will regularly test the quality of the water, to help users be aware of the water quality and track whether it is improving or not.
The River Cam at Sheep's Green was granted Designated Bathing Water status in May 2024 and, following monitoring during the 2024 bathing season (15 May to 30 September), the stretch has been rated as 'poor'.
The bathing water designation means that water companies will have to reduce sewage pollution until a ‘good’ or ‘excellent’ water quality level is achieved.
Following the 'poor' classification, the council will be required to display a notice about the poor water quality, with the addition that “bathing is not advised”.
Animals and plants
You can often see herons, kingfishers and little egrets on the reserves, despite the proximity to the city centre.
Water voles are thriving along the riverbanks, and pipistrelle and Daubenton’s bats are both common on the sites at night.
The spectacular veteran willow trees provide a nice spot of shade from which to watch the wildlife.
Our work to manage and improve the reserve
The cows that graze the sites eat the more common and vigorous plant species, allowing other rarer and delicate species to grow and increasing diversity.
The cows use their tongues to graze, wrapping it around plants and grass to pull it up. This and their trampling the ground as they move around creates different plant heights and microhabitats within the grassland.
Numerous species of insects are attracted to the cows’ dung, and they in turn provide food for birds and bats.
Access
You can access the reserves from Fen Causeway, Lammas Land, Mill Lane and Trumpington Road. You can park nearby at Lammas Land car park.
There is a firm, level path around the sites, although it can be hard to use in wet weather.
Facilities
There is a café and public toilets nearby at Lammas Land.
