fen

Dr Dilley said the heritage of the Stanwick Lakes site is important due to its links to other well-known Bronze Age sites such as Flag Fen and the Must Farm settlement - which was dubbed Britain's Pompeii due to the preservation of its artefacts.

Years of research conducted on thousands of artefacts from the site have now shown that early Fen folk had surprisingly comfortable lifestyles, with domestic layouts similar to modern homes, meals of "honey-glazed venison" and clothes of fine flax linen, and even a recycling bin.

The owner of the common, Fen Reeves, said it had been in touch with concerned residents and the issues raised had been discussed.

The Fen yew woodlands suddenly died about 4,200 years ago, when the trees fell into peat and were preserved until today.

Given that most of the Fens are barely above sea level, about 4,200 years ago, a sudden rise in sea level most likely killed the Fen woodlands.