Fenland
§ This page gives an overview of the Fenland local authority district, bringing together key facts, maps, and data to help you quickly understand the area. This is one of 361 LAD profiles on Baseview.
Overview ⁞ Fenland occupies the heart of the Cambridgeshire Fens, a flat, low-lying expanse of rich farmland reclaimed from marshes, criss-crossed by rivers, drains, and dykes. Market towns such as Wisbech, March, Chatteris, and Whittlesey form the district’s main settlements, each with historic buildings, markets, and cultural attractions. Wisbech, often called the “Capital of the Fens,” is notable for its Georgian architecture and Peckover House. The River Nene and numerous waterways shape the geography, making it a landscape defined by agriculture and wide skies. The district’s unique setting provides a sense of openness and tranquility, while its towns serve as lively hubs in an otherwise rural and agricultural environment.
Fenland Boundary Map
This map shows the official boundary of the Fenland local authority district, based on the latest geographic data published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). It provides a clear view of the district’s extent and helps you understand how the area fits within the wider regional and national landscape.
Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2025. Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
The administrative boundary of Fenland can also be viewed on OpenStreetMap: District Boundary of Fenland.
Key Facts about Fenland
What region is Fenland in? Fenland is in the East of England of England, a region within the UK.
What county is Fenland in? Fenland is located in the county of Cambridgeshire.
Is Fenland a city? No, Fenland is not a city. (Note: the UK has 76 officially designated cities.)
Who governs Fenland? The local authority for this district is: Fenland District Council - responsible for district-level services. Since Cambridgeshire is a two-tier area, county-level services are handled by: Cambridgeshire County Council.
▶ Official website of Fenland District Council 🔗 fenland.gov.uk
Which police force covers Fenland? Policing in Fenland is provided by Cambridgeshire Constabulary 🔗 cambs.police.uk, which serves 6 local authority districts: Cambridge ⁞ East Cambridgeshire ⁞ Fenland ⁞ Huntingdonshire ⁞ Peterborough ⁞ South Cambridgeshire.
Constituencies in Fenland
Fenland is divided into 1 parliamentary constituencies, listed below in alphabetical order.
A constituency is a specific geographical area that elects one Member of Parliament (MP) to represent them in the House of Commons. The United Kingdom is divided into 650 parliamentary constituencies. We have this list page for easy browsing of all UK parliamentary constituencies: List of Constituencies.
Wards in Fenland
Fenland is divided into 18 wards, listed below in alphabetical order.
- Chatteris North & Manea
- Chatteris South
- Doddington & Wimblington
- Elm & Christchurch
- Leverington & Wisbech Rural
- March East
- March North
- March South
- March West & Benwick
- Parson Drove & Wisbech St Mary
- Whittlesey East & Villages
- Whittlesey Lattersey
- Whittlesey North West
- Whittlesey South
- Wisbech North
- Wisbech Riverside
- Wisbech South
- Wisbech Walsoken & Waterlees
In the UK, a ward is a subdivision of a local authority area, used mainly for electoral and statistical purposes. Defined by the ONS, wards represent the primary unit for local elections, each returning one or more councillors to the local council. Wards are also used as a key geography for presenting population and census data. We have this list page for easy browsing of all electoral wards: List of all Electoral Wards in the UK.
Parishes in Fenland
Fenland is fully parished: 16 civil parishes, listed A-Z below.
- Benwick
- Chatteris
- Christchurch
- Doddington
- Elm
- Gorefield
- Leverington
- Manea
- March
- Newton-in-the-Isle
- Parson Drove
- Tydd St. Giles
- Whittlesey
- Wimblington
- Wisbech
- Wisbech St. Mary
A civil parish is the lowest tier of local government in England, used for villages, small towns, and suburbs. They have their own local authority, either a parish council or a parish meeting, which provides local services like managing parks, allotments, and streetlights, and represents the community's views to larger councils.
We have this list page for easy browsing of all parishes: List of Civil Parishes in England and Wales.
Post Towns in Fenland
Below is a list of post towns in Fenland, grouped by postcode area:
- PE ▸ Chatteris (PE16) ⁞ March (PE15) ⁞ Wisbech (PE13 / PE14)
The UK postal hierarchy begins with broad postcode areas (such as “CB” or “M”), which are divided into smaller postcode districts (such as “CB8” or “M1”) to support accurate mail routing. Each postal address is anchored by a designated post town, the official locality name used in the UK postcode system, which operates independently from Local Authority Districts —the administrative boundaries used for council tax and local government services. Because they serve different purposes, a property’s postal address and its local authority district do not always align exactly.
Built-up Areas in Fenland
Fenland covers 24 built-up areas, listed below in alphabetical order.
- Benwick
- Chatteris
- Christchurch (Fenland) *
- Coates and Eastrea
- Doddington and Wimblington
- Elm and Emneth *
- Friday Bridge
- Gorefield
- Guyhirn
- King's Dyke
- Leverington
- Manea
- March
- Murrow
- Newton-in-the-Isle
- Parson Drove
- Tydd Gote *
- Tydd St Giles *
- Upwell and Outwell *
- Wardy Hill *
- Wenny Severals *
- Whittlesey
- Wisbech *
- Wisbech St Mary
In the UK, a Built-up Area (BUA) is a continuous urban area of at least 20 hectares (0.2 km²), defined by the ONS as land where buildings are generally no more than 200 metres apart, such as towns, cities, or large villages. (Note: A BUA name marked with an asterisk (*) indicates that the area is situated partly in the district of Fenland.)
We have this list page for easy browsing of all built-up areas: List of all Built-up Areas in GB.
Railway Stations in Fenland
Fenland is served by a number of National Rail stations, providing rail connections to nearby towns, cities, and destinations across Great Britain. The railway stations listed below are located within the Fenland Local Authority District and are grouped by train operating company for clarity.
- Greater Anglia ▸ March (PE15 8SJ) ⁞ Whittlesea (PE7 1UF) ⁞ Manea (PE15 0HG)
This is a district-level view only. For a complete list of all National Rail stations across Great Britain, see the UK National Rail Stations Directory.
Fenland compared with other districts in the UK
This section shows how Fenland compares with other local authority districts in the UK, using a variety of measures and rankings.
Fenland has 18 electoral wards.
Fenland has a population of 104,896 (2024 mid-year estimate by ONS)
Population and Migration Trends in Fenland
This chart shows the population trend for Fenland from 2015 to 2024. It provides a quick overview of whether the local authority is growing, stable, or declining over time, and helps set context for the migration patterns shown below.
Population change is influenced by natural change (births minus deaths) and migration. The net migration chart below focuses on migration, separating internal migration (moves within the UK) from international migration (moves to and from abroad). Positive values indicate net inflows, while negative values indicate net outflows. The rate labels (per 1,000 residents) help compare migration intensity across years, even when the population size changes.
More local statistics and data for Fenland can be found on the ONS statistics for Fenland.