Pauline's Swamp dates from the Fenland times, with the original Parish records dating back to circa 1805. The Swamp was established in 2007 as a resource for the Parish. It came into the possession of the Hawes family in 1992, latterly being looked after by Mr. Paul Hawes, who kindly donated the site in a Deed of Trust to the Burwell Parish Council in 2007 in memory of his wife.
From 1885 to 1965 a railway used to run through the south of the swamp - you can still see the embankment. The site is managed by the Trustees of Pauline's Swamp with the help of a group of professional advisors, and the Friends of Pauline's Swamp.
An area of approximately 750 square metres hosts a selection of mostly mature Aspen trees, under which there grows wild carrot, ransoms, and bluebells. Mixed evergreen and deciduous species grow on generally drier ground, stretching around the boundaries and Southern end of the Swamp along the old railway embankment.
The Swamp has a Wet Fen Meadow adjacent to the Seasonal Spring, a tall herb fen with running calcareous water of high quality. The mixed fen herbage grows to 90cm tall. The primary structure is of soft rush and sedges with some larger notable wet fen species including fen marigold.
There is a Dipping Pond which has a seasonal depth range of 1.2-0.3m fed indirectly from the Seasonal Stream and possible direct groundwater. Due to the calcareous water supply the pond supports a large range of flora and fauna including calara, and native water lillies.
Pond Dipping allowed but please return everything back in to the pond.