Primeval

A morning spent out with a group of tufa enthusiasts including the local Environment Agency Biodiversity Manager, the BSBI England Officer, a lecturer and Masters student from the University of Lincoln and three independent ecologists (including me).

The Peterborough area has quite a lot of tufa depositing springs and streams, but very few places where the development of tufa cascades and barrages is so widespread that they create whole wetland landscapes. The image shows pools which are dammed by tufa barrages - almost  appearing like coastal rock pools, but very deep and treacherous.

It's certainly one of the most impressive tufa landscapes I've seen in the UK - the question is whether it will be possible to recreate the right conditions for this to occur on other local limestone streams that have been degraded by past engineering works. 

Petrifying springs with tufa formation are a European Priority habitat - although we're not in the EU any more, the Habitats Directive has been transposed into UK Law which should ensure their continued protection. 

And if anyone is keen to find out more about tufa formation, there is some good information here.