Speaking as someone who in the past has worked for a number of years on Wicken Fen for the National Trust, I can assure you that their objective has always been to increase the levels of water on the fen, and consequently the surrounding farm land,which has in turn caused conflict with the local farmers who's aspirations were not surprisinglyin direct opposition to the Trust's. The maintenence of the Lodesis the very antithesis of this thinking,their function being to carry awayexcess run off of waterfrom the neighbouring chalk and keep theadjacent fenlandworkable.
It's patently obvious to welocalsthat now that the charity haspurchaseda healthy acreage of the arable land between the two drains maintenanceof the interlinking drainage system has all but ceased, and the once rich farm land, a diverse and wealthy habitat in itself, has rapidly fallen into decline.
If you'll excuse the pun, I 'trust' not a word of their soundbite.