As part of Wicken Fen's 125th anniversary celebrations, the National Trust is turning back time to re-live the historic sedge harvests that took place at this time of year for several centuries.

Sedge Fest, on Saturday August 17 from 10am to 3pm, will give visitors the chance to meet rangers and their machines and see scything in action.

There will also be wood craft at the Fen Cottage and the windpump will be working.

A Wicken Fen spokesperson said: "Sedge is a tall, robust grass-like plant with triangular stems, which typically grows in wet ground.

"For many generations, it was cut by hand at Wicken, sun-dried and used for thatching.

"Rotational cutting was done by village families who each owned strips of land on the Fen. This created a perfect mosaic of subtle habitats that benefited insect, plant and bird life.

"To this day, sedge is cut on a three-year rotation (with one third of the Fen cut every year) to maintain this important habitat for wildlife.

"Over the years, technology has evolved, scythes updated to modern methods, from petrol-driven and tractor-mounted machinery to the Fen Harvester."