Bronze Age fishermen, Roman engineers, Saxon Christians, Norman nobles - Fenland has been home to them all. And without exception, whether noble or villein, bishop or serf, they've all had to cope with life in this marshy, rebellious land.


This book is not really about nobles or bishops, though they make more than their fair share of appearances. It is about the ordinary Fenland folk and the many challenges that faced them in early times.


As the small town of Wisbech rose from its humble Saxon origins to prominence as a medieval assize town, it withstood years of flood, disease, invasion and the changing will of many masters.


Diane Calton Smith has always loved to explore the rich history of Fenland and Wisbech. In Webbed Feet and Wildfowlers she leads the reader on a journey through time to the end of the medieval age, with many fascinating encounters on the way.