General Overview

Marshland St James can seem isolated with a bleak appearance. Most of the properties run along a single stretch of road called Marshland Smeeth. There are no local shops and journeys into the nearest towns of Wisbech or King's Lynn will mean 25 to 30 mile round trips each time. The electricity supply can present some problems and TV reception can be affected in some parts. Telephone services are available and Broadband service is good with high speeds. Roads are in a particularly poor state of repair.

House prices appear reasonable. Typically you will pay on average less here than you would for a comparable home elsewhere.  Property does however appear to be more difficult to sell than some other areas. According to information from local estate agents in Wisbech and King's Lynn houses can be on the market for sale for several years without offers. When they do sell it may be for less than other areas by comparison so there are no winners. If moving to the cities then there may be a financial implication. Property purchasing here seems not for the speculator looking to make big gains. It appears more suited to the retired or the those looking to remain long term in the area.

The Fens are reclaimed land that was drained many years ago from the sea by Dutch settlers. Mechanical pumps based at several pumping stations now operate 24 hours a day. The sea is kept out by constant water pumping of billions of gallons a year  (Full details on flood risk are available from the Environment Agency website).

See local press reports below;