The Welney Website
Fens, rivers & washes - special feature
this page last updated Monday, 05 March 2007
The fenland area of East Anglia used to be a wet, boggy area frequently under water and inhabited by sparse populations of fen people who lived on the numerous islands, areas of 'high' ground, and who survived mainly by their cunning and knowledge of the area. Gradually, over several centuries, virtually the whole area has been drained, and today the fens, rivers, defensive banks and washes around Welney (and stretching far beyond) are almost entirely man-made.
One of the most ambitious schemes began in 1630 when Francis Russell, the Earl of Bedford, formed a 'Company of Adventurers' and engaged the Dutch engineer Cornelius Vermuyden (above right) to drain the "Great Level" of the Fens. Vermuyden had earlier been successful in draining low-lying areas in the Netherlands and Hatfield Chase in the Isle of Axholme in Lincolnshire. In return for financing the works, the Adventurers received much of the reclaimed land and Vermuyden was to receive 95,000 acres (20 kmē) for his efforts. Initially Dutch workers were used, but soon replaced by English. The operation was seen by locals as an attack on their livelihood and there were frequent attacks on the workers leading eventually to some compensation being given to the fenmen for the loss of fishing and hunting land.
The principal engineering achievement of the operation was the construction of the major channels the [Old] Bedford River and the Forty Foot Drain. The operation was completed in 1637, but attracted criticism from other engineers who claimed that the drainage system was inadequate. In 1638 the King intervened in the argument and re-engaged Vermuyden to take a fresh look at the problems. In the same year the complaining commoners appointed Oliver Cromwell of Ely as their advocate against the drainage.
During the Civil War, parliamentary forces deliberately flooded the region once again to prevent Royalist advances, and in 1649 Vermuyden was again hired to drain the Bedford Level. The work was completed by 1652 using Scottish prisoners-of-war captured at the Battle of Dunbar, and resulted in the digging of the New Bedford or Hundred Foot River, and a sluice at Denver.
The two Bedford Rivers, the Old and New, run straight towards the Wash, and the outer edges of the rivers have high 'Barrier Banks' which form the rims of the water retaining area known as the 'Ouse Washes', a flood land which still fills with flood water as Vermuyden intended.
Despite the initial success of the reclamation, the drying of the land caused the peat to shrink greatly, lowering the land below the height of the drainage channels and rivers, and the reclaimed farmland was still extremely susceptible to flooding. By the end of the 17th century, much of the reclaimed land was again underwater, and would remain so until the advent of steam-powered pumps in the early 19th century.
The links below give an introduction to the formation, history, and management of this most complex subject. This feature is in its very early stages, and many more pages, photos and links will be added during 2007.
some background information and associated matters.
(there is much more to come in this section)
map of the Ouse washes
schematic plan of the Ouse Washes river system
Denver sluice operation & strategic plan, by Dave Gillett of the EA. This is a PDF report and may take a while to display, but is has a useful colour plan of the sluice complex.
The Middle Level. A brief history and summary of the work of the Commissioners and the independent Internal Drainage Boards
Drainage of the fens (Greg Chapman's 'unofficial' website of the Middle Level Commissioner's, Vermuyden, and much, much, more)
The Black Fens. The formation of the fens.
The Old Bedford River - Mismanagement by the EA? The subject of this article written in 2002 was not about floods, but another aspect of the neglect of our rivers that adversely affects our social and leisure activities.
Flooding Introduction and index page to reports and information on the flooding of the Ouse washes and its effect on the A1101 Wash Road.
