Downham West
Encyclopedia
Downham West is a civil parish
in the English
county
of Norfolk
The parish is 47.6 miles (76.6 km) west of Norwich
, 16.3 miles (26.2 km) south-south-west of King's Lynn
and 96.2 miles (154.8 km) north of London
. The nearest town is Downham Market
which is 2.5 miles (4 km) north east of the parish. The nearest railway station is at Downham Market
for the Fen Line
which runs between King's Lynn
and Cambridge
. The nearest airport is Norwich International Airport
. The parish of Downham West, in the 2001 census
, has a population of 285. For the purposes of local government, the parish falls within the district
of King's Lynn and West Norfolk
.
, and consist of a few isolated farms standing out in the Fen. The name of Downham comes from the Old English meaning homestead on a hill, and West designation from the direction from near-by of Downham Market
.
Salter's Lode derives its name the Old English meaning place where salt is kept, and watercourse or drainage channel.
and river Great Ouse
.
Salters Lode became an important part of the salt
industry on the Fen
edge. A roman road called the Fen Causeway
which ran through the Fens to Ermine Street
at Peterborough
, passed through the parish of Downham West on a strip of silt that rises above the level of the peat. With the proximity of this road salt working became an important industry in this area and giving rise to the hamlets name. In 1993 the Norfolk Archaeological Unit discovered the site of a Roman salt works
in West Downham dating to the 3rd and the 4th centuries. The excavations revealed a series of enclosures, structures and turbaries
along with a ditched Roman field system and what was once a Roman canal. The archeologist also found Roman coins and pottery. This evidence has led to the conclusion that there had been Roman settlement and industrial activity of a substantial level in the area.
. This Authority are responsible for the middle level network of drains
, primarily for land
Drainage in the area, but also as the Navigation
Authority the navigation link
between the two rivers. Salters Lode lock is part of the Denver complex which makes up the main gateway onto the Great Ouse navigation system from the tidal river. The Dever complex consists of a number of locks and sluices that are used for navigation access and management of water levels on the numerous waterways that characterise this part of Fenland
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
in the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
county
County
A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain modern nations. Historically in mainland Europe, the original French term, comté, and its equivalents in other languages denoted a jurisdiction under the sovereignty of a count A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain...
of Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
The parish is 47.6 miles (76.6 km) west of Norwich
Norwich
Norwich is a city in England. It is the regional administrative centre and county town of Norfolk. During the 11th century, Norwich was the largest city in England after London, and one of the most important places in the kingdom...
, 16.3 miles (26.2 km) south-south-west of King's Lynn
King's Lynn
King's Lynn is a sea port and market town in the ceremonial county of Norfolk in the East of England. It is situated north of London and west of Norwich. The population of the town is 42,800....
and 96.2 miles (154.8 km) north of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. The nearest town is Downham Market
Downham Market
Downham Market is a town and civil parish in Norfolk, England. It lies on the edge of the Fens, on the River Great Ouse, some 20 km south of the town of King's Lynn, 60 km west of the city of Norwich and the same distance north of the city of Cambridge....
which is 2.5 miles (4 km) north east of the parish. The nearest railway station is at Downham Market
Downham Market railway station
Downham Market railway station serves the town of Downham Market in the English county of Norfolk. The station lies on Fen Line from Cambridge to King's Lynn, which is electrified at 25 kV AC overhead...
for the Fen Line
Fen Line
The Fen Line is a railway in the United Kingdom that runs between the cities of Cambridge, Cambridgeshire and King's Lynn, Norfolk; the line is so called because it runs through The Fens. The line is part of the Network Rail Strategic Route 5 and comprises SRS 05.06 and part of 05.05...
which runs between King's Lynn
King's Lynn
King's Lynn is a sea port and market town in the ceremonial county of Norfolk in the East of England. It is situated north of London and west of Norwich. The population of the town is 42,800....
and Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
. The nearest airport is Norwich International Airport
Norwich International Airport
Norwich International Airport , also known as Norwich Airport, is an airport in the City of Norwich within Norfolk, England north of the city centre and on the edge of the city's suburbs....
. The parish of Downham West, in the 2001 census
United Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....
, has a population of 285. For the purposes of local government, the parish falls within the district
Non-metropolitan district
Non-metropolitan districts, or colloquially shire districts, are a type of local government district in England. As created, they are sub-divisions of non-metropolitan counties in a so-called "two-tier" arrangement...
of King's Lynn and West Norfolk
King's Lynn and West Norfolk
King's Lynn and West Norfolk is a local government district and borough in Norfolk, England. Its council is based in the town of King's Lynn.-History:...
.
Description
The parish of West Downham is a small Fenland parish in the west of the county of Norfolk. There is no village called West Downham within the parish, only a small Hamlet which is called Salter's Lode. The hamlet is strung out along the A1122 road that hugs the drains and the course of the river Great OuseRiver Great Ouse
The Great Ouse is a river in the east of England. At long, it is the fourth-longest river in the United Kingdom. The river has been important for navigation, and for draining the low-lying region through which it flows. Its course has been modified several times, with the first recorded being in...
, and consist of a few isolated farms standing out in the Fen. The name of Downham comes from the Old English meaning homestead on a hill, and West designation from the direction from near-by of Downham Market
Downham Market
Downham Market is a town and civil parish in Norfolk, England. It lies on the edge of the Fens, on the River Great Ouse, some 20 km south of the town of King's Lynn, 60 km west of the city of Norwich and the same distance north of the city of Cambridge....
.
Salter's Lode derives its name the Old English meaning place where salt is kept, and watercourse or drainage channel.
Salters Lode
The hamlet of Salters Lode is scattered around a lock at the end of the Well Creek navigation. Well Creek is a part of the Middle Level System and is on the route that forms a navigation link between the river NeneRiver Nene
The River Nene is a river in the east of England that rises from three sources in the county of Northamptonshire. The tidal river forms the border between Cambridgeshire and Norfolk for about . It is the tenth longest river in the United Kingdom, and is navigable for from Northampton to The...
and river Great Ouse
River Great Ouse
The Great Ouse is a river in the east of England. At long, it is the fourth-longest river in the United Kingdom. The river has been important for navigation, and for draining the low-lying region through which it flows. Its course has been modified several times, with the first recorded being in...
.
History
During the period that the area was occupied by the RomansRoman Britain
Roman Britain was the part of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire from AD 43 until ca. AD 410.The Romans referred to the imperial province as Britannia, which eventually comprised all of the island of Great Britain south of the fluid frontier with Caledonia...
Salters Lode became an important part of the salt
Salt
In chemistry, salts are ionic compounds that result from the neutralization reaction of an acid and a base. They are composed of cations and anions so that the product is electrically neutral...
industry on the Fen
The Fens
The Fens, also known as the , are a naturally marshy region in eastern England. Most of the fens were drained several centuries ago, resulting in a flat, damp, low-lying agricultural region....
edge. A roman road called the Fen Causeway
Fen Causeway
Fen Causeway or the Fen Road is the modern name for a Roman road of England that runs between Denver, Norfolk in the east and Peterborough in the west. Its path covers , passing March and Eldernell before joining the major Roman north-south route Ermine Street west of modern-day Peterborough...
which ran through the Fens to Ermine Street
Ermine Street
Ermine Street is the name of a major Roman road in England that ran from London to Lincoln and York . The Old English name was 'Earninga Straete' , named after a tribe called the Earningas, who inhabited a district later known as Armingford Hundred, around Arrington, Cambridgeshire and Royston,...
at Peterborough
Peterborough
Peterborough is a cathedral city and unitary authority area in the East of England, with an estimated population of in June 2007. For ceremonial purposes it is in the county of Cambridgeshire. Situated north of London, the city stands on the River Nene which flows into the North Sea...
, passed through the parish of Downham West on a strip of silt that rises above the level of the peat. With the proximity of this road salt working became an important industry in this area and giving rise to the hamlets name. In 1993 the Norfolk Archaeological Unit discovered the site of a Roman salt works
History of salt
Salt's ability to preserve food was a foundation of civilization. It eliminated the dependence on the seasonal availability of food and it allowed travel over long distances. However, salt was difficult to obtain, and so it was a highly valued trade item...
in West Downham dating to the 3rd and the 4th centuries. The excavations revealed a series of enclosures, structures and turbaries
Turbary
Turbary is the term used to describe the ancient right to cut turf, or peat, for fuel on a particular area of bog. The word may also be used to describe the associated piece of bog or peatland and, by extension, the material extracted from the turbary...
along with a ditched Roman field system and what was once a Roman canal. The archeologist also found Roman coins and pottery. This evidence has led to the conclusion that there had been Roman settlement and industrial activity of a substantial level in the area.
Salters Lode Lock
The lock is managed and owned by the Inland Drainage Authority known as the Middle Level CommissionersMiddle Level Commissioners
The Middle Level Commissioners are a land drainage authority in eastern England. The body was formed in 1862, undertaking the main water level management function within the Middle Level following the breakup of the former Bedford Level Corporation....
. This Authority are responsible for the middle level network of drains
Internal Drainage Board
An internal drainage board is a type of operating authority which is established in areas of special drainage need in England and Wales with permissive powers to undertake work to secure clean water drainage and water level management within drainage districts...
, primarily for land
Drainage in the area, but also as the Navigation
Middle Level Navigations
The Middle Level Navigations are a network of waterways in England, primarily used for land drainage, between the Rivers Nene and Great Ouse, between Peterborough and Cambridge.- History :...
Authority the navigation link
Middle Level Navigations
The Middle Level Navigations are a network of waterways in England, primarily used for land drainage, between the Rivers Nene and Great Ouse, between Peterborough and Cambridge.- History :...
between the two rivers. Salters Lode lock is part of the Denver complex which makes up the main gateway onto the Great Ouse navigation system from the tidal river. The Dever complex consists of a number of locks and sluices that are used for navigation access and management of water levels on the numerous waterways that characterise this part of Fenland
The Fens
The Fens, also known as the , are a naturally marshy region in eastern England. Most of the fens were drained several centuries ago, resulting in a flat, damp, low-lying agricultural region....