Forty Foot Drain
Encyclopedia
In the drainage schemes of The Fens
of Eastern England, some of the principal drainage channels are each known as The Forty Foot or Forty Foot Drain, the name being qualified when there is a need to distinguish between them. They are Vermuden's Drain, South Forty Foot and North Forty Foot.
in Cambridgeshire
, which is one of the key elements in the draining the Middle Level of the Bedford Level, in the Cambridgeshire part of The Fens. It was instrumental in Sir Cornelius Vermuyden
's great drainage scheme of 1649-53. Located near Chatteris
and Ramsey
, the river runs 10.5 miles, from Wells Bridge, where it joins the Old River Nene
, to Welches Dam
Sluice, where it joins the Counter Wash Drain, which then changes identity into the Old Bedford River
. These junctions are at grid references TL300880 and TL470858 respectively. When the drain was newly made, its western end was in Huntingdonshire
. The waters of the Forty Foot Drain no longer discharge through Welches Dam
Sluice. Instead they flow via the Sixteen Foot Drain to Three Holes and thence via the Middle Level Main Drain and the pumping station at Wiggenhall St. Germans to the sea. The Sixteen Foot Drain connects to the Forty Foot drain above Horseway Lock.
See also: Ouse Washes
, which is designed to carry water past the fens without being part of them) is known as the North Forty Foot Drain. That of the Black Sluice fens is the South Forty-Foot Drain
. The latter flows, with some pump assistance, from Bourne
North Fen, close to the River Glen
, to The Haven
at Boston
. The North Forty Foot joins the South Forty Foot in the western outskirts of Boston and together their waters enter The Haven through the Black Sluice
.
The present sluice was erected under the Black Sluice Drainage Act 1846 and has three openings of a total waterway of sixty feet.
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....
of Eastern England, some of the principal drainage channels are each known as The Forty Foot or Forty Foot Drain, the name being qualified when there is a need to distinguish between them. They are Vermuden's Drain, South Forty Foot and North Forty Foot.
The Forty Foot Drain in Cambridgeshire
The Forty Foot Drain, also known as Vermuyden's Drain, is an artificial drainage riverRiver
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
in Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire is a county in England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the northeast, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to the west...
, which is one of the key elements in the draining the Middle Level of the Bedford Level, in the Cambridgeshire part of The Fens. It was instrumental in Sir Cornelius Vermuyden
Cornelius Vermuyden
Sir Cornelius Wasterdyk Vermuyden was a Dutch engineer who introduced Dutch reclamation methods to Britain, and made the first important attempts to drain The Fens of East Anglia.-Life:...
's great drainage scheme of 1649-53. Located near Chatteris
Chatteris
Chatteris is a civil parish and one of four market towns in the Fenland district of Cambridgeshire, England, situated in The Fens between Huntingdon, March and Ely...
and Ramsey
Ramsey, Cambridgeshire
Ramsey is a small Cambridgeshire market town and parish, north of Huntingdon and St Ives. For local government purposes it lies in the district of Huntingdonshire within the local government county of Cambridgeshire....
, the river runs 10.5 miles, from Wells Bridge, where it joins the Old River Nene
River 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...
, to Welches Dam
Welches Dam
Welches Dam is a parish in Cambridgeshire around to the north west of Ely. It covers an area of .The parish of Welches Dam is surrounded by those of Coveney, Manea, Mepal, and Witcham. The civil parish was divided between Chatteris and Manea in 1960....
Sluice, where it joins the Counter Wash Drain, which then changes identity into the Old Bedford River
Old Bedford River
The Old Bedford River is an artificial, partial diversion of the waters of the River Great Ouse in the Fens of Cambridgeshire, England. It was named after the fourth Earl of Bedford who contracted with the local Commission of Sewers to drain the Great Level of the Fens beginning in 1630.The idea of...
. These junctions are at grid references TL300880 and TL470858 respectively. When the drain was newly made, its western end was in Huntingdonshire
Huntingdonshire
Huntingdonshire is a local government district of Cambridgeshire, covering the area around Huntingdon. Traditionally it is a county in its own right...
. The waters of the Forty Foot Drain no longer discharge through Welches Dam
Welches Dam
Welches Dam is a parish in Cambridgeshire around to the north west of Ely. It covers an area of .The parish of Welches Dam is surrounded by those of Coveney, Manea, Mepal, and Witcham. The civil parish was divided between Chatteris and Manea in 1960....
Sluice. Instead they flow via the Sixteen Foot Drain to Three Holes and thence via the Middle Level Main Drain and the pumping station at Wiggenhall St. Germans to the sea. The Sixteen Foot Drain connects to the Forty Foot drain above Horseway Lock.
See also: Ouse Washes
Ouse Washes
The Ouse Washes are an area in the Fens of Cambridgeshire and Norfolk, England. They cover the area between two diversion channels of the River Great Ouse: the Old Bedford River and the New Bedford River .-History:...
Forty Foot Drains in Lincolnshire
The main land drain in Holland Fen (as distinct from the River WithamRiver Witham
The River Witham is a river, almost entirely in the county of Lincolnshire, in the east of England. It rises south of Grantham close to South Witham, at SK8818, passes Lincoln at SK9771 and at Boston, TF3244, flows into The Haven, a tidal arm of The Wash, near RSPB Frampton Marsh...
, which is designed to carry water past the fens without being part of them) is known as the North Forty Foot Drain. That of the Black Sluice fens is the South Forty-Foot Drain
South Forty-foot drain
The South Forty-Foot Drain is the main channel for the land-drainage of the Black Sluice Level in the Lincolnshire Fens. It lies in eastern England between Guthram Gowt and the Black Sluice pumping station on The Haven, at Boston...
. The latter flows, with some pump assistance, from Bourne
Bourne, Lincolnshire
Bourne is a market town and civil parish on the western edge of the Fens, in the District of South Kesteven in southern Lincolnshire, England.-The town:...
North Fen, close to the River Glen
River Glen, Lincolnshire
The River Glen is a river in Lincolnshire, England with a short stretch passing through Rutland near Essendine.The river's name appears to derive from a Brythonic Celtic language but there is a strong early English connection.-Naming:...
, to The Haven
The Haven, Boston
The Haven is the tidal river of the Port of Boston, Lincolnshire in England. It provides access for shipping between Boston Deeps in The Wash and the town, particularly, the dock. It also serves as the outfall into the sea, of the River Witham and of several major land drains of the northern Fens...
at Boston
Boston, Lincolnshire
Boston is a town and small port in Lincolnshire, on the east coast of England. It is the largest town of the wider Borough of Boston local government district and had a total population of 55,750 at the 2001 census...
. The North Forty Foot joins the South Forty Foot in the western outskirts of Boston and together their waters enter The Haven through the Black Sluice
Black Sluice
The Black Sluice is the name given to the structure that controls the flow of the South Forty-Foot Drain into The Haven, at Boston, Lincolnshire, England.-History and ownership:...
.
North Forty Foot Drain
According to Wheeler:Also called Lodowick's Drain. A drain in Holland Fen, running parallel with the Witham, and extending from Chapel Hill to the South Forty Foot at Boston. Formerly emptied into the Witham at Lodowick's or Trinity Gowt." "Lodowick' or Lodovick's Gowt. The outfall of the North Forty-Foot Drain, situated on the west side of the old channel of the Witham, about ¼ mile above Boston ChurchThe StumpSt Botolph's Church is a parish church in the Church of England in Boston, Lincolnshire. It is famous for its extraordinarily tall tower, known as the Boston Stump.-Background:...
. It had a waterway of 15ft. Was also called Trinity Gowt.
South Forty Foot Drain
The main drain in the Black Sluice District, extending from Boston Haven to Gutheram Cote (sc. modern 'Guthram Gowt'). This drain was first cut by the Adventurers who drained the Lindsey Level in the middle of the 17th century. It was afterwards opened out and improved under the Black Sluice Drainage and Navigation Act 1765.The present sluice was erected under the Black Sluice Drainage Act 1846 and has three openings of a total waterway of sixty feet.