Gilbert Heathcote's tunnel
Encyclopedia
Gilbert Heathcote's tunnel was an engineering project dating from the 1630s
as one of the earliest modern attempts to drain The Fens
in Lincolnshire
. Rendered obsolete by the mechanical drainage improvements after the second world war it was finally removed in 1991.
It carried water, under gravity, from Bourne
South Fen, Thurlby
Fen and Northorpe
Fen to the Counter Drain and thence to Deeping Fen
. A tunnel was required under the River Glen
which was (and still is) artificially banked with a level some 3 metres above the surrounding lands and above the Counter Drain. The Counter Drain was pumped further downstream by wind-driven machinery, erected later. At the time of construction Deeping Fen was still innundated.
In 1871 the Bourne South Fen Drainage District was formed to take over the drainage, which had been in the hands of adventurers, and from 1872 a succession of steam engines were used to assist the flow through the tunnel.
The location is around 500m upstream on the Glen of the confluence with the Bourne Eau
. The modern by-road alongside the original drain to the tunnel is still called Tunnel Bank.
The Gilbert Heathcote for whom it is named appears to be the father of Sir Gilbert Heathcote, 1st Baronet, and an ancestor of the first Baron Aveland. That family later inherited nearby Grimsthorpe Castle
, but must have had land and associations with this area to claim the title of Aveland
.
The area drained falls within the drainage area of the Welland and Deepings Internal Drainage Board
.
1630s
-Deaths:* November 6, 1632 – King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden...
as one of the earliest modern attempts to drain The Fens
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....
in Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
. Rendered obsolete by the mechanical drainage improvements after the second world war it was finally removed in 1991.
It carried water, under gravity, 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:...
South Fen, Thurlby
Thurlby by Bourne
Thurlby is a village and civil parish in the District of South Kesteven in the English county of Lincolnshire, on the edge of The Fens. It is sometimes referred to as Thurlby by Bourne to distinguish it from other villages in Lincolnshire called Thurlby...
Fen and Northorpe
Northorpe
Northorpe is a growing hamlet in the parish of Thurlby, in South Kesteven, southern Lincolnshire and is about a mile south of Bourne.Northorpe is near to Elsea and Math Woods, the latter of which is rumored to be haunted by Nanny Rutt, but they are still popular places in which to walk dogs...
Fen to the Counter Drain and thence to Deeping Fen
Deeping Fen
Deeping Fen is a low-lying area in Lincolnshire in the east of England, which covers around . It is bounded by the River Welland and the River Glen, and is extensively drained, but the efficient drainage of the land exercised the minds of several of the great civil engineers of the 17th and 18th...
. A tunnel was required under 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:...
which was (and still is) artificially banked with a level some 3 metres above the surrounding lands and above the Counter Drain. The Counter Drain was pumped further downstream by wind-driven machinery, erected later. At the time of construction Deeping Fen was still innundated.
In 1871 the Bourne South Fen Drainage District was formed to take over the drainage, which had been in the hands of adventurers, and from 1872 a succession of steam engines were used to assist the flow through the tunnel.
The location is around 500m upstream on the Glen of the confluence with the Bourne Eau
Bourne Eau
Bourne Eau is a short river which rises in the town of Bourne in Lincolnshire, England, and flows in an easterly direction to join the River Glen at Tongue End. It is an embanked river, as its normal level is higher than that of the surrounding Fens...
. The modern by-road alongside the original drain to the tunnel is still called Tunnel Bank.
The Gilbert Heathcote for whom it is named appears to be the father of Sir Gilbert Heathcote, 1st Baronet, and an ancestor of the first Baron Aveland. That family later inherited nearby Grimsthorpe Castle
Grimsthorpe Castle
Grimsthorpe Castle is a country house in Lincolnshire, England four miles north-west of Bourne on the A151. It lies within a 3,000 acre park of rolling pastures, lakes, and woodland landscaped by Capability Brown...
, but must have had land and associations with this area to claim the title of Aveland
Aveland
Aveland was a Wapentake of Kesteven from the time of the Danelaw until the Local Government Act 1888. Its meeting place was The Aveland at in the parish of Aslackby.-Origins:...
.
The area drained falls within the drainage area of the Welland and Deepings Internal Drainage Board
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...
.