The history of imbanking and drayning of divers fenns and marshes, both in forein parts and in this kingdom, and of the improvements thereby extracted from records, manuscripts, and other authentick testimonies / by William Dugdale.

CAP. XXXIII. How it became overflowed by the Sea.

GRanting therefore, that this Country, though lying flat and low, was not originally annoyed with the inundations of the Ocean, or any stop of the fresh waters, which might by o∣verflowing and drowning make it fenny; and considering the situation thereof to be such, as that it is bounded on all parts by the high lands, in the form of an Horshoo, excepting towards the Sea, from that point of land, about Hunstan∣ton in Norfolk, to Wynthorpe in Lin∣colnshire, which maketh it much like unto a Bay; I am now to demon∣strate by what means it came to passe, that the Ocean, at first, brake into it with such violence, as that the woods then standing throughout the same, be∣came turned up by the roots; and so great a proportion of silt brought in, as not only for divers miles, next towards the Sea, did cover the ground to an extraor∣dinary depth (as I shall plainly shew a∣non) but even to the remotest parts on the verge of the High lands, as is appa∣rent from that discovery made of late years, at the skirt of Conington down in Huntendonshire; where, upon ma∣king of a pool, by the famous Sir Robert Cotton Baronet, he found the skeliton of a large Sea-fish (neer xx foot long, as was then conjectured) lying in perfect silt, above six foot below the superficies of the ground, and as much above the present Levell of the Fen; which, by so long a continuance in that kind of earth, was petrified, as is evident from divers of the bones, both of the back and other parts, which are still preserved by Sir Thomas Cotton Baronet, his worthy son, amongst other extraordinary rari∣ties, that were collected by that learned person.

But when and by what means that vi∣olent breach and inundation of the Sea was first made into this Country, I am not able positively to affirm: therefore I must take leave to deliver my conje∣cture therein, from the most rational probabilities: VVhich is, that it was by some great Earthquake, for, that such dreadful accidents have occasio∣ned the like, we have unquestionable te∣stimony.

Coss. Valentiniano & Valente (saith the tripartite a 1.1 History) terrae motus factus multas diruit Civitates,* 1.2 sed etiam mare ter∣minos proprios mutavit; & in quibusdam locis in tantum ibi fluxit, ut loca quae pri∣dem ambulari poterant, remigarentur; ab aliis verò locis tantum recessit, ut arida tel∣lus inveniretur. In the time of the Consul∣ship of Valentinian and Valens, there was an Earthquake, which not only overthrew divers Cities, but altred the very bounds of the Sea; which so flowed in some parts, that men might sayl in those places, where before they did walk; and forsook other, that they became dry land. The like relation of the same Earthquake, but somewhat more largely, doth Ammianus b 1.3 Marcelli∣nus make. And to the like purpose also is that of Ovid c 1.4.

Vidi ego quod fuerat quondam solldissema tellus Esse fretum, vidi factas ex aequore torras, Et procul à pelago Conchae jacuere marinae; Et vetus inventa est in montibus anchor a summis. Quod{que} fuit campus, vallem decursus aquarum Fecit, & eluvie mons est deductus in aequor, E{que} paludosa siccis humus aret arenis.

Thus translated into English by G. San∣dis.

Where once was solid land Seas have I seen, And solid land where once deep Seas have been; Shells far from Sea, like Quarries in the ground, And Anchors have in Mountain tops been found. Torrents have made a valley of a plant, High hills by De••uges born to the main, Deep standing Lakes suckt dry by thirsty sand, And on ••ate thirsty Earth now Lakes do stand.

VVho would imagine, that the City of Gant, in Flanders, had been an Ha∣ven town? yet that so it was, about DCCC. years since, appeareth in the life of Charls the great, written by the d 1.5 lear∣ned Du Chesne. So likewise S. Omers, as Ortelius e 1.6 testifieth: S. Audomari oppidum (saith he) olim fuisse Oceani portum, at{que} sinum maris latissimum, vel praealta littora, quae ipsam Civitatem quasi cingunt, demon∣strant, alia{que} innumera argumenta, & anti∣quitatis vestigia &c. That S. Omers was a Sea port, and an ample harbour, aswell the high shore, which as it were compasseth that City, as also a multitude of other argu∣ments and badges of antiquity do mani∣fest.

Neither do we want examples here, in some parts of England, of this kind; Ratesborough, otherwise called Rich∣borow, in Kent (sometime a Colony of the Romans) was, or ever the River of Sture did turn his botome, or old Canale, within the Isle of Thanet (as Leland f 1.7 af∣firmeth) and by likelihood the main Sea came to the very foot of the Castle; but now it is off from it a mile, by reason of the wose, that hath there swollen it up.

g 1.8So also Lymme hill, or Lyme, was sometime a Haven and good for ships, that might come to the foot of the hill. And Rumney (four miles distant from Lymme hill) one of the Cinque Ports, hath been a meetly good Haven, insomuch (saith h 1.9 the same Leland, who lived in King Henry the 8^th'^s time) as within remem∣brance of men, ships have come up hard to the Town, and cast anchor in one of the Church-yards; but is now two miles from the Town; which is so sore decayed thereby, that were there were three great Parishes and Churches, sometime, there is now scant one well maintained.

And concerning Eye, in Suffolk, it is not a little observable, what he like∣wise expresseth; viz. that * 1.10 it should seem antiently to have been, in a manner totally encompassed with waters; Eye in our old English signifying an Island: but now (saith he) there is no such store, though it be a moist place, especially in the winter sea∣son; which manifestly sheweth, that it was heretofore•• a standing Fen. Adding, that in old time Barges came up thither from the Haven of Chromar, or some Creek neer unto it; there having been found by the Monks of Eye, in scouring of their Ditch∣es, large Rudders, done over with pitch; as also Barge-nailes with other naval Instru∣ments, though then no Vessels came neerer to it than Burstan, which is xij miles di∣stant.

And as some places have got from the Sea, so some other have lost, as may seem by Skegnesse in Lincolnshire, which was i 1.11 heretofore a great Haven Town (as the before-specified Author relateth) and walled, having a Castle; but the old Town is clean consumed and eaten up of the Sea. Not unapplica∣ble hereunto is therefore that of the k 1.12 Poet.

Haud procul hinc stagnum tellus habitabilis olim, Nunc celebres mergis fulicis{que} palustribus undae.

Hard by a Lake once habitable ground, Where Coots and fishing Cormorants abound.

Notes

• a 1.1

  Lib. 7. c. xv.
• * 1.2

  An. Christi CCCL••viij.
• b 1.3

  Lib. 26.
• c 1.4

  Ovid. Meta. lib. xv.
• d 1.5

  Hist. Franc. t. 2. f. 48.
• e 1.6

  In theatro Orbis.
• f 1.7

  Lel. col. vol. 3. p. 138.
• g 1.8

  Ib. s. 141.
• h 1.9

  Ibid. p. 142.
• * 1.10

  Le••. col. vol•• 3. p. ••4.
• i 1.11

  Ib. p. ••04.
• k 1.12

  Ovid. Metam•• lib. 8.