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. XXXVI. Of the rise, course, and out∣falls of the several Rivers passing through it.

AND now, in order to this de∣monstration, being to consider, that there are divers Rivers, which rising in the adjacent high-land Countries, have their issues to the Sea through several parts of this vast Levell; I am next to take notice which those Rivers are; whence they come; and where they have their out-falls. First therefore I shall begin with Grant, whence Cam∣bridge (antiently called Grantbrigge) took it's name.

* 1.1This, having it's original about Ash∣well in Hartfordshire, bringing with it the down-falls of part of that Country, and part of Essex, passeth through Cam∣bridgshire; and at Stretham mere (on the borders of the Isle of Ely) unites it self to a branch of the Ouse, being about xxij miles from it's first head.

* 1.2Which River (of Ouse) rising neer Si∣sam in Northamptonshire, and passing through part of Buckingham and Bed∣ford shires (whence it taketh in several petty streamlets) at length descendeth by Huntendon to Erith, where it di∣videth it self into two branches; the one falling East and by North (neer the bounds of the Isle of Ely) to Stretham mere aforesaid, where it receiveth the Grant above-mentioned; and the other now called the West water, North (at the partition of Huntendonshire and the said Isle) under Chateriz, to Benwick; and there in former ages, meeting with a part of the River Nene, at a place cal∣led Shreweshiste, it joyned with the first branches thereof (descending from Stretham aforesaid, by Ely, Little∣port and Wallenea) at which place, so united, they passed by Outwell (at the partition of the Isle of Ely and Marsh∣land) to Wisheche, and so to the Sea. But at this present it is otherwise (as I shall shew in due place, as also when and how that alteration grew:) for the first banch, whereunto Grant did unite, doth now descend from Stretham to Ely; thence to Littleport, and so by Priests houses, and Rebbech to Sal∣ters lode: receiving into it, betwixt Priest houses and Salters lode, these other streams; viz. Swafham lode, and Rech lode out of Cambridgshire; Mildenhall River out of Suffolk; and Ouse parva out of the confines of Suf∣folk and Norfolk; the River of Wis∣sey falling in by Helgay; and at Sal∣ters lode the other branch of Ouse and Nene (united from Outwell) which cometh in there by the new Pow dike; and from thence in one course into Lynne deep, and so to the Sea; the same deep being now the best receptacle and most fit place for conducting the wa∣ters out of the Fenns and low grounds. So that by this River of Ouse, all the springs, downfalls, rills and brooks of Huntendonshire for the most part, Bedfordshire totally, and some part of Buckingham, Oxford, and Northamp∣ton shires, are brought to the Sea; the compasse of ground, affording descent to them, being sixscore miles at the least.

Nene,* 1.3 whose head is about Catesby in Northamptonshire, passing through a large tract of ground in that County, and at length to Peterborough, entreth the Fens neer that place (having in it's course taken in divers petty streams:) In which Fenny flat it divideth it self in∣to sundry branches, whereof the chiefest now falleth under Stranground and Horsey bridge, into Wittlesey mere; and so passing through that mere, toge∣ther with Ubmere and Ramsey mere, runneth to Benwick, where it unites it self to the second branch of Ouse, be∣fore-specified: and so goeth to the Sea, as I have already shewed. The second branch of this River did take it's course by Thorney barre, Singlesholt, and Nomans land, and so to the triangu∣lar bridge at Croyland, where it did u∣nite with Weland, and passed away with it to Spalding, and so to the Sea: But this Chanel of Nene is now utterly de∣cayed, and likewise that of Weland; for whereas it did antiently fall into

Weland, now Weland maketh a fall backwards, by the same course, to No∣mans land and the South Ea; to Dowesdale, Clowescrosse, and Guy hyrne; and so by Wisbeche, and Weile (as it can) to the Sea.

Other branches of Nene there have been in antient time within the Fens; viz. Kings delph, passing a little below Stanground, by Ravens Willow (athwart the Fens) to Ramsey grounds, where it falleth into the Nene. Wit∣tlesey dike, a little above Horsey bridge, which falling by Whittlesey Town run∣neth into Nene below Benwick. Divers other currents of it there are by and through the bounds of Thorney; chefly Knorlake, the Wride, and South Ea, which have heretofore dischardged themselves into the Sea (as some sup∣pose) by Clows Crosse; but of later time, since the new Leame was made by Bishop Morton, from Stanground to Guy hyrne, and so to Wisbeche, their chiefest and best passage hath been by that Chanel.

This River of Nene bringeth with it into the Fenns, the downfalls of the greatest part of Northamptonshire, and then having no present issue into the Sea, divideth it self, as I have shewed: and be∣ing bounded on one side with the Ouse, on another with UUeland, and on a third with South Ea bank, and other banks in the Isle of Ely, it is a principal cause of the surrounding of a great part of the body of the Fenns: and not only so, but occasioneth abundance of ••ock, wherewith the greatest part of South Holland and UUisbeche (which have made Banks against the same) are af∣flicted.

* 1.4UUeland, having it's rise neer Siber∣toft in Northamptonshire, and taken in some petty streamlets, cometh at length to Market Deping, and S. Iames Deping, where it entreth the Fenns, and burdeneth them with all the water and downfalls of part of Northampton, Leicester, Rutland, and Lincolnshires; whence passing to Croyland bridge, it divideth it self into two branches; the one leading by South Ea towards UUisbeche, the other, in a most slow course, to Spalding and Surflet, where receiving the water of Glen, it goeth on to Fosse-dike-Stow, and so into Bo∣ston deep.

Witham,* 1.5 having it's head at South UUitham in Kesteven (a Province of Lincolnshire) and received into it divers petty rivulets; as it runneth on towards Boston, taketh in, at Anthony gote and Newgote, the water from the drowned grounds of UUildemore, UUest fen, and part of East fen; together with a streamlet falling from the Castle of Bullinbroke; and lastly at Boston (by Trinitie gote, and through Hammon beck, and Skirbeck gote) divers rills and downfalls out of Kesteven, between Hekington burne and the River of Glen: and then passing from Boston by UUilberton rode, doth run into Norman deep, and so to the Sea, after at least Lxvi miles progresse. Which River of Witham, bringing with it the springs and downfalls of a great part of Kesteven and Lindsey, whereby in the winter it cannot be contained within it's banks, overfloweth a large proportion of the Fenny grounds lying in Holland, Kesteven and Lindsey.

Glen,* 1.6 being the least River of all the rest, serveth almost to none other use, but to carry away so much of its own wa∣ter, with the rill descending from Burne, as can be kept between two de∣fensible banks, by which it is carryed through the fenns into Pinchbek; The bottome of this River being for the most part higher than the fenny grounds by which it passeth; And therefore can be no drayn for the same, except the out-fall under Surflete, towards Fossedike, were recovered.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Grant.
• * 1.2

  Ouse.
• * 1.3

  Nene.
• * 1.4

  Weland.
• * 1.5

  Witham.
• * 1.6

  Glen.