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.

Certain Observances made upon the Marsh∣es, below the 4 Cambridgshire Gotes, of the outfall of Wisbeche River, and certain Creeks there, with their Sands and Deeps; by Richard Atkins of Utwell Gent. in June 1605.* 1.1

WIsbeche Chanel falleth, from the 4 Gotes Eastward, down by Walpole Marshes, on the East and South, to Crosse-Keys Corner (alias Gates-end Corner) and from thence passeth towards Tirington Bank; lea∣ving to the Southward, an high Skore of Clay (the only preservative of the Town:) And when it hath run East, as low as against the Beacon, then doth it turn flat North under the Sand called Tirington brest, lying on the East of the Chanel•• and so continueth North∣wards, by the said Brest, by the space of 5 miles; and there falleth into Blow deepe.

It is to be observed, that upon every flow, there commeth from the North out of Blow-deepe, a Tide, which run∣neth along Tirington brest on the East side, and a Sand called the Thief, on the West: And out of the West, from a Chanel called the Maids Eye, commeth another tide; and both these do meet within a mile of Tiring∣ton banks; and so meeting, do make great Seas there: And many times, when the wind is at West or North, the Seas rise there higher than they do ten miles off at Sea. These two Tides, thus united, with violen••e run right upon Tirington banks; and but that God of his mercy, hath there placed a Skore of Clay, containing not above a furlong in bredth, the Bank could not, in man's reason, stand the next 3 Tides.

This Skore of Clay, by the fretting of the Sea, dayly wasteth; and the peo∣ple of the place, not understanding what a defence it is to their Banks, con∣tinually bear away the same to the re∣pair of those Banks, never foreseeing their destruction, if that Skore of Clay were once gone, and the Sea at the or∣dinary depth of his Chanel, suffer∣ed to come to the foot of the Bank.

Where Mayds Eye meeteth with Tirington deep; at the very entrance thereof, at a dead low water, it ex∣ceedeth not 5 or 6 foot deep at this day; and it hath been observed, that in a great drought, the whole mouth thereof of hath been stopped with sands; but upon the next great fresh that hap∣ned, all those sands have been removed, and the Chanel grown to the old course again. Here is a special obser∣vance to be made, Qui habet intellectum attendat.

Decursus nam{que} aquae dulcis, viam prae∣bet marinae: Oceanus interim, ex duobus his canalibus aestuans, fossata marina ala∣trand••, alluendo, inundando, & lacerando saepissimè gravissime{que} ita excercet; ut, de∣ficientibus aggeribus (de quibus malè sustentatis multùm doleo) de finali perdi∣tione & dissolutione partium adjacentium, verisimiliter (quod absit) formidatur; nisi & Hinc nascitur periculum & onus; illico acquirendum est remedium & salus: Homines verò patriae cum pleri{que} inertes sint & hebeti ingenio, in se invicem nuper pro fossatorum sustentandorum oneribus obruentes de remedio ex sublatâ causâ, ne somniare quidem possunt; sed nec inge∣niosos inertiam{que} suam desidiosam exo∣sos, inter se vivere vix sustin••re possunt.

The head of the 4 Lincolnshire* 1.2 Gotes is preserved (especially in Sum∣mer) by two great Finns brought of the Marshes just to the mouth of them, which in every Spring-tide affoard store of water to grinde down the Chanel; whereof that on the North side is the more principal; for the conducting whereof to the place of best advantage, the Leame is embanked on that side ••y some certain space; that the tide on the Marsh cannot fall into it but by that

Finne at the very head; and there, by his plentifull descent scoureth, to good purpose, that which otherwise in Sum∣mer would be silted up: such penury there is of fresh waters in the Country at that time.

* 1.3In 19 Iac. there was a Decree † 1.4 made at Outwell, by the Commissio∣ners of Sewers then fitting there, for levying the forfaitures and penalties imposed by the Jurors for the Hundred and half of Clakclose, upon the Land∣holders of Churchfield and Plaw∣field, ••or not making sufficient Sluses; viz. one at the South end of the Pipe under Welle River; the other in Plawfield Drayn, in the xxx. Acres of Iohn Fyncham Esquire.

* 1.5And in 8 Caroli, there having been an Agreement made with Henry Dere∣ham of London Esquire for the drayn∣ing of certain Fens, and surrounded grounds, lying in the Parishes of Tyd S. Maries in the County of Lincolne, Tyd S. Giles and Newton in this County of Cambridge, made by the proprietaries and owners of the said Fens, containing by estimation three thousand Acres: by which Agree∣ment the said Henry was to make his Draynes unto the outfall, neer Eatts mere, into the Sea, so that the said grounds should be kept dry, at least one foot under the soil; and for his charges therein, that a Tax of xl ^s. the Acre should be imposed; and in default of payment thereof, that the said Henry should have two fift parts of the said grounds upon an equal division thereof into five parts, to be established to him and his heirs for ever; and a moity of the said two fift parts, to be set out to the said Henry and his heirs, for the maintaining of the said works, after they should be perfected: the said Agreement was fully ratified by a De∣cree made at Wisebeche upon the 20^th. of September, the same year, in a Session of Sewers then and there held.

Notes

• * 1.1

  3 Ia••.
• * 1.2

  The 〈◊〉〈◊〉 how preser∣ved from silting.
• * 1.3

  19. I••c. An. 1621.
• † 1.4

  Ex bund••llo Decr••torum in Officio de Pet∣tibag.
• * 1.5

  2••. S••p. 8. c. r. An. 1••3••.