For a century and a half they dug, drained and pumped the land between the Bedford River and the Great Ouse, boots perpetually mud-caked, ignorant of how their efforts were, little by little, changing the map of England. Wicken Fen . Great Fen. Explore the Fens . The first real attempt at large scale drainage of the fens came in 1631, when pioneers began to drain the East and West Fens between the Witham and the coast. It is thought to be the model for Hondius's "A generall plotte of the Fennes" published in Amsterdam in 1632 and is signed Ro. More Info. Some time later, new drains were cut in the West and Wildmore Fens with natural outfalls to the sea at Wainfleet and Friskney. After 1600, when an Act was passed for the general drainage of the Fens, Sir John Popham, the Chief Justice, and other gentlemen became interested in the reclamation of land there. the commissioners of sewers in the 1,300 square miles of low-lying fenlands in eastern England were responsible for undertaking works designed to prevent inundation. Before they were drained, the fens covered large areas of Cambridgeshire up into Lincolnshire, though now only the National Trust area of Wicken Fen retains the appearance of those original fens. Explore our featured stories below to learn about the different habitats and histories that have developed over the last 10,000 years. The ground is boggy and wet nearly everywhere, apart from some wooden walkways, in many places, there are ponds of dark peaty water. The Drainage of the Fens styles itself as "a book for local historians, steam engine enthusiasts and those with a general interest in fenland". The solid black line at the top of the map is the lane coming down past Border House. It includes large parts of the counties of Lincolnshire and Cambridgeshire and smaller parts of Norfolk and Suffolk. The map shows the area in some detail, generalised representations of churches represent small settlements. The Fens have shrunk dramatically since drainage began. Popular Destinations. There are more than 9,000 species, including a spectacular array of plants, birds and dragonflies. This is a main running group session can vary from group run of 5-10k, fitness sessions, speed work, speed endurance. Sir Robert Cotton the antiquary, who lived at Conington on the edge of the Fens, and was a Commissioner of Sewers, collected maps of the Fenland such as this and No. Full description. One of Europe's most important wetlands and England's most famous Fen which supports an abundance of wildlife. Cotton. This film begins with a map of Great Britain. For a century and a half they dug, drained and pumped the land between the Bedford River and the Great Ouse, boots perpetually mud-caked, ignorant of how their efforts were, little by little, changing the map of England. The first real attempt at large scale drainage of the fens came in 1631, when pioneers began to drain the East and West Fens between the Witham and the coast. The top of Holme Fen post marks the original land surface before drainage; it is now 4 m above the surface. The Great Fen, a 50-year project to … Use the map to find out what there is to see and do in the Fens. 78. Source for information on Fens, drainage of: The Oxford Companion to British History dictionary. Now largely drained, the land is used for homes and agriculture. The Fens, also known as the Fenlands, are a coastal plain in eastern England.Despite being a natural marshy region, most of the fens were drained several centuries ago, resulting in a flat, dry, low-lying agricultural region supported by a system of drainage channels and man-made rivers (dykes and drains) and automated pumping stations. Before they were drained, the fens covered large areas of Cambridgeshire up into Lincolnshire, though now only the National Trust area of Wicken Fen retains the appearance of those original fens. Since the age of the Romans the fens were a land of tufts of solid ground rising above shallow water, reed-beds, pools and mires. The design for the initial drainage of the Great Level of the Fens: an historical whodunit in three parts by Margaret Albright Knittl Abstract This article challenges the received view that it was the Dutchman, Sir Cornelius Vermuyden, who de-