outfall at Wisbech, "by their due and ancient course." And it was ordered, that there should be three dams made, one at Fendyke, about Upwell town's end, near Popham Lode sluice; another at Little Lode bridge, in Upwell; and the third at Outwell bridge, to stop the waters of the Nene and Welland from descending into the Ouse, and force them to the outfall at Wisbech again;* and whilst the great Ouse, before the artificial cut at Littleport Chayre, had its perfect outfall by Wisbech, the channel of Lynn, though not more than six poles A.D. wide, was stated, on presentment, to be both sufficient for 1378. the haven and vessels thither resorting, by the inlet of the salt water, and large enough to pass away the fresh.†

Although many attempts were made to recover this ancient outfall, and divers presentments for such purpose took place; nevertheless, by neglect and delay in putting such orders into execution, the waters could not get to the sea by Wisbech, but still continued to annoy the level.

In an ancient MS. dedicated to Andrews, bishop of Ely, in 1618, an account is given by Mr. Atkins before-mentioned, of the original state and condition of Wisbech river, anno 1292.-"This was an arm of the sea, "and the time was when the whole course of the Ouse had its passage "by Welney and Well, to the North seas at Wisbech, and from thence "where now the washes be. In regard whereof, writers say king John's "people perished in the waters of Welle." And Thorney red book, speaking of Wisbech castle, says, "Super flumen illud famosum, quod "Welle stream appellatur, situm est predictum castrum, quod a pluribus "paludibus et ripulis et fontibus principium habet, et per longos meatus, "in mare magnum juxta Wisbech, derivare liquido comprobatur." This arm had Holland and a part of the isle on one side, and Marshland, in Norfolk, on the other, which were defended from it by great sea banks. Thither of old resorted ships and vessels of great burden, but the sea forsaking the isle, made the whole passage between Wisbech and the washes high marshes and sands.

† Dugdale, p. 394.

In later times, the banks (especially from Wisbech upwards) began to be built upon,* and thus the water courses were made too narrow. Also the drains, &c. within the fens, which were the principal conductors of the waters into the main streams, grew up for want of dyking and scouring, and thus became decayed; and the waters themselves were farther obstructed by wears and other impediments,† placed not only in the smaller drains, but in the main streams, to the general injury of the whole country.

Jurors presented not only these several obstructions, but the insufficiency of many of the sewers; and the outfall of the Nene was decreed to be dug and enlarged in places of default from Guyhirn to the sea.

Still no works were proceeded in, by reason that it became a doubtful question whether any good could be effected unless the whole of the decayed drains were all forthwith thoroughly cleansed; the country, therefore, were discouraged from attempting a work of so vast expense and uncertainty as to its real effect, the waters seeming at this time to fall naturally towards Lynn, and thus the great Ouse became at length the receptacle for conveying the waters of the level to the sea through Lynn; and the drains and sewers which were first formed and contrived to convey the waters into the channel of the Ouse through Wisbech having now become neglected, the inhabitants of the district were induced to give them a new course to Lynn, by leading these waters by drains into the little Ouse or Brandon river.

* At the time of the general drainage, several houses were bought to be pulled down, in order to make the river at Wisbech wider, as appears by receipts for money paid by the Earl of Bedford, Lord Gorges, &c. Anno 1637. Badeslade, p. 17. Ibid. p. 73, 74.

After the first embankments took place, proper drains and sewers were no doubt contrived to carry off the waters from the lands into the main channels. And as the property of most of the lands in the great level was in after times vested in the religious houses, the rulers and governors thereof shewed considerable anxiety in maintaining and improving their respective properties and interests. Several useful drains and sewers appear to have been formed by them, and great improvements made in particular quarters, but all without any reference to the general benefit of the level. Powerful individuals, pursuing private gain, executed measures destructive to extensive districts, and designs for the public good were obstructed through the separate interests of particular men and particular bodies of men, and whilst disputes relating to these rights and grants occurred between the different bodies of proprietors, the sewers and drains in the mean time continued to be neglected; it, therefore, became necessary to provide some remedy for the inconveniences thereby sustained; and with the view probably of obtaining a general relief, the waters of the great Ouse were turned into the channel of the little Ouse as before-mentioned. Thus the decay in the outfall at Wisbech, and the inundation of the level, appear to have been owing, not to any regular operation of nature, but to works of men thwarting and obstructing nature, which in a regular course was continually advancing the good of the level and the improvement of the rivers and outfalls; and as long as such rivers and outfalls were preserved deep and good, the level was maintained in a fruitful condition for a succession of ages. Hence we find Leland* and other ancient writers very lavish

Deservedly named the Father of Antiquaries: he lived about 1530.

in their praises of this once fruitful country. Paradoxical, therefore, as it may seem, still it appears that the overflowing and stagnation of waters have been occasioned by improvident and partial embanking, and by not putting the laws of sewers afterwards in execution; by neglect whereof, the principal drains became useless to convey the downfall waters into the rivers, and thereby those rivers themselves were by degrees lost.* In confirmation of which effects, Dugdale remarks, † “That it had been a long received opinion, "that the total draining of the great level had, for the "most part, been occasioned by neglect of putting the "laws of sewers in due execution in latter times." Mr. Atkins before-mentioned, speaking of Wisbech, says, "This pitiful outfall proceedeth of neglect in not 66 scouring and dyking the river, nor preserving and maintaining the petty sewers and drains which anciently fed the same, by enforcing the waters thereof, "and keeping them in their proper course, whereby the "sea, finding but little resistance, nor strength of a following head of water to scour the channel continually, "silted up the river and outfall, so that though of ancient "time ships of great burden resorted to Wisbech, yet "for these causes the outfall so silted up, that as long "since as king John's time ‡ the channel was so shallow "that people could pass over at low water." §

The Effect of the New Cut at Littleport Chayre.

This new cut soon caused the Wisbech outfall to decay, and Lynn haven to be worn wider by the action of the tides, and the force of the fresh waters descending

* Badeslade, ↑ Dug, p. 375.

Badeslade, p. 17. § A.D. 1200.

that way; for when the Ouse had this new passage given it to the sea, the river Nene led its waters also the same way from Peterborough by Standground to Benwick, and thence to a decayed river in March, called Great Cross, and to Shrewsnest Point, in Upwell, and there the said river divided itself, into two branches, one whereof descended by Welney, and from thence into this new cut, and by that course to the sea through Lynn haven. Thus the waters of the Nene were also forced to take, in a manner, their full flow and whole course, contrary to their usual avoidance at Wisbech,* by reason of the decay of the sewers.

The Ouse having this new course and outfall given to it, the waters appeared to go off the level much better than before, but still that channel could not receive all the streams which wanted to descend by it, and, therefore, the waters of the Nene, as well as of the Ouse, still overflowed the level in winter; and the same in times of flood, because all the ancient sewers were made to drain into Wisbech river; from whence arose A.D. those complaints to king Edward the first, to restore 1292. the waters" to their ancient course;" and although orders were made for cleansing the old drains, and conveying the waters from off the level to Wisbech, still they were either neglected, or failed of any beneficial result. It is true that on a flat shore, like that of this country, the deposit of silth must always obstruct the discharge of the land floods, and render the assistance of art necessary, when such means are judiciously applied; but the face of the fen country in general affords legible and abundant proofs of the partiality and inefficacy of former works, and that whilst laws were

Badeslade, p. 18.