Fens Waterways Link facts for kids
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The Fens Waterways Link is a big project in England. It aims to make boating much better in Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire. The plan is to create a circular boating route. This route will connect the towns of Lincoln, Peterborough, Ely, and Boston.
This exciting project is managed by the Environment Agency. It gets money from the Regional Development Agency and the European Union.
There's also another important waterway called the Bedford and Milton Keynes Waterway. This waterway will connect The Fens to the rest of Britain's canal network. It will allow wider boats to travel across the country.
Contents
Building New Waterways
The Environment Agency has already raised a lot of money for the first part of the project. The first new section opened on March 20, 2009. This was a new tidal lock in Boston. It connects the Haven to the South Forty-Foot Drain at the Black Sluice.
More money has been secured for the next part. This will make the South Forty-Foot Drain wider near Donington. It will also include a new road crossing and a new lock. This section will connect to the River Glen at Guthram Gowt. The River Glen is a branch of the River Welland.
To link the River Glen to the River Welland, two more things are needed. A new tidal lock will be built at Surfleet Sluices. Also, the existing tidal Fulney Lock in the River Welland will be rebuilt. This will open the way to Spalding.
Connecting to the River Nene
Another major part of the project is a new waterway. This will connect the River Welland, possibly near Peakirk, to the River Nene. The River Nene is downstream of Peterborough. This part of the project is expected to cost at least £20 million. It might use the Folly River and parts of either Car Dyke or Cat's Water Drain. This new link would join the River Nene near Flag Fen.
From there, the route will follow the existing Middle Level Navigations. It will go through Whittlesey Dyke, King's Dyke, and Vermuyden's Drain (also known as Forty Foot Drain) to Chatteris.
To avoid a difficult crossing at Salter's Lode to Denver Lock, a new lock might be built. This lock would connect Vermuyden's Drain to the Old Bedford River at Welches Dam. From there, it would lead to the Great Ouse at Earith. Another idea is to use Fenton's Lode to avoid most of the tidal section.
The Bedford and Milton Keynes Waterway
The final part of the project is the Bedford and Milton Keynes Waterway. This canal has been discussed for a long time. It will run between Bedford and Milton Keynes. It will follow the course of the Great Ouse and join the Grand Union Canal. This new canal is very important. It will be the first major new canal built in over a century.
Money for this canal is slowly becoming available. It will allow wider boats (up to 3.2 metres (10 ft 6 in) wide) to travel between the north and south of England. This waterway will also help with flood relief for new developments in the areas it passes through. This extra benefit could help secure more funding. To make this possible, existing locks and bridges will need to be changed. They will be made wider and taller to match the Grand Union Canal's size.
Past Ideas
Interestingly, plans similar to the Fens Waterways Link existed a long time ago. In 1809, people proposed linking these waterways. Two different plans were put forward in 1811 to the government. One plan involved a canal from Stamford to the Oakham Canal. It also included links to the Nene at Peterborough and the Welland. The other plan aimed to connect Stamford to the Grand Junction Canal. Both plans also included a connection to the South Forty-Foot Drain. However, neither of these early plans succeeded. The idea came up again in 1815 and 1828, but no further action was taken until now.
Images for kids
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Proposed route
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Black Sluice Lock, where the South Forty-Foot Drain joins The Haven at Boston
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The South Forty-Foot Drain at Pointon, between Boston and Guthram Gowt. Here its origin as a drainage channel, set below the level of the surrounding fields, is very evident
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Guthram Gowt. The location of the planned lock into the Glen is probably somewhere in this photograph.
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The water level in the River Glen, here pictured looking west towards Guthram Gowt, is maintained by a tidal sluice at Surfleet Seas End. The sluice will be replaced by a lock
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The Cat's Water Drain is under consideration as an alternative route should the Car Dyke prove unsuitable
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The Forty Foot Navigation, 1997. A new cut to bypass this shallow section may be constructed
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The Forty Foot Navigation at Welches Dam on the Old Bedford River. The lock was restored in 1991
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The route along Well Creek crosses the Mullicourt Aqueduct above the Middle Level Drain
