Forty Foot Drain facts for kids
Imagine a huge, flat area of land in Eastern England called the Fens. This land used to be very wet and marshy. To make it useful for farming, people built many channels and drains to remove the water. Some of the most important of these channels are known as the Forty Foot or Forty Foot Drain. They are called this because they were originally about 40 feet wide. There are a few different ones, so they have special names like Vermuyden's Drain, South Forty Foot, and North Forty Foot.
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The Forty Foot Drain in Cambridgeshire
One of these important drains is in Cambridgeshire. It is also known as Vermuyden's Drain. This artificial river is a key part of a big project to drain the middle section of the Bedford Level in the Fens.
Who Built Vermuyden's Drain?
This drain was very important in a large drainage plan led by Sir Cornelius Vermuyden. This plan took place between 1649 and 1653. Vermuyden was a Dutch engineer who became famous for his work draining wetlands.
Where is This Drain Located?
The Forty Foot Drain is near the towns of Chatteris and Ramsey. It stretches for about 10.5 miles (17 kilometers). It starts at Wells Bridge, where it connects to the old River Nene. It then flows to Welches Dam Sluice. Here, it joins the Counter Wash Drain, which then becomes the Old Bedford River.
How Does the Water Flow Now?
In the past, the water from the Forty Foot Drain would flow through Welches Dam Sluice. However, things have changed. Now, the water travels through the Sixteen Foot Drain. From there, it goes to a place called Three Holes. Finally, it flows through the Middle Level Main Drain and a pumping station at Wiggenhall St Germans to reach the sea. The Sixteen Foot Drain connects to the Forty Foot Drain above Horseway Lock.
Forty Foot Drains in Lincolnshire
In another part of the Fens, in Lincolnshire, there are also important drains called Forty Foot. The main drain in Holland Fen is known as the North Forty Foot Drain. This is different from the River Witham, which carries water past the fens. The main drain in the Black Sluice fens is the South Forty-Foot Drain.
How Do the Lincolnshire Drains Connect?
The South Forty Foot Drain flows from Bourne North Fen, near the River Glen, all the way to the Haven in Boston. It gets some help from pumps along the way. The North Forty Foot Drain joins the South Forty Foot on the western edge of Boston. Together, their waters flow into the Haven through a structure called the Black Sluice.
North Forty Foot Drain Details
The North Forty Foot Drain is sometimes called Lodowick's Drain. It runs alongside the River Witham, stretching from Chapel Hill to the South Forty Foot at Boston. Long ago, it used to empty into the Witham at a place called Lodowick's or Trinity Gowt. A "gowt" was an old word for a sluice or an outlet. This drain gives its name to the village of North Forty Foot Bank.
South Forty Foot Drain Details
The South Forty Foot Drain is the main drain in the Black Sluice District. It stretches from Boston Haven to Guthram Cote. This drain was first dug by a group of people called "Adventurers" in the mid-1600s. They were working to drain the Lindsey Level. Later, it was made wider and better under a law called the Black Sluice Drainage and Navigation Act of 1765.
The current sluice, which is a gate that controls water flow, was built under the Black Sluice Drainage Act of 1846. This sluice has three openings that together allow 60 feet of water to pass through.
