1849.] 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



ON THE DRAINAGE OF LAND. 



[We give the following interesting account of Land Drainage, 

 from an "Essay on Land Drainage, &c.," by Mr. Williams, 

 acting engineer to tlie Severn Commission.] 



The great advantages resulting from the application of drainacre water to 

 millpower, is no matter of mere theory. They have heen practiially illus- 

 iraieil, iii the most conclusive manner, upon the estate of Lord Ilathertnn, 

 at Terideslev, Staffordshire, and the illustration there afforded is so forcible, 

 that a treatise on the suhject of drainace would he incomplete without a 

 description of the highly effective mode in whicli the greatest enemy upon 

 his lordship's estate has heen converted into one of the most effective 'agents 

 in its improvement. 



Having frequently heard of the great simplicity and practical utility of 

 the system adopted upon Lord Halhcrton's farm, I'visited Teddeslev for'the 

 purpose of inspecting tlie whole of the arrangements, and arquiring such 

 information upon all the details as would enahle me to give a concise de- 

 scription of them. Upon my visit, I found that thev had heen inspected hy 

 many scientific agriculturists, and amongst others, hv Mr. French Burke, 

 who had noticed them in a pamphlet upon Land Drainage and Irrigation,' 

 pulilished in 1841 ; but as they have been considerably extended and im- 

 proved since that time, and as they are of greater importance to the illus- 

 tration of the object to which this chapter is devoted, than to an essay 

 confined to the subject of draining and irrigation, I offer no apuloey for 

 going into a detailed account of the results now attained, and which are 

 both novel and highly instructive. 



A large proportion of Teddesley Hay, wbich is a manor extending over 

 2,586 acres of land, was originally part of the forest or chase of Cannoek, 

 and covers the height, seen to the eastward of the Penkridge Station of the 

 London and North-Western Railway. From these heights the lands slope 

 gradually, with slight undulations, to the river Penk, a distance of about 

 three miles. The domain was originally of much smaller dimensions than 

 at present, and comprised two anciently enclosed parks, one containing 589, 

 the nthei- 200 acres. The larger park, "previous to Lord Hatherton's coming 

 to the estate, was in the lowest state of cultivation, and much of the 

 smaller was little more than a swamp. The circumjacent common lands 

 were also covered with heath or rushes. On his lordship's entering upon the 

 estate in 1820, his attention was at once directed to its improvement, and 

 he has since that time heen constantly engaged in extending and bringing 

 it into its present high state of cultivation." The old park fences have been 

 thrown down, large plantations made, and the home park laid out in a 

 manner suited to the nei-hhourhood of a nobleman's residence; an extensive 

 farm has been huilt, and the lands subjected to a new arrangement. The 

 extent of land which did nut require draining was comparatively small; and 

 the whole, which consisted generally of a light soil, rather inclined to peat, 

 the subsoil being chiefly clay, has since been subjected to a regular course 

 of thorough draining, and the water collected into two main channels, by 

 which it is first conveyed to an extensive reservoir, which has heen con- 

 structed for its reception, and from which the water flows underground for a 

 distance of nearly half-a-mile, in a culvert fifteen inches in diameter, to the 

 farm buildings, where it is discharged upon an overshot "heel, and thus 

 furnishes mill-power for the various purposes connected with the estate. 



The wheel originally used was constructed of timber, and was thirtv feet 

 in diameter; from the want of sufficient natural fall in the surface of the 

 land, between the reservoir and the farm, no little ingenuity and contrivance 

 were required in the arrangement of the details for using the water in the 

 most efficient manner, and for afterwards getting rid of it. Much talent has 

 been displayed in overcoming these difliculties, which lias been done in a 

 way wbich proves how completely this system of converting the water ob- 

 tained from the drainage of the land to the imrpose of motive power, is 

 applicable to the great majority of estates of any maenilude in the kiniidom. 



The original timber mill-wheel has recently been replaced by one hnilt of 

 wrought-iron, of tliirty-eight feet in diameter, which is a model of li^ht- 

 ness, comliined with strength. This wheel is let into a chase cut into'the 

 red sandstone rock, which here underlies the surface to the di-pth of its 

 entire height of thirty-eight feet, by which means the ufiper part of the 

 wheel is brought below the level of the bottom of the reservoir, and a suf- 

 ficient fall to the watir in its course to the n.ill is secured. Having per- 

 formed its work, the tail water is discharged from the bottom of the wheel 

 hy a bead-way, wbich is driven through the rock, for a distance of some 

 500 yards, where it is discharged into a lower level of the estate, and made 

 availalile for the purposes of irrigation to a large extent of upland water 

 meadows. In the recent alterations, iron has been substituted for wood 

 throughout the whole machinery. The extension of the radius of the 

 wheel would alone have enabled the mill to do more work with the same 

 supply of water; but additional water has also been obtained, and the power 

 of the water-wheel is now equal to twelve horses. A comparatively small 

 portion of the water wbich is now derived from the drains is required for the 

 purposes of the mill, but, being soft, it is all used for the purpose of irriga- 

 tion. 



The mode by which the additional supply has been obtained is worthy of 

 notice. A piece of hog of thirty acres, covered with rushes and deep moss, 

 in the centre of a larcp plantation, had heen left unplanted. It was formerly 

 a part of the extensive heath now enclosed, and had heen considered irre- 

 claimable. The surface soil was very poor, and overlaid a bed of cl.ivey 



gravel of three feet thick, the under stratum being a bed of strong clay of 

 twelve feet thick, resting upon a bed of strong gravel ; the whole formed 

 part of an inclined [ilane, which terminated in a deep quaking hog, partially 

 covered and surrounded with alder; below this spot were farm lands, 

 recently enclosed, imperfectly drained, the bottom being cold, notwithstand- 

 ing the surface bad been dried. The mode adopted in draining these thirty 

 acres, was bringing levels up from the main drains, which fed the mill pool, 

 and wbich, on reaching the lower part of the land, were twelve feet deep. 

 Drains of the same depth were then cut through the clay, on each side and 

 up the centre of the thirty acres. The bottoms of these drains were bored 

 at distances of five or six yards apart, the boring-rods passing through the 

 clay to the bed of gravel beneath, from which the water in the stratum of 

 gravel gushed in abundance into the drains: by these means the bog in the 

 wood below has been effectually dried, and the cold bottom of the farm 

 lands, still lower down, has been greatly improved. The surface of the 

 thirty acres was afterwards close drained, at distances of twenty feet apart, 

 and three feet deep. The whole suiiace, which was originally impassable by 

 man or beast, is now sound and bard, and is valued at 30s. per acre. From 

 the additiooal supply of water thus obtained, the mill can work night and 

 day during the winter months, and for sixteen hours per day in the driest 

 season. Thus at a comparatively trifling cost, by the application of ordinary 

 skill and judgment, has a noxious waste been converted into valuable land, 

 and furnished water power, which well warrants the saying of Lord Hather- 

 ton's agent (Mr. Brigbtl, that " that bog was the best bit of land upon his 

 lordship's estate." A similar application of the same principle would be 

 equally valualile upon every estate where equal facilities exist. 



The whole of the work connected with the drainage of the land and tbe 

 mill, both in its conception and execution, does infinite credit to all con- 

 cerned, and Lord llatberton has been lortunate in having, in Mr. Bright, the 

 assistance of a most intelligent land-agent, to whose contrivance tie is mainly 

 indebted for the acquisition of this great power, and under whose superin- 

 tendence the whole was executed. 



The water-wheel works a thrashing machine, cuts hay and straw, and 

 kibbles oats and barley for a stock consisting of about 250 horses and cattle, 

 grinds wheat and malt, and drives circular saws, hy which the sawing of all 

 the smaller scantlings for the use of tbe estate is executed. At my request, 

 Mr. Bright has kindly fuioished me with the following tables, showing the 

 cost of the whole of these works, and an estimate of the saving effected tiy 

 them, and which will at once prove the value of the principle which they 

 have so successfully established. 



The following is a statement of tbe number of acres of land under-drained, 

 tbe amount expended thereon, and the increase in the annual value pro- 

 duced by the process : — 



Total Expenditure. 



£ s. d. 



Under-draininff as per stiitement 1,724 9 3 



For erecting Water-Wheel and Machinery 1,350 



Irrigation 224 4 10 



Total outlay 4£3,298 14 1 



Increased Revenue. 



£ s. d. 



Prespnt annual value of lands under-drained 7()*> 1 2 



Original value of the same land 29.J 14 3 £9. d. 



473 6 11 



Estimated annual saving by the Mill SriU 



Increased annual value of Water Meadows 178 



Total increased revenue £\.'>m 6 U 



Resulting from the drainage of 521 acres, and the employment of drain, 

 water over etglity-nineacresof land, and the saving etfecttfd by the employ- 

 ment of mill pnwer, together affording a clear annual interest ou the 

 outlay of upwards of thirty-six per cent. 



The tenants upun Lord Hatherton's eatate are, as may be expected, quite 



9* 



