20 THE GREAT LEVEL OF THE FENS. PART I. 



the woods and banking the fens. The bulwarks or 

 causeways which they raised to keep out the sea are 

 still traceable at Po-Dyke in Marshland, and at various 

 points near the old coast-line. 



On the inland side of the Fens the Romans are sup- 

 posed to have constructed another great work of drain- 

 age, still known as Carr Dyke, extending from the Nene 

 to the Witham. It means Fen Dyke, the fens being- 

 still called Carrs in certain parts of Lincoln. This old 

 drain is about sixty feet wide, with a broad, flat bank 

 on each side ; and originally it must have been at least 

 forty miles in extent, winding along under the eastern 

 side of the high land, which extends in an irregular 

 line up the centre of the district from Stamford to Lin- 

 coln. It was calculated to receive all the high-land and 

 flowing waters, preventing them flooding the lower 

 grounds ; and was thus of the nature of an intercepting 

 or " catch-water " drain. l 



The same people also laid several causeways across 

 the Fens for military purposes. Thus Herodian 2 alludes 

 to the construction of such causeways for the purpose of 

 enabling the Roman soldiers to pass over them and 

 fight on dry land, the Britons having taken refuge 

 from them by swimming. Such was probably the origin 

 of the causeway made of gravel still traceable, though 

 in most places covered over with moor-soil extending 



1 Mr. Rennie had the highest opinion 

 of this work ; and in one of his reports, 



upon, and in others to be silted up, 

 to the great injury of the country 



written about fifty years since, he thus I originally benefited by it ; and, al- 



described it : " This great Roman though the part between the Nene 



work extended originally from the and the Welland has been kept in 



river Nene below Peterbo rough to the ( better repair than any other part I 



city of Lincoln, and perhaps even to have seen, it is far short of what it 



the river Trent at Torksey. I have j ought to be ; and to the bad condition 



traced its course for the greatest part i of this drain much of the injury 



of the way, and a more judicious and j done by the floods to the first district 



well-laid-out work I have never seen. J of the North Level is to be attri- 



But through neglect it has been suf- buted." 

 fered in many places to be encroached I 2 * Life of Severus,' lib. iii. 



