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XI. — A detailed Report of the Drainage by Steam-power of a 

 Portion of Martin Mere, Lancashire. By Henry White, 

 Land Agent, &c., Warrington. 



Introduction. — Martin Mere might with propriety be termed 

 the Great Fen of Lancashire. It is situate about 17 or 18 miles 

 north of Liverpool, within a mile or two of the well-known and 

 much- frequented sea-bathing place of Southport, and is separated 

 from the sea by a slight ridge of land, only varying from a quarter 

 of a mile, or less, to a mile in width. The district of what is 

 termed Martin Mere extends over several thousand acres, all 

 much lower than the level of the sea at high- water, and belongs 

 principally to Charles Scarisbrick, Esq., but large portions are 

 also owned by Sir Thomas G. Hesketh, Lord Derby, and Mr. 

 Legh Keck. The Mere comprises portions of the townships of 

 North Meols, Scarisbrick, Burscough, Rufford, and Tarleton. 



Up to the end of the seventeenth century this Mere was really 

 what its name indicates — a large pool of water (in area 3632 

 acres) ; indeed, in winter it still has too much of this appearance, 

 notwithstanding the efforts that have been made from time to 

 time to lay it dry. In the year 1786, Mr. Eccleston, who then 

 resided at Scarisbrick Hal], sent an account to the Society of 

 Arts of what had been done by others and himself up to that date 

 with the view of draining this extensive but shallow lake. A 

 copy of this very interesting account is given in Dr. Aikin's 

 ' Manchester,' a topographical work published in 1795.* From 

 this report it appears that a Mr. Fleetwood, then resident at Bank 

 Hall (now the seat of Mr. Legh Keck, and situate a short dis- 

 tance north of the Mere), gained the consent of the other pro- 

 prietors to his obtaining an Act of Parliament for the drainage of 

 the Mere ; and shortly afterwards, having leased the land under 

 the powers of the Act, he made a portion of the large open drain 

 or canal well known at present as " the Sluice." He also put 

 down flood-gates near its outlet. In consequence of the deposit 

 of sand which took place up to the gates on the side next the sea, 

 he determined, in 1714, upon raising the sill of the gates 20 

 inches. Notwithstanding these supposed improvements, it ap- 

 pears that at this period " the Mere lands for many years were 

 only made use of as a poor, fenny, watery pasture for the cattle 

 of the neighbourhood, and that for a part of the summer months 

 only." In the year 1717 Mr. Fleetwood died.f 



* " A Description of the Country from thirty or forty miles round Manchester. 

 The materials arranged and the work composed by J. Aikin, M.D., Stockdale, 

 London. 1795. 



t This Mr. Fleetwood was buried at the parish church of North Meols, which 

 stands between one part of the. Mere and the sea. The inscription, in Latin, on 



