82 Great Level. 



from the overflowing of the spring-tides." But whatever progress 

 might have been made in the work of draming by the Romans, 

 the Fens were in as deplorable a state as ever at the Norman 

 conquest. During the government of the Saxons many religious 

 houses had been erected, — amongst others, the famous abbeys of 

 Crowland, Thorney, Ramsey, Spinney, and Ely. The islands 

 upon which these buildings were situated are described as being 

 exceedingly fruitful in corn, abounding with all sorts of trees, 

 environed with alders, reeds, green canes, and rushes ; being full 

 of fair gardens and fat pastures^ shady groves and rich meadows ; 

 abounding with innumerable stores of fish and fowl, together with 

 harts, goats^ and hares ; so that there was abundant employment 

 for hunters, fishermen^ and fowlers. But these fruitful spots 

 were but small patches amidst the deep and vast fens, — the access 

 to many of them being only by boats, — and the whole level may 

 be regarded as an immense lake and bog, the habitation of rude 

 husbandmen, and the resort of robbers and marauders, until the 

 reign of King Stephen. It must not be forgotten, however, that 

 considerable improvements were made in that part of the level 

 called Deeping Fen. Richard de Rulos, Chamberlain to William 

 the Conqueror, converted a great part of the common feu adjacent 

 to Bourn and Deeping into "several,'^ for meadows and pastures. 

 He inclosed all his lands extending from Deeping to the Roman 

 Carr-dike, ''excluding the river of Weland with a mighty bank; 

 because every year almost all his meadows lying near unto that 

 stream were overflowed with the continual inundation thereof; 

 and erecting upon that bank divers tenements and cottages, did 

 in a short time make it a large town, whereunto he assigned gar- 

 dens and arable fields; and, by thus banking the said river, 

 reduced those low grounds, which were before that time deep 

 Jakes and unpassable fens, into most fruitful fields and pastures, 

 and the most humid and moorish parts thereof to a garden of 

 pleasure." 



An author, in the reign of Stephen, a.d. 11 35, describes the Fens 

 as a very agreeable country to the eye, adorned with many woods 

 and islands. Another writer, in the time of Henry H., a.d. 1154, 

 speaks of the country around Thorney as " a very paradise in 

 pleasure and delight, — it resembles heaven itself ;" — "it abounds 

 in lofty trees, neither is there any ivaste j)lace in it ; for in some 

 parts there are apple-trees, in others vines, which either spread 

 upon the grounds or run along poles." The Fens at this time, 

 therefore, may have been in a more flourishing condition ; at least 

 a far greater portion of the level than consisted of the islands 

 before mentioned may have been under cultivation ; but at all 

 events the country soon after resumed its original wild and unpro- 

 fitable aspect. 



