86 



Great Level. 



that the North and Middle Levels were so far improved in 1652, 

 — the South Level not yet being sufficiently drained, — that there 

 were about 40,000 acres then sown with coleseed, wheat, and 

 other winter grain, besides innumerable quantities of sheep, cattle, 

 and other stocky where never had been any before." 



Improvements were also made in the fens of Lincolnshire ; the 

 first attempt being to drain Deeping Fen — a large tract extending 

 between Spalding and Deeping, bounded on the south and east 

 by the Welland, and on the north by the Glen, and part of the 

 district between this and the sea, called South Holland. In 

 Charles I.'s reign a company of adventurers undertook the work. 

 They caused the river Welland, from Waldram Hall (near St. 

 James's, Deeping) to Spalding, and thence to the outfall, to be 

 made wider and deeper; the drain called ''the Staker Drain," 

 about 20 feet in breadth, to ease the river Glen ; together with 

 Hill's Drain and Vernat's Drain, they likewise made new ; and 

 perfected Exeter Drain from Cowbit Tunnel almost to the sea. 

 Near Spalding they also erected a great sluice, &c., by which 

 works the water was so well taken off that in summer this whole 

 fen yielded great store of grass and hay ; and had been made 

 winter-ground in a short time, but for the unseasonableness of 

 the times, and riotous letts and disturbances of lewd people," so 

 that the banks and sewers being neglected by the adventurers, it 

 became again overflowed. 



Northwards of Deeping F'en is a long narrow reach of fen- 

 land skirting the high lands, and extending from the glen to 

 Kyme Eau ; being about 1 5 miles long, and varying from 2 to 5 

 miles in breadth. In the time of Charles I., Robert, Earl of 

 Lindsey, Lord-FIigh-Chamberlain of England, became the under- 

 taker for the work of draining this district, which was then called 



Lindsey Level." He undertook to drain the whole 35,000 

 acres, accepting 24,000 acres as a recompense ; and after 

 effectually draimng it at a cost of 45,000/., the Earl and his par- 

 ticipants ''did inclose, build, inhabit, plant, plow, sow, and reap 

 two years without disturbance ; but the third year, in contempt 

 of the orders of parliament, the country -people entered and de- 

 stroyed the drains and buildings, as also the crops then ready to 

 be reaped;" so that it again became reduced to its former wet 

 and uncultivated condition. 



North-eastward of this district, lying towards Wainfleet, and 

 bounded on the north by the Wolds — from Tattershall towards 

 the sea — on the south and west by the river Witham, and on the 

 east by a tract of rich land extending from Wainfleet to Boston — 

 is a large tract of land called the " East," '' West," and " Wild- 

 more" Fens. These fens, containing about 40,000 acres, were 

 also drained, inclosed, and cultivated by adventurers in the time 



