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Lincolnshire Fens, 



" Black Sluice drainage" district, stretching about 18 miles 

 northward, and varying from one mile to 4 J- miles in breadth. 

 This tract, containing about 35,000 acres, lies between the 

 high marsh lands and the hills, being bounded on the east 

 by the Old Hammond Beck (a drain dividing it from the high 

 lands), and by " Holland Fen ;" and on the west by the " Carr- 

 dike," an immense Roman work, which is supposed to have 

 served for preventing the living waters from running down upon 

 the Fens, and skirting the whole of them from Peterborough 

 to Lincoln, afforded a navigation of the utmost consequence to this 

 fertile country. This district was originally drained by the Earl 

 of Lindsey in the time of Charles I., having its outfall at Bicker 

 Haven and Risgate Eau ; but the Adventurers' works (as before 

 observed) were destroyed, and their lands again became a waste. 

 Of late years, however, they were again drained, the principal 

 outfall being by Langrick Sluice into the Witham. By the Wi- 

 tham Drainage Act, passed in 1762, the northern portion of this 

 tract was taxed ; but instead of receiving any benefit from the 

 new cuts, their sluice was taken away, thus obstructing their 

 drainage altogether. A new Act was therefore n'eeded, and in 

 1765 one was obtained, under which the South Forty Feet drain 

 was cut (some parts of it being only the old drain improved), 

 which runs from the Glen Bank, up the middle of the fen to 

 Holland Fen, through which it runs eastward to Boston (taking 

 in the waters of another new drain — " the North Forty Feet," in 

 Holland Fen — and the "New Hammond Beck"), and pours 

 through the new "Black Sluice" into the Witham. In 1770 

 this drain was made navigable ; and it is now an important means 

 of communication between the Fens and the port of Boston, — • 

 being about 24 miles in length, and running up to the Glen 

 bank, over which goods, <5cc. are carried, and conveyed thence to 

 Bourn, &c., by the river. 



An Act was passed during last Session, for making a still fur- 

 ther improvement. Under the superintendence of Mr. Cubitt, 

 the South Forty Feet is being made 7 feet deeper, a new sluice 

 will be erected at the outfall, and the Hammond Beck made a 

 good drain, which is expected to provide the whole district with a 

 natural drainage. There are 65,000 acres (including several fens 

 not yet adverted to) of taxable lands which drain by the South 

 Forty Feet ; besides many thousand acres which drain by it, pay- 

 ing no tax. This drain divides a number of small fens, belonging 

 to the adjacent villages on the hill, from the fens attached to 

 different marsh villages on the east. These are drained by about 

 63 windmills, principally on the west side of the Forty Feet, part 

 of the land having a natural drainage ; and those parts under mill 

 drainage are not very low, the ''head" being small — about 1 to 



