Tlie East Fen. 



131 



of Lincolnshire the soil of the best pastures being a black 

 mould, or mass of vegetable particles. The long breadth of land 

 between the boundary of the Wolds and the sea, bounding the 

 East Fen on the north-east, and running up to the H umber, is 

 called the Marsh and Middle-marsh ; the former a rich marine 

 clay and loam, the latter a line of strong soil called the Clays," 

 lying between the Marsh and the Wolds. 



The East Fen, being on a lower level than the West and Wild- 

 more Fens, and the natural course of their waters to sea being 

 through it to Wainfleet Haven, was in a far worse condition than 

 the other districts, previous to its drainage. About 2000 acres of 

 it were continually under water, from four to six feet deep, stand- 

 ing in pools from 60 to 600 acres in extent ; and a great part of 

 the remainder was a shakins: boo^. The whole of this desolate 

 region had the appearance of a chain of lakes, bordered by great 

 crops of reed, abounding in fish and wild fowl. There were a 

 great many decoys," in which were captured thousands of wild 

 ducks, w^idgeon, and teal ; and one portion of the fen belonging to 

 Friskney was denominated the Mossberry, or Cranberry Fen," 

 from the immense quantities which grew upon it. 



This fen was drained and inclosed under the Act of 1801, when 

 a large drain was cut through the heart of the district — from the 

 base of the Wolds below Toynton to the outfall at Hobhole near 

 Frieston — by which the natural drainage of the whole has been 

 effected, and an invaluable medium of communication between 

 the interior and the sea has been also provided by its navigation. 

 About \s. per acre drainage-tax is paid to the Witham Commis- 

 sioners, and from 4.d. to Gc?. per acre for the management of the 

 various interior drains ; the fen being pretty w^ell drained, and not 

 subject to overflow^ 



The soil is peat upon a subsoil of blue clay ; thus forming a 

 perfectly detached district of fen, similar to the black lands before 

 described. In surveying for the East Lincolnshire Railway, bores 

 were sunk at every mile across the fen, and there were found to 

 be from two to three feet of moor, in which immense trees and 

 roots have been discovered j then a subsoil of good blue clay, 

 varying from 6 to 19 feet in depth ; next a thin bed of white marl, 

 and beneath that gravel. The fen has all been clayed three, and 

 part of it four, times ; the trenches being generally at intervals of 

 from. 7 to 12 yards, and the clay is taken out three feet wide and 

 two feet deep at a cost of \s. 8d. to 2s. per chain, or about 3Z. per 

 acre. There is a small part of the district which has a sandy sub- 

 soil, and has been dressed with clay, carted upon it from adjoin- 

 ing lands. This fen is nearly all arable, there being scarcely any 

 old pastures left ; but no underdraining has been done upon 

 either. 



