46 
Trunk Drainage. 
of that town. The idea of holding out tlie tides by a sluice 
upon the mouth of such a river — now 300 feet wide, and 20 to 30 
feet deep — although contemplated from the days of King James 
and Charles I. to those of Mr. Rennie, has never been capable 
of accomplishment ; and engineers are now agreed that it is best 
for such a stream to be a tidal one. Under the superintendence 
of Messrs. Telford and Rennie, and by an Act passed in 1827, 
the great Nene Outfall cut was excavated, and its beneficial 
results to drainage and to navigation and trade have been found 
incalculable. In 1836, Sir John Rennie's Report upon the 
Drainage of the Nene showed the advisability of draining by 
the Nene many thousand acres of the Middle Level, now di- 
verted to the Ouse ; showing that the principal obstructions 
were in the town of Wisbech — where there was always a fall at 
low water of 3 feet, and in floods of 5 feet — not only hindering 
the drainage, but preventing the free flux and reflux of tidal water, 
which would deepen and improve the channel ; proposing to 
enlarge and deepen the river through Wisbech, remove the pre- 
sent bridge, and substitute one of 1 50 feet span, and improve 
and regulate the irregular bed of the river along most of its 
course from Peterborough to below Wisbech. This desi<rn, 
however (including many other points), was not carried out. 
The North Level, by means of the Nene Outfall cut, completed 
in 1831, and of a new main drain and other internal works 
opened in 1834, had obtained a natural fall for its drainage, so 
far as to dispense with its windmills and steam-engine ; but its 
lower lands were still too moist ; and as great obstructions to 
navigation were also felt in the port of Wisbech, it was deter- 
mined in ] 847 to frame some further measure of improvement. 
The North Level waters enter the river below Wisbech, so as to 
be unaffected by the town impediments ; but Cross Keys Bridge 
(situated at Sutton Bridge, and erected at the time of the Outfall 
improvement) was found to hold back the ebb so as to create a 
fall of 2 or 3 feet, and was besides inconvenient to large vessels. 
Mr. R. Stephenson was requested to Report upon this and several 
other points ; and though his plan was mainly left for aflei- 
application, an Act was obtained in 1848 for the removal of the 
bridge and some other improvements : a new iron swing bridge 
has. been completed, which reduces the fall by the neatness of its 
foundations to less than 6 inches. Angular projections and bars 
of mud have also been cleared away by means of jettying, &c., 
and the channel made perfect uji to Wisbech at a total expense of 
30,000/., of which Wisbech corporation contributed 14,000/. 
The North Level can now boast of perhaps the best natural 
drainage to be found in the Fens ; it discharges at about the 
lowest possible point of the river, and its interior drains were 
