Farming of Cambridgeshire. 
69 
ftiountable as to enclosing it, and I fear it is doomed to remain as 
a lasting monument or evidence to show of what little value the 
surrounding lands would have been if left in the same state. 
From Ely, through Littleport, to the banks of the Bedford 
River, is a fine tract of well-cultivated land. Around Littleport 
village high land of good quality and a tract of fen land running 
down the river or 100-feet cut. At Welney we passed over a 
beautiful suspension bridge, erected at the sole charge of the 
Rev. William Gale Townley, the rector of Upwell This struc- 
ture does great credit to the taste of the projector. The road or 
causeway from this bridge to the one over the Old Bedford River is 
nearly three-quarters of a mile in length, and stood about 2 to 3 
feet under water. This was a portion of the Washes before de- 
scribed. At Welney we found a continuation of the fine fen 
soil, but it did not appear to be so well drained as at Littleport. 
Between Welney and Upwell we crossed the new cutting for the 
Middle Level Drainage, which commences at St. German's 
Bridge, running to the 60-feet drain ; they are cutting it 60 feet 
wide, and about 1 5 deep : it will be 1 1 miles long to the 60-feet 
river, which will be deepened ; and this is intended also to lay 
dry the great meer at Whittlesea, which contains about 1000 
acres. From Wisbeach to March, we passed through a district of 
splendid fen land, a portion of which is still drained by wind- 
mills. From March, Wimblington, and Doddington to Chatteris, 
the road passes on the ridge of diluvial deposits of gravel and 
clay. A portion of this district is also still left to the uncertain 
power of wind for its drainage. I must express my great surprise 
that land of so much value should be left to the uncertainty of 
this power. I feel no doubt but that in a few years we shall see 
nothing but steam-engines used for that purpose. 
At Willingham we observed a large tract of land partially 
inundated, from the want of a mill to throw off the water : the 
old windmill was in a dilapidated state and useless. The enclo- 
sure of this parish was going on, and it is intended to erect a steam- 
engine to drain the fen land of this parish. Rampton parish is 
newly inclosed ; some part of the land is a wet clay, and requires 
hollow draining : that which was done appeared badly executed ; 
it wanted, I considered, a few main drains, or deep ditches, to 
carry off the water. 
The improvement that has taken place within the last few 
years in this district of the fen, by a system of drainage and 
claying the lands, is truly wonderful. Draining condenses the 
land, and claying consolidates it. 
In all the farm-yards you find large quantities of cattle, and 
the plan adopted is to give them straw in the yards, and from 2 
to 3 lbs. of linseed cake per day ; these are therefore only kept 
