This is a work in progress. Please note that I live in Australia and
have relied on various sources, some of which are old and may be incorrect.
Many parts of this page is still under construction.
This gives a guide to the various Minor Localities around the Fens, It
ranges from Parishes, Market Towns, Towns, Villages, Hamlets or even smaller
localites. It is still under construction.
The Fens derives it name from . The area encompass the south eastern
portion of Lincolnshire, the northern part of Cambridgeshire, the south western portion of Norfolk, the north eastern corner of Suffolk, the north
western part of Huntingdonshire, and the north eastern tip of
Northamptonshire. The total area covering 680,000 acres. At
one stage in it's history the major area now consisting of the Fens were
once timber forest and at some stage in later it became largely marches, but
with islands or high ground.
The Bedford Level:
The Bedford Level derives it name from five successive Earls of Bedford.
The Bedford Level encompass the south eastern portion of Lincolnshire, the
northern part of Cambridgeshire (including the whole of the Isle of Ely),
the south western portion of Norfolk (63,000 acres), the north eastern
corner of Suffolk (30,000 acres), the north western part of Huntingdonshire
(57,000 acres), and the north eastern tip of Northamptonshire (8,000 acres).
The total area covering 450,000 acres. Please see theDrainage of the Fenspage on this site for more details.
Isle of Ely:
The Isle of Ely derives it name from the major Islet in the Fens where
Ely now stands. Until 1857 it was practically a separate county from
Cambridgeshire being called the Liberty of the Isle of Ely, with it's own
court of quarter sessions, commission of the peace and it's own county rate.
It is divided from Cambridgeshire proper by the Old River Ouse. The isle of
Ely was the last area in England captured by William the Conqurer, which was
the last stand of Hereward the Wake.
The four major waterways of the Fens are the Wetham River, Welland
River, River Nene, River Ouse (Great Ouse) and the Little Ouse.
The River Nene and River Ouse drained the lower portion of the Fens. They originally
joined together south of Upwell becoming the Well Stream, which made it's way
north to Wisbech, at which point it flowed into the Wash. With the reclamation of the Fens
over the last 700 years due to various drainage schemes, the major part of the water from
the Fens have been diverted to flow into the Wash north of King's Lynn via the new outflow
of the River Ouse via Lynn Cut.
The River Nene:
The River Nene which is 100 miles long and drains 1005 square miles, begins west of Weedon Bec in Northamptonshire and flow
through Northampton, connecting at this point to the Great Union Canal. From
Northampton, it makes it way north, then east flowing south of Peterborough.
This present day as a result of the draining of the Fens, it makes a direct
route from Peterborough to Guyhirn, then to Wisbech then north into The
Wash. Before the Fens were drained, the River Nene from Peterborough, flowed
into the Fens or marshes after passing through Car Dyke which was built by
the Romans and forms the western border or limits of the Fens. One flowing
into the Fens, the River Nene flowed south, west of the Isle of Whittlesey
into Whittlesey Mere, then south to Car Dyke across from Ramsey, then north
into Ramsey Mere, the east into Benwick Mere. From here it The River Nene
flowed north, east of the Isle of Whittlesey, then east between the Islets
where March stands (at this point the Roman Causeway crosses it), then
further east to just south of Upwell. At this point it joined the (Old)
River Ouse. The joint River Nene and River Ouse, became the Wells Stream
(see above).
Old South Holland Drain
Joins the New River Nene at Sutton Bridge.
North Level Drain or North Level Main Drain
?
New River Nene or New Leam
This was cut in ?. It runs from Peterborough straight to the south of Guyhirn,
then onto Wisbech.
Mortons Leam This was cut in 1480 by the Bishop Morton, the Abbot
of Ely. It runs from Peterborough almost straight to the south of the Isle
of Guyhirn, then onto Wisbech.
Whittlesey Dyke A dyke cut from the Old River Nene by appsing
Whittlesey marere and ramsey meres from Huntingdonshire to the Wash (Northeast)
Bevills River - Twenty Foot River A drain that runs from
Whittlesey Mere to Guyhirn
Old River Nene Flows from Huntingdonshire to the Wash (Northeast) Flows from Huntingdonshire to the Wash (Northeast)
Forty Foot Drain or Vermudens Drain
A drain that runs from near Ramsey Mere to the Old Bedford River near Manea.
Sixteen Foot Drain or Sixteen Foot River
A drain that runs from the the Forty Foot Drain north of Chatteris to almost the
Old Croft River. At this point it become the Middle Level Drain (see below).
Wisbech Canal (or Wisbech river ?) A modern day cut that flows from
Outwell to the Wash.
Wisbech Channel A modern day cut flowing from Sutton Bridge int
the Wash.
The River Ouse (The Great Ouse)
The River Ouse which is 140 miles long and drains 2605 square miles, begins near Brackley in Northamptonshire and flow
east into Buckinghamshire flowing through Buckingham. It flow north east
flowing past Stony Stratford, then flow east to Wolverton (at this point its
cross by the Grand Union canal). The River Ouse flow further east to Newport
Pagnell from where it starts to flow north to reach Onley, from here it
flows east, then north (forming part of the border between Buckinghamshire
and Bedfordshire), then east, the south and then east again before reaching
Bedford. From here the River Ouse flows north east to St. Neots, in Huntingdonshire,
then onto Huntingdon, then turn east flowing via St. Ives and then Fen
Stanton at which point it enters the Fens. The river Ouse then turns north forming
part of the border between Huntingdonshire and Cambridgeshire until reaching Earith. From here the River flow to the east
gradually turning to the north
before flowing past Ely an then further north to past to the east of
Littleport where it is met by the Lark River.
This present day as a result of a cut of 2 miles made from where it is met
by the Lark River to the
Little Ouse sometime from 1215 to 1270, it makes its way
north to Denver then flowing to the west of Downham Market before flowing
further north to Lynn, then into The
Wash. Before the Fens were drained, the River Ouse from the east of
Littleport flowed north west until just south of Upwell. At this point it joined the (Old)
River Nene. The joint River Ouse and River Nene, became the Wells Stream
(see above). The River Ouse divided Middle Anglia from East Anglia during
the Anglo-Saxon era.
Old West Water
A former branch of the River Ouse that ran north from Earith forming part of the border
between Hutingdonshire and Cambridgeshire before entering Benwich mere, and from
there into the Old River Nene.
Middle Level Drain or Middle Level Main Drain
A drain that runs from the Old Croft River river to the New River Ouse near
north of Wiggenhall St. Mary the Virgin. Prior to the Old Croft River it is the
Sixteen Foot Drain (see above).
Old Bedford River
A drain that runs from the Old River Ouse, north from Earith to the New River
Ouse west of Denver.
New Bedford River (Hundred Foot Drain)
A drain that runs from the Old River Ouse, north from Earith to the New River
Ouse west of Denver.
Old River Ouse or Old West River
The old portion of the River Ouse that flows east from Earith, then flow north
via Ely before it flows to the point where it separates east of Littleport. One
branch being renamed the Old croft river (see below) and the other branch being
the cut (New River Ouse) that flows to the Little Ouse.
Lark River
Joins the river Old River Ouse east of Littleport.
Old Croft River, Old Welney River or Well Creek
Originally the course of the River Ouse before a cut was made between 1215 to
1270 to connect the River Ouse to the Little Ouse. This present day it flows
from where it departs the New River Ouse east of Littleport north west across
the the New Bedford River and Old Bedford River to run though Welney, then north
until south of Upwell it joins the Old river Nene. It forms part of the border
between Cambridgeshire and Norfolk.
New River Ouse
The modern course of the River Ouse. It begins at the point from where a
cut was made in 1215 to 1270 from the Old River Ouse east of Littleport to the
Little Ouse, then north flowing via Wiggenhall St. Mary Magdalen. At this point
it is also called Lynn Cut or Eau Brink Cut from where it leaves the old course
of the Old River Ouse which use to flow just east of Tilney-cum-Islington before
sweeping east toward Lynn, south of Clenchwardon.
Lynn Cut or Eau Brink Cut
From Wiggenhall St. Mary Magdalen the New River Ouse follows a modern cut called
Lynn Cut that flows almost directly north to pass to the west of Lynn before
making it's way to the Wash.
Little Ouse (Brandon River):
The River that originally was the river that had it's outfall at Lynn. In
part, it formed the border between Norfolk and Suffolk.
Originally it flowed from Brandon east, then north flowing to the west of Southery and further north to the west of Downham Market, then further north
flowing pass Wiggenhall St. Mary Magdalen and then past King's Lynn to flow
into the Wash. As a result of a cut of 2 miles made sometime from 1215 to
1270, the Little Ouse now joins the Old River Ouse where the Little Ouse
began to flow north south of Southery.
Wissey River
Flows from Bradenham in Norfolk west, then south, then west, north of Mundford,
then further west, south of Stoke Ferry, then further west, north of Hilgay
before joining the Little Ouse, or what is now refered to as the River Ouse.
Nar River or Setchey River Flows west via Castle
Acre, then further west via Narborough, then further west, south of Setchey at
this point it flows north to Lynn, at which point it joins the Old Little Ouse
or present day .
Highways and Byways in Cambridge and Ely - By the Rev. Edward
Conybeare, Illustrated by Frederick L. Griggs, Published by Macmillan and Co.
Ltd., London, 1923. (originally published 1910)
The Encyclopeadia Britannica - Published by Adam and Charles Black,
Edinburgh, 1875. (Ninth Edition) and 1887 (Tenth Edition)
