116-661: The Witham Navigable Drains are located in Lincolnshire , England , and are part of a much larger drainage system managed by the Witham Fourth District Internal Drainage Board . The Witham Fourth District comprises the East Fen and West Fen, to the north of Boston , which together cover an area of 97 square miles (250 km). In total there are over 438 miles (705 km) of drainage ditches, of which under 60 miles (97 km) are navigable. Navigation
232-485: A pinder who was appointed in Skegness in 1574 to enforce an order from the commission prohibiting the grazing of cattle on flood defences and marshes. A jury presented evidence to the court of the state of drainage and flood defences and suggested persons who should be liable to pay for their upkeep. This was often charged as a rate (sometimes known as a scot ) based on the acreage of each landowner that would benefit from
348-522: A 36-inch (91 cm) pump. Two new pumping stations at Leverton and Benington were completed in 1976, again on the eastern edge and pumping directly into The Wash. The pumping station at Thorpe Culvert was managed by the Anglian Water Authority, but a replacement in 1983 was partly funded by the Fourth District. The Hobhole pumping station was modified in 1988, when the old sluice channel
464-480: A 88-inch (220 cm) pump. The station could discharge 800 tons per minute (1175 Mld) when all three pumps were running. Once the station was complete, the old sluice was blocked off. Further improvements to the drainage of the area occurred in the next few years, with a pumping station being built at Wrangle Horseshoe , at the eastern edge of the district, in 1959, and the first electric pump being installed at Lade Bank pumping station in 1963. The electric motor drove
580-411: A commission in 1257 to decide a dispute between landowners over the maintenance of ditches and flood defences on Romney Marsh . After passing judgement he was appointed to another commission of oyer and terminer the following year that looked into the matter of flood defences in the area. This was a commission de wallis et fossatis in all but name. Commissions de wallis et fossatis were established by
696-550: A drain that was formerly virtually un-navigable may suddenly be cleared to improve its drainage performance and become navigable again. One unexpected possibility of cruising the drains is to visit New York , a hamlet just to the north of Hough Bridge on the West Fen Drain. The relative isolation of much of the Witham Navigable Drains has resulted in many of the structures which were built as part of Rennie's upgrade in
812-469: A huge common , on which people from the surrounding villages had grazing rights. These could only be exercised in summer, as prior to drainage works being carried out, the East Fen drained northwards to the Steeping River, and during the winter months, most of that river discharged into the fen, causing widespread flooding. The area has been subject to flooding for centuries, both from the rivers and from
928-514: A new outfall where it discharged into The Haven. As there was no money to pay for the works, the Adventurers were to be given land from that which had been drained in recompense. They spent around £30,000, and were given 16,300 acres (6,600 ha), which yielded rent of £8,000 per year. A further £20,000 was spent on improving the land they had been given. Not everyone was in favour of the work, as in 1642 many of those who formerly had common rights to
1044-499: A population of 1,095,010. After Lincoln (104,565), the largest towns are Grimsby (85,911) and Scunthorpe (81,286). For local government purposes Lincolnshire comprises a non-metropolitan county , with seven districts, and the unitary authority areas of North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire . The last two areas are part of the Yorkshire and the Humber region, and the rest of
1160-467: A statutory basis in 1427 under an act of Parliament, the Sewers Act 1427 ( 6 Hen. 6 . c. 5). The statute seems to have simply codified existing practice, for example the powers it provided to commissions to appoint local officers were already used by commissions in the 13th century and had been specified in the orders appointing the commissions by 1377. The purpose of the statute may have been to encourage
1276-646: A through train service operated between Cleethorpes and London King's Cross via Louth , Boston and Peterborough . The part of this line in Grimsby is now the A16 road , preventing reinstatement as a railway line, and a small section of the line is now the Lincolnshire Wolds Railway , with an extension towards Louth in progress. A daily through train service operated between Cleethorpes and London King's Cross via Grimsby , Market Rasen and Lincoln Central until
SECTION 10
#17328482998591392-496: A window sill when he was a youth. The geographical layout of Lincolnshire is quite extensive and mostly separated by many rivers and rolling countryside. The north of the county begins from where the Isle of Axholme is located near the meeting points of the rivers Ouse and Trent near to the Humber . From there, the southside of the Humber estuary forms the border between Lincolnshire and
1508-751: Is Humberside Airport , near Brigg. East Midlands Airport , the main airport servicing the East Midlands, is within travelling distance of the county. Until its closure in 2022, Doncaster Sheffield Airport near Doncaster was within travelling distance of much of Lincolnshire. The county's biggest bus companies are Stagecoach Grimsby-Cleethorpes (formerly Grimsby-Cleethorpes Transport) and Stagecoach in Lincolnshire (formerly Lincolnshire Road Car). There are several smaller bus companies, including Brylaine of Boston, Delaine Buses and Hornsby's of Scunthorpe. A Sustrans cycle route runs from Lincoln to Boston in
1624-406: Is a northbound service on a Sunday. This was increased in 2019 to a service every two hours. East Midlands Railway also run a daily (Mon-Sat) service each way between Lincoln and London St Pancras , though this is a stopping service which takes around three hours via Nottingham , compared to LNER's service to London King's Cross which takes around 1 hour 50 minutes. The only airport in Lincolnshire
1740-646: Is also home to one of the UK's leading agricultural experiment stations , located in Sutton Bridge and operated by the Potato Council ; Sutton Bridge Crop Storage Research engages in research for the British potato industry. The Lincoln Longwool is a rare breed of sheep, named after the region, which was developed both for wool and mutton, at least 500 years ago, and has the longest fleece of any sheep breed. The Lincoln Red
1856-425: Is an old breed of beef cattle, originating from the county. In the mid 20th century most farms in Lincolnshire moved away from mixed farming to specialise in arable cropping, partly due to cheap wool imports, partly to take advantage of efficiencies of scale and partly because the drier land on the eastern side of England is particularly suitable for arable cropping. Mechanization around 1900 greatly diminished
1972-483: Is an original single-span bridge, but further south, Bargate Bridge carries the A16 road over the drain in the centre of Boston. In order to accommodate additional traffic, the Department of Transport demolished the south side of the bridge in 1972, and widened the carriageway. A new south face was then constructed, using the original materials and to the same design. Two footbridges survive, built of cast iron in 1811 by
2088-605: Is constructed of gritstone ashlar , was retained when the Hobhole pumping station was opened in 1957. Both the 1805 buildings and those from the 1867 upgrade were retained at Lade Bank when the new pumping station was built in 1938. On the Cowbridge Drain, Baker's Bridge is another 3-arched bridge, which is listed with the adjacent sluice, while Mastin's Bridge is a single-span structure. On the Maud Foster Drain, Rawson's Bridge
2204-549: Is fairly varied, but consists of several distinct areas: Lincolnshire's most well-known nature reserves include Gibraltar Point National Nature Reserve, Whisby Nature Park Local Nature Reserve, Donna Nook National Nature Reserve, RSPB Frampton Marsh and the Humberhead Peatlands National Nature Reserve . Although the Lincolnshire countryside is intensively farmed, there are many biodiverse wetland areas , as well as rare limewood forests . Much of
2320-521: Is normally only possible in the summer months, as the drains are maintained at a lower level in winter, and are subject to sudden changes in level as a result of their primary drainage function, which can leave boats stranded. Access to the drains is from the River Witham at Anton's Gowt Lock. The area is bounded by the River Witham to the south and west, and the Steeping River to the north. Since
2436-408: Is one of the few counties in the UK that still uses the eleven-plus to decide who may attend grammar school . As a result, many towns in Lincolnshire have both a grammar school and a secondary modern school . Lincolnshire's rural character means that some larger villages also have primary schools and are served by buses to nearby high schools. Lincoln itself, however, is primarily non-selective, as
SECTION 20
#17328482998592552-564: Is one of the largest trusts in the country, employing almost 4,000 staff and with an annual budget of over £200 million. The north of the county is served by the Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospital NHS Foundation Trust . Some of the larger hospitals in the county include: Since April 1994, Lincolnshire has had an Air Ambulance service . The air ambulance is stationed at RAF Waddington near Lincoln and can reach emergencies in Lincolnshire within 25 minutes. An A&E hospital
2668-616: Is only 10 minutes away by helicopter from any accident in Lincolnshire. Separately to the commercial water companies the low-lying parts of the county are drained by various internal drainage boards , such as the Black Sluice Internal Drainage Board , Witham 4th District IDB , Lindsey Marsh Drainage Board Archived 18 April 2009 at the Wayback Machine , or the Welland and Deepings Internal Drainage Board . Being on
2784-621: Is provided at Riseholme College and in 2016 the University of Lincoln opened the Lincoln Institute for Agri-Food Technology. The Central Lincolnshire area covers North Kesteven , Lincoln and West Lindsey . It helps with development and economic planning around the three districts. According to an Intra-governmental Group on Geographic Information (IGGI) study in 2000, the town centres were ranked by area thus (including North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire areas): Lincolnshire
2900-478: Is represented by ten Members of Parliament (MPs) whose constituencies fall entirely within the county. Small areas of Lincolnshire form constituencies with parts of neighbouring counties, namely the Isle of Axholme (part of Doncaster East and the Isle of Axholme ) and the town of Stamford and its surroundings (part of Rutland and Stamford ). Of the ten constituencies entirely within Lincolnshire, six are represented by
3016-504: Is the area within a radius of about seven miles. In this area, almost all children attend comprehensive schools , though it is still possible to opt into the eleven-plus system. This gives rise to the unusual result that those who pass the eleven-plus can attend a grammar school outside the Lincoln comprehensive area, but those who do not pass still attend a (partly non-selective) comprehensive school. The United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust
3132-436: Is to provide irrigation water for agriculture, and so they are maintained at a higher level, although changes in level can still occur at short notice. Anton's Gowt lock is 75 by 18 feet (22.9 by 5.5 m), but although a boat of this size could pass through it, most of the drains are inaccessible to such large craft. The only other working lock is at Cowbridge, which is 70 by 10 feet (21.3 by 3.0 m), and gives access to
3248-526: Is unlikely that they migrated as part of an organized tribal group. Thus, the main language of the region quickly became Old English . However, it is possible that Brittonic continued to be spoken in some communities as late as the eighth century. Modern-day Lincolnshire is derived from the merging of the territory of the Kingdom of Lindsey with that controlled by the Danelaw borough of Stamford . For some time
3364-717: The Butterley Works . The works was established in 1790 by Benjamin Outram at Ripley, Derbyshire . One is the Hospital Bridge in Boston, while the second is near Cowbridge Lock. Both carry the text "CAST AT BUTTERLEY 1811" stamped into the girders, and are supported by gritstone piers. Vauxhall Bridge, a third example of the type, was replaced by a road bridge in 1924. At the south end of the drain, Maud Foster sluice survives largely in original condition, although some alterations were made in
3480-625: The Conservative Party , three by the Labour Party and one by Reform UK . Lincolnshire County Council is majority controlled by the Conservative Party, and consists of 54 Conservative councillors, four Labour, four South Holland Independents , four independents , three Liberal Democrats and one Lincolnshire Independent . The county is made up of seven local borough and district councils and two unitary authority areas independent of
3596-687: The East Riding of Yorkshire and a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire to form the new non-metropolitan county of Humberside . The rest of Lindsey, along with Holland, Kesteven and Lincoln, came under the governance of the new Lincolnshire County Council . A local government reform in 1996 abolished Humberside. The land south of the Humber Estuary was allocated to the unitary authorities of North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire which became part of Lincolnshire for ceremonial purposes, such as
Witham Navigable Drains - Misplaced Pages Continue
3712-516: The East Riding of Yorkshire . From there, the south bank of the Humber Estuary where the Humber Bridge crosses the estuary at Barton upon Humber , is used primarily for the shipping ports at Immingham , New Holland and Grimsby . From there, the rest of the southern bank forms the Lincolnshire Coast from Cleethorpes to Mablethorpe and then onto Skegness . From Skegness, the rest of
3828-551: The Land Drainage Act 1930 , though some survived until after the Second World War . Their duties were assumed by internal drainage boards and river authorities . Records have not survived from commissions before the early modern era but later commissions sat in sessions similar to the judicial quarter sessions . Commissioners, appointed by royal order, were sometimes known as "justices of sewers". Key officers included
3944-585: The Lord-Lieutenancy , but are not covered by the Lincolnshire police; they are in the Yorkshire and the Humber region. The remaining districts of Lincolnshire are Boston , East Lindsey , Lincoln, North Kesteven , South Holland , South Kesteven , and West Lindsey . They are part of the East Midlands region. North East Lincolnshire and North Lincolnshire are unitary authorities. They were districts of Humberside county from 1974. In 1996, Humberside
4060-489: The "ancient custom of Romney Marsh", were often amended to suit local conditions. The principal officers were the clerk (who kept records), the expenditor (treasurer) and the bailiff (sometimes, such as in Lincolnshire, known as dikereeves). The latter were elected by parishes (two bailiffs each) and played a similar role to the constables of the Quarter Sessions. Sometimes additional local officers were appointed such as
4176-403: The 11th century, there have been attempts to prevent the fens from flooding, so that they could be used for agriculture. A major advance was made in the seventeenth century, when Adventurers built drains in return for rights to some of the reclaimed land, but the success was short-lived, as Fenmen and Commoners rioted in 1642 and destroyed the works. Further attempts to drain the fens were made in
4292-453: The 13th century and had powers to compel labourers to work on flood defences and extract funding for repairs from landowners. The commissions were placed on a statutory basis in 1427 by an act of Parliament, the Sewers Act 1427 ( 6 Hen. 6 . c. 5) and were strengthened by later acts such as the 1531 Statute of Sewers and the Commissions of Sewers Act 1708 . The commissions were abolished by
4408-566: The Commoners won, with the result that the Court of Sewers were again responsible for drainage matters, but the ditches and sluices remained ruined for many year. Maud Foster drain was widened again in 1734, when another new sluice was built. The Witham Fourth Drainage District Commissioners were created by act of Parliament , the Witham Drainage Act 1762 ( 2 Geo. 3 . c. 32), but the East Fen and
4524-567: The European Union in Central and Eastern Europe, form a large component of the seasonal agricultural workforce, particularly in the south of the county. Here more labour-intensive crops are produced, such as small vegetables and cut flowers. This seasonal influx of migrant labour occasionally causes tension between the migrant workforce and local people, in a county which had been relatively unaccustomed to large-scale immigration. Agricultural training
4640-465: The Hobhole Drain has been converted to a sluice. In addition to sudden changes in water levels, there are a number of very low bridges with an air draft of less than 6 feet (1.8 m), which can cause problems if the water levels rise a little, and there are often no turning places at the end of the drains. Cruising can be hazardous due to weed growth, which forms a dense blanket in some channels, but
4756-517: The Lincolnshire Coastline forms the sea boundary and border with Norfolk at the Wash . The coast then at Boston becomes the meeting point of the rivers Welland and Haven in a area known as the "Fosdyke Wash". The rest of the sea boundary runs from Fosdyke to the east of Sutton Bridge , where the current land boundary with Norfolk is located in a narrow area of reclaimed farmland just to
Witham Navigable Drains - Misplaced Pages Continue
4872-574: The Maud Foster drain, enabling boats to visit the centre of Boston . From Cowbridge Lock it is also possible to visit the Lincolnshire Wolds , using the Stonebridge Drain and the East Fen and West Fen Catchwater Drains. It used to be possible to navigate Cowbridge Drain and Hobhole Drain, but they are isolated from the rest of the system by the derelict East Fen Lock. Restoration of this lock
4988-516: The UK is in Lincolnshire: the Sheffield - Gainsborough Central -Cleethorpes line has passenger trains only on a Saturday, with three trains in both directions. This line is, however, used for freight. Hull Trains also stops at Grantham before continuing its journey to either Kings Cross or Hull. On 22 May 2011, East Coast started a Lincoln-London service, initially one train a day each way, and there
5104-538: The area formerly managed by the Skirbeck Court of Sewers, and the Witham Fourth District IDB became the responsible body for drainage from 1 April 1935. Thorpe Culvert pumping station was built and commissioned in 1938, to pump water from the 5000 acres into the Steeping River. Rennie's tunnels were retained, but water only passes into the East Fen at low flows, and a sluice protects the upstream entrance to
5220-419: The area managed by the Court of Sewers were specifically excluded from their sphere of influence. As the drains became wider and more extensive, there were proposals to use them for navigation, and a lock at Anton's Gowt was first suggested in 1779. Funds were not available at the time, and so land doors were built so that boats could access the drains until the lock was completed in 1813. In 1784, Mill Drain
5336-536: The area. During pre-Roman times, most of Lincolnshire was inhabited by the Corieltauvi people. The language of the area at that time would have been Common Brittonic , the precursor to modern Welsh. The name Lincoln was derived from Lindum Colonia . Large numbers of Germanic speakers from continental Europe settled in the region following the withdrawal of the Romans. Though these were later identified as Angles , it
5452-419: The assessment. Download coordinates as: [REDACTED] Media related to Witham Navigable Drains at Wikimedia Commons Lincolnshire Lincolnshire ( / ˈ l ɪ ŋ k ə n ʃ ər , - ʃ ɪər / ), abbreviated Lincs , is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber regions of England. It is bordered by the East Riding of Yorkshire across the Humber estuary to
5568-456: The border. Lincolnshire has had a comparatively quiet history, being a rural county which was not heavily industrialised and faced little threat of invasion. In the Roman era Lincoln was a major settlement, called Lindum Colonia . In the fifth century what would become the county was settled by the invading Angles , who established the Kingdom of Lindsey in the north of the region. Lincoln became
5684-578: The centre of a diocese in 1072, and Lincoln Cathedral was built over the following centuries. The late Middle Ages were a particularly prosperous period, when wealth from wool trade facilitated the building of grand churches such as St Botolph's Church, Boston . During the Second World War the relatively flat topography of the county made it an important base for the Royal Air Force , which built several airfields and based two bomber squadrons in
5800-526: The civil engineer John Rennie was asked to produce a plan for the drainage of both fens. Anthony Bower and James Murray carried out the surveys, and Rennie produced his report in September 1800. He concluded that the outfalls at Wainfleet and Maud Foster was inadequate, and that the internal drainage of the fens was not effective. He suggested catchwater drains to collect the runoff from the Wolds to prevent it entering
5916-424: The clerk, expenditor (treasurer) and bailiffs (elected by each parish). Other local officers were also sometimes appointed to enforce orders of the commission. The commissions de wallis et fossatis had their origins in the 13th century. It appears that previously drainage issues had been dealt with by commissions of oyer and terminer , sittings of judges of assizes to resolve disputes. Henry of Bath sat on such
SECTION 50
#17328482998596032-558: The county are marine invertebrates. Marine vertebrates have also been found including ichthyosaurus and plesiosaur . The highest point in Lincolnshire is Wolds Top (168 m, 551 ft), at Normanby le Wold . Some parts of the Fens may be below sea level. The nearest mountains are in Derbyshire. The biggest rivers in Lincolnshire are the Trent , running northwards from Staffordshire up
6148-564: The county council, the two unitary authorities and the district councils, with powers over housing, job creation and public transport, including bus franchising. The following tables show the ethnic and religious composition of Lincolnshire in 2021: Notable businesses based in Lincolnshire include the Lincs FM Group , Young's Seafood , Openfield and the Lincolnshire Co-operative (whose membership includes about one quarter of
6264-465: The county council. The City of Lincoln Council is Labour-controlled. North Kesteven , South Holland and East Lindsey are administered by the Conservatives. South Kesteven is controlled by a coalition of independent, Labour Party, Green Party and Liberal Democrat councillors. West Lindsey is controlled by a coalition of Liberal Democrats and independents. The Borough of Boston is controlled by
6380-422: The county is in the East Midlands . The county has a varied geography. The south-west contains part of the Fens , a naturally marshy region which has been drained for agriculture, and the south-east is an upland region. A wide vale runs north-south from the centre to the north of the county. To its east, the chalk hills of the Lincolnshire Wolds , which have been designated a national landscape , occupy
6496-453: The county was once wet fenland (see The Fens ). From bones, we can tell that animal species formerly found in Lincolnshire include woolly mammoth , woolly rhinoceros , wild horse , wolf , wild boar and beaver . Species which have recently returned to Lincolnshire after extirpation include little egret , Eurasian spoonbill , European otter and red kite . The Local Government Act 1888 established county councils for each of
6612-518: The county's large area. Many of the county's railway stations were permanently closed following the Beeching Report of 1963. The most notable reopening has been the line and two stations between Lincoln and Sleaford , which reopened within months of the Beeching closure. Most other closed lines in the county were lifted long ago and much of the trackbed has returned to agricultural use. Prior to 1970,
6728-467: The county, with LNER trains frequently passing and stopping at Grantham, on the East Coast Main Line and a service every other hour to Lincoln , while CrossCountry trains stop at Stamford on their way between Birmingham and Stansted Airport . Stations along the Humber are served by TransPennine Express services between Manchester Airport and Cleethorpes. One of the most infrequent services in
6844-492: The damaging storm surges in 1374 and 1375. The increase in number of commissions may also be a result of the Black Death , with plague deaths in 1348–49 affecting labour availability. The increased cost of labour led to less flood defence work being carried out by landowners. Some commissions in this period had powers to compel labourers to work and to arrest and imprison those refusing to do so. Such measures were resented by
6960-463: The district. This area was located on the north-eastern bank of the Steeping River, and its main drainage channel was connected to the Bell Water Drain by three oval brick tunnels, each 47 yards (43 m) long, which pass under the river. The tunnels were completed in 1821, and were entirely hidden until the construction of Lade Bank pumping station in 1867 lowered the water levels. The 1860s saw
7076-509: The drainage of the region, could appoint contractors to carry out work to rectify such problems, and had to assess how this work would be financed. Floods in 1394 resulted in a decision to rebuild a floodgate at Waynflete, with the villages affected paying the construction costs. Attempts to enlarge some of the drains in the East and West Fens are recorded by the Duchy of Lancaster in 1532. Wainfleet Haven
SECTION 60
#17328482998597192-421: The early 1800s surviving. Because of their historic interest, they have been added to the listed structures register, and are Grade II Listed . They include a series of red-brick bridges with gritstone coping. On the Hobhole Drain, Freiston Bridge has three elliptical arches, while Ings Bridge, Hodsons Bridge (Bridge No. 8), Bridge No. 9, and Station Bridge (Bridge No. 10) have a single arch. Hobhole Sluice, which
7308-421: The early 19th century, to provide canal access to the village which he hoped would become a market town. The Fourth District was extended in 1818, following another report by Rennie on the lower reaches of the Steeping River. An act of Parliament was obtained in the same year, which authorised the straightening of the river, and the addition of 6,740 acres (2,730 ha), subsequently known as "the 5000 acres", to
7424-576: The east of the River Nene but until as recently as the early 19th century there was no land border between Lincolnshire and Norfolk as it was separated from each other by the "Cross Keys Wash" a former area of estuary and marshland where the River Nene used to flow out into the Wash and could only be crossed at low tide by a causeway or ferry and was the natural boundary between the two counties. The causeway known at
7540-476: The economic periphery of England, Lincolnshire's transport links are poorly developed compared with many other parts of the United Kingdom. The road network in the county is dominated by single carriageway A roads and local roads (B roads) as opposed to motorways and dual carriageways . The administrative county of Lincolnshire is one of the few UK counties without a motorway, and until several years ago, it
7656-529: The eighteenth century, and the first proposals to use the drains for navigation were made in 1779. Most of the drainage ditches that are now evident were constructed under the authority of an Act of Parliament obtained in 1801. The plans for the scheme were drawn up by the civil engineer John Rennie . Better drainage was achieved from the 1860s, with the building of steam pumping stations. The steam engines were later replaced by diesel engines, and now many of them use electric pumps. Sensitive restoration of some of
7772-471: The entire county was called "Lindsey", and it is recorded as such in the 11th-century Domesday Book . Later, the name Lindsey was applied to the northern core, around Lincoln. This emerged as one of the three Parts of Lincolnshire , along with the Parts of Holland in the south-east, and the Parts of Kesteven in the south-west, which each had separate Quarter Sessions as their county administrations. Lindsay
7888-443: The fens and exporting agricultural produce. They are now only used for pleasure cruising ; this is restricted to the summer months, for between October and April, the water levels are maintained at a low level, so that there is scope to deal with high volumes of rainfall. Consequently, there is insufficient depth for navigation, and operation of the sluices can cause rapid changes in water level. Between April and October, their function
8004-470: The fens, and a new tidal sluice at Hobhole, closer to the Wash than the Maud Foster outlet. After some minor disputes were resolved, the plan formed the basis for an act of Parliament obtained in 1801. The 1801 act was supplemented by a second act of Parliament obtained two years later. The principal engineering works were the West Fen Catchwater Drain, a 13.4-mile (21.6 km) channel around
8120-405: The first attempts to drain the Fens by pumping, as suitable steam engines became available. Ground levels in the extensive area of peat land in the northern half of the East Fen had been steadily falling since the fen was first drained and the Witham Drainage (Fourth District) Act 1867 ( 30 & 31 Vict. c. cxxxviii) authorised the construction of a steam-driven pumping station at Lade Bank, which
8236-401: The gravity outfall, were approved, and the station was fully commissioned in 1957. The disastrous North Sea flood of 1953 , which affected so much of the East Coast of England had little effect in the Fourth District. In 1956, work started on a new outfall for the Hobhole drain, to the south-east of the old sluices. A pumping station containing three Allen diesel engines was built, each driving
8352-426: The installation was £17,000. A royal commission in 1927 considered the part played by the various types of drainage bodies, and the Land Drainage Act 1930 ( 20 & 21 Geo. 5 . c. 44) sought to unify these, by creating Catchment Boards, responsible for the main rivers, and internal drainage boards , responsible for the drainage of low-lying areas such as the Fens. The act also expanded the Fourth District to include
8468-487: The land formed a mob, and destroyed sluices, houses and crops. Their actions probably included destroying the new Maud Foster sluice. The Adventurers petitioned the House of Lords , but were unsuccessful in the House of Commons , where they were opposed by the Commoners. The House of Commons ruled that the justices of the peace should prevent and suppress riots, but did not take sides with either party. Legal action followed, which
8584-664: The late 1980s. The Humberlincs Executive , as the service was known, was operated by an InterCity 125 , but was discontinued following the electrification of the East Coast Main Line . Passengers to/from London now have to change trains at Newark North Gate . However, the East Coast Main Line passes through the western edge of the county and one can catch direct trains to London from Grantham . Most rail services are currently operated by East Midlands Railway and Northern Trains . London North Eastern Railway (LNER), Hull Trains and CrossCountry have services which pass through
8700-626: The later part of the century, the first on the River Thames (at West Ham) was convened in August 1280. The commissions drew their members from the local landowners, supplemented with a small number of civil servants and court officials. They were largely reactive in nature, being formed in response to petitions from landowners concerned over the state of flood defences or in response to actual flooding events. Their remit extended to embankments and drainage ditches (often referred to as sewers, though not in
8816-481: The local Boston Independent party. The unitary authority North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire councils are administered by the Conservative Party. A non-mayoral devolution deal is proposed for the county, and has received approval from the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government as of September 2024. This would lead to the establishment of an Lincolnshire combined authority formed of
8932-465: The modern sense) and the commissions had powers to exact funds for repairs from landowners they deemed to be negligent. The jurisdiction of 13th century commissions was often wide-ranging, covering entire counties. Climatic conditions in the early 14th century led to worse flooding and the need for additional defences in the East of England and Somerset . Many landowners refused to take responsibility for
9048-489: The new Hobhole sluice . Most of the main drains which are now navigable were excavated or improved as part of this work, including Castle Dyke, Frith Bank Drain, Medlam Drain, Newham Drain and West Fen Drain in the West Fen. In addition to Hobhole Drain, Barlode Drain, Bellwater Drain, Fodder Dyke, Lade Bank Drain and Thorpe Drain were constructed in the East Fen. Hobhole Sluice was opened in 1806 and Rennie's new Maud Foster Sluice
9164-766: The north of Hobhole Sluice. It has a span of 72 feet (22 m), and when erected in 1948 was the first pre-stressed concrete bridge cast in situ in Britain. L G Mouchel and Partners were the designers, and the work was carried out using labour from the Fourth District IDB, overseen by G E Buchner. The Environment Agency measure the water quality of the river systems in England. Each is given an overall ecological status, which may be one of five levels: high, good, moderate, poor and bad. There are several components that are used to determine this, including biological status, which looks at
9280-471: The north, the North Sea to the east, Norfolk , Cambridgeshire , Northamptonshire and Rutland to the south, and Leicestershire , Nottinghamshire and South Yorkshire to the west. The county town is the city of Lincoln . Lincolnshire is the second largest ceremonial county in England, after North Yorkshire . The county is predominantly rural, with an area of 6,959 km (2,687 sq mi) and
9396-754: The north-east, with a coastal plain and the Lincolnshire Marsh beyond. The west of the vale is demarcated by the Lincolnshire Edge , a long escarpment; at its northern end are the Coversands, an area of heath . Beyond the edge, the western border of the county contains the eastern part of the Trent Valley and, in the north, part of the Humberhead Levels , with the River Trent itself forming part of
9512-506: The northern edge of the West Fen; the East Fen Catchwater Drain, a 9.4-mile (15.1 km) channel around the northern edge of the East Fen; the Stonebridge Drain, a 4.2-mile (6.8 km) channel which connected Cherry Corner to Cowbridge; upgrading of the Maud Foster drain and the provision of a new sluice where it met The Haven; and construction of the Hobhole Drain, running for 13.5 miles (21.7 km) from Toynton St Peter to
9628-547: The number of workers required to operate the county's relatively large farms, and the proportion of workers in the agricultural sector dropped substantially during this period. Several major engineering companies developed in Lincoln, Gainsborough and Grantham to support those changes. Among these was Fosters of Lincoln , which built the first tank , and Richard Hornsby & Sons of Grantham. Most such industrial companies left during late 20th-century restructuring. Today, immigrant workers, mainly from new member states of
9744-409: The original north of the county near Scunthorpe with East Riding of Yorkshire at the Isle of Axholme and Goole . Bedrock in Lincolnshire features Jurassic limestone (near Lincoln) and Cretaceous chalk (north-east). The area around Woodhall Spa and Kirkby on Bain is dominated by gravel and sand. For much of prehistory, Lincolnshire was under tropical seas, and most fossils found in
9860-432: The parts of Lincolnshire – Lindsey, Holland and Kesteven – and came into effect on 1 April 1889. Lincoln was made an independent county borough on the same date, with Grimsby following in 1891. The Local Government Act 1972 abolished the three county councils and the two county boroughs, effective 1 April 1974. On this date, Grimsby and the northern part of Lindsey (including Scunthorpe ) were amalgamated with most of
9976-440: The peasantry and the 1381 Peasants' Revolt may have led to a reduction in commissions to placate the workers. Flooding events increased in the late part of the century and flood defences, such as those implemented by repeated commissions at Southwark, became less effective. Investment in flood defences also reduced markedly, possibly as a pragmatic decision that change in land use was inevitable in some locations. Such an area
10092-436: The population of the county). Lincolnshire has long been a primarily agricultural area, and it continues to grow large amounts of wheat , barley , sugar beet , and oilseed rape . In south Lincolnshire, where the soil is particularly rich in nutrients, some of the most common crops include potatoes , cabbages , cauliflowers , and onions . Lincolnshire farmers often break world records for crop yields. South Lincolnshire
10208-409: The pumping stations in the 1980s and 1990s resulted in the Witham Fourth District IDB being given a Design Award. There were originally five locks on the system, including Anton's Gowt Lock. Cowbridge Lock is the only other one still operational. Access by boat to Cowbridge Drain and Hobhole Drain which drain the East Fen is no longer possible, because East Fen Lock, which connected Cowbridge Drain to
10324-425: The quantity and varieties of invertebrates , angiosperms and fish. Chemical status, which compares the concentrations of various chemicals against known safe concentrations, is rated good or fail. The Witham Navigable Drains are designated as "artificial", which means that the channels have been created by human activity. The water quality of the Witham Navigable Drains was as follows in 2019. The water quality in
10440-466: The rest of the system has been filled in, while the lock chamber at Lade Bank Pumping Station has been reused to house extra pumps. Many of the structures built as part of Rennie's upgrade in the early 1800s survive in near-original condition, and are Grade II listed . The area in which the drains lie is fenland , most of it at about sea level, and is bounded to the south west by the River Witham and to
10556-535: The river has deteriorated since 2014, when it was rated good for ecological status. In 2015 it was rated moderate and is now rated bad. The main reason for this is that the drains are artificial, with the land drainage functions and flow having a detrimental effect on fish populations. Like most rivers in the UK, the chemical status changed from good to fail in 2019, due to the presence of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE), perfluorooctane sulphonate (PFOS) and mercury compounds, none of which had previously been included in
10672-453: The sea. While there is evidence for occupation of the region by Romans, Saxons, Danes and Normans, the first references to flood defences occur in the 11th and 12th centuries, when monks built a sea bank to hold back tides from their agricultural land. A sluice was constructed in 1142 on the River Witham to improve it for navigation, and Commissions of Sewers were appointed in the 13th century. They were empowered to investigate any problems with
10788-520: The sluice free from water, they were pumped out by a Boulton & Watt steam engine, rated at 6 hp (4.5 kW). The machine lasted until at least 1814, just three years before the first permanent steam pumping station was built at Sutton St. Edmund in South Holland . There is a small drain that runs eastwards from the Medlam Drain to New Bolingbroke . This was probably built by John Parkingson in
10904-464: The south east by a low silt ridge of marine origin which separates it from The Wash . The northern boundary is defined by Coningsby to the north west, Spilsby and the southern edge of the Lincolnshire Wolds to the north, and Wainfleet and the Steeping River to the north east. It is divided into the East Fen and the West Fen, separated by a strip of higher ground, some 7 miles (11 km) long and 0.5 miles (0.8 km) wide, on which are situated
11020-811: The south of the county. In terms of population, the 12 biggest settlements in the county by population are: A small part of the Thorne Waste area of the town of Thorne in South Yorkshire, known as the Yorkshire Triangle, currently falls under North Lincolnshire. Commissions of Sewers Commissions of sewers , originally known as commissions de wallis et fossatis ( Law Latin : "commissions of walls and ditches [or dikes]") were English public bodies, established by royal decree, that investigated matters of land drainage and flood defence. The commissions developed from commissions of oyer and terminer in
11136-458: The southern boundary of the county with both Peterborough , Rutland and briefly Northamptonshire ; the county's border with Northamptonshire is just 20 yards (19 m) long, England's shortest county boundary. From there, the border with Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire begins at Sleaford , Grantham , Lincoln and Gainsborough . From Gainsborough, the border with South Yorkshire begins at Haxey and Epworth before looping back to
11252-618: The time as the "Wash Way" was renowned as being particularly treacherous and the safer route was to go into Norfolk from Lincolnshire via the Cambridgeshire town of Wisbech and this element remains to the present day as the Cross Keys Bridge at Sutton Bridge provides the only direct access point to Norfolk from Lincolnshire over the River Nene some nine miles north of Wisbech. The border with Lincolnshire to Cambridgeshire begins at Crowland , Market Deeping and Stamford which form
11368-422: The tunnels. Upgrading of Lade Bank pumping station from steam engines to oil was completed in 1940, with new equipment consisting of three Ruston diesel engines connected to 50-inch (130 cm) Gwynnes pumps, installed in a new building. The old building was retained, although the steam engines which if housed were scrapped. Soon after the Second World War , plans for a pumping station at Hobhole sluice, to replace
11484-490: The twentieth century. It consists of three elliptical arches, with gates made of timber and iron bindings. They are raised and lowered by pulleys mounted on an overhead gantry. The entrance lock at Anton's Gowt is also listed. It was altered in 1848 when the Great Northern Railway Lincolnshire loop line crossed the northern end of the lock. Nunn's Bridge is the first bridge to cross the Hobhole Drain to
11600-463: The villages of Stickford , Stickney and Sibsey . The A16 road follows this higher ground, which is glacial in origin. Historically, the south western section of the West Fen close to the River Witham was called the Wildmore Fen, but hydraulically, they form a single fen. In total, the fens occupy an area of around 97 square miles (250 km). Most of the fens were extra-parochial , consisting of
11716-449: The water level in the East Fen at a height sufficient to allow the Fenmen to continue their way of life. A series of reports had been made during the eighteenth century by the civil engineers John Smeaton , John Grundy, Sr. , his son John Grundy, Jr. , Langley Edwards, and others, but no action had been taken to implement them. With Sir Joseph Banks of Revesby Abbey pushing for a solution,
11832-637: The western edge of the county to the Humber estuary, and the Witham , which begins in Lincolnshire at South Witham and runs for 132 km (82 miles) through the middle of the county, eventually emptying into the North Sea at The Wash . The Humber estuary, on Lincolnshire's northern border, is also fed by the River Ouse . The Wash is also the mouth of the Welland , the Nene and the Great Ouse . Lincolnshire's geography
11948-416: The wider adoption of best practices in use at Romney Marsh, where flood defences were supervised continuously by local officials. The 1427 statute was challenged legally and parliament had to pass an amended act in 1429, to confirm the powers of the commissions. The powers of the commissions were strengthened by the 1531 Statute of Sewers and later legislation, such as the Commissions of Sewers Act 1708 ,
12064-486: The works and commissions de wallis et fossatis had to be formed in order to compel defences to be built. The number of commissions rose in the early part of the century, reaching a minor peak in the 1320s. There was a slow rise in number to a significant peak in 1380, after which the number of commissions dropped off rapidly. The increase in number of commissions was partly due to them becoming more local in nature but also due to increased numbers of flooding events, such as
12180-400: The works. The commissions relied increasingly on reports from professional surveyors and engineers and less on the juries from the late 18th century. Where land was reclaimed from the sea the responsibility for drainage often fell to enclosure commissioners rather than the sewer commissioners. The commissions were abolished by the Land Drainage Act 1930 , though some survived until after
12296-408: Was abolished along with its county council. Some services in those districts are shared with the East Riding of Yorkshire ceremonial county, rather than the rest of Lincolnshire including Humberside Police , Humberside Airport , Humberside Fire Service , and BBC Radio Humberside . Since the 2024 general election and the constituency reorganisation by the 2023 Periodic Review , Lincolnshire
12412-470: Was based on this. In later years the commissions of sewers sat in a court, similar to that of the quarter sessions . The commissions were similar to justices of the peace , and were sometimes referred to as "justices of sewers". The commission might have jurisdiction over a locality, a whole county or parts of two counties. Where a whole county was covered commissions often established subsidiary courts to control localities. Procedure, though modelled after
12528-546: Was completed by September, to resolve this problem. Silting below the Hobhole sluice was remedied by the provisions of the Witham Outfall improvement Act, passed later in the same year. Lade Bank pumping station had two pump wells, each containing an Appold double-inlet pump, and each was driven by a pair of high-pressure condensing steam engines. A pair of engines was rated at 240 horsepower (180 kW) and could pump 350 tons per minute (514 Megalitres per day (Mld)). The cost of
12644-471: Was completed in the following year. Under the acts of Parliament, the Drainage District was extended to include the East Fen. Although Boston was flooded in 1810, the East and West Fens were declared to be in good order soon afterwards. The construction of Hobhole sluice was the first time that a steam engine is known to have been used in connection with Fens drainage. In order to keep the foundations for
12760-498: Was enlarged, with the intention of using it to drain parts of the East Fen, but this action was stopped by Fenmen blocking the drain, as they lived by fishing, fowling and cutting reeds, and these activities were threatened by drainage. A petition was presented to the Commissioners, signed by 105 Fenmen, of whom 86 were sufficiently literate to write their own name. As a result, a sluice was built on Valentine's Drain, which maintained
12876-575: Was proposed by the Lincolnshire Branch of the Inland Waterways Association in 1975, who sought to encourage use of the drains by offering a plaque to boats that used Cowbridge Lock, but no progress has been made with this, and the lock has been infilled. Hagnaby Lock, near the top of the West Fen Catchwater Drain has no gates, but it is usually possible to pass straight through, while the lock which bypassed Lade Bank pumping station on
12992-405: Was reopened and the sluices were fitted with four 33-inch (84 cm) submersible electric pumps, manufactured by Flygt. The number of electric pumps at Lade Bank was increased to three in 1990. These schemes resulted in the Fourth District being awarded a Borough of Boston Civic Design Award for the way in which the buildings were renovated. Historically, the drains were used for importing coal to
13108-539: Was said that there was only about 35 km (22 mi) of dual carriageway in the whole of Lincolnshire. However the M180 motorway passes through North Lincolnshire , splitting into two dual carriageway trunk roads to the Humber Bridge and Grimsby , and the A46 is now dual carriageway between Newark-on-Trent and Lincoln. The low population density of the county means there are few railway stations and train services, considering
13224-488: Was the farmland at Barking Abbey , which was allowed to be inundated and devolve into salt marshes. Continued increase in labour costs and a drop in grain and livestock prices made farmland less valuable so there was likely a reduction in the number of petitions sent to the crown. There was a modest revival in the use of the commissions in the first decade of the 15th century. Most of these commissions were focussed on tidal river areas. The commissions were first placed on
13340-535: Was thought to be unsuitable as an outlet for the water, which was consequently routed to the River Witham and the Boston Haven. The first Maud Foster drain was cut in 1568, from Cowbridge to The Haven , but in 1631 it was inadequate, as there was widespread flooding in both fens, which resulted in Sir Anthony Thomas, John Warsopp and other Adventurers being commissioned to enlarge the Maud Foster drain and build
13456-570: Was traditionally split between the North , South and West Ridings of Lindsey . The area was shaken by 27 February 2008 Lincolnshire earthquake , reaching between 4.7 and 5.3 on the Richter magnitude scale ; it was one of the largest earthquakes to affect Britain in recent years. Lincolnshire is home to Woolsthorpe Manor , birthplace and home of Sir Isaac Newton . He attended The King's School, Grantham . Its library has preserved his signature, carved into
#858141