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THE TRAGIC EVENTS OF THE WINTER OF 1947 Fen men stood proud in the mid 1940's. They had managed to drain the fens against the odds, they had fought and beaten the Nazi threat. They were patting themselves on their backs. Then came the events of early March 1947, which brought them back to reality, and one of causes was the shrinkage of the peat lands, and the silting up of the river mouths. It was a very sever winter in 1947. It started with a heavy snowfall both in the Midlands and in The Fens, followed by sever frosts, and then followed by a fast thaw, assisted by rain about 10th March. By the 14th March the worst happened. Most of the banks withstood the excess water that flowed down the rivers, but some didn't and it finished up with huge tracts of the most fertile land in the country being under water. Rivers from the Humber to the Thames were overflowing with water. Thousands of sheep cattle and pigs were washed away and drowned, but most of the human population managed to escape or went up stairs in their homes. It was the worst flood to hit the area in living memory, and then battle commenced. Boats could not be used to shore up the fragile banks as they could not get under the bridges. Many sunk. The Fenland Rivers could not take the flow of the ensuing water. The river outfalls into The Wash had became silted up, and in places like Spalding in Lincolnshire, where the river Welland narrowed, ice built up and blocked the free flow of water. But, then there was provision for this, insomuch that The Washes (flood plains) were flooded, (like Cowbit Wash and the raised causeway near Crowland in Lincolnshire which was under water). The washes (flood plains) had weaker banks, and could not take the high levels of water. Sandbagging enforcement was attempted, but the banks on several of the rivers and washes Washes (Flood plains) burst and the water flowed onto the surrounding farmland. Then when everything could not get worse, on March 16th it did. High winds sprang up, blew down trees and telephone wires, and lashed the fragile banks with waves that made it near intolerable for the workman to continue toiling on the breaches in the banks. Up until that time, the men had been working 24hours a day, but with hurricane lamps being blown out they could not work at night. The safety of the workers was paramount, and even the safety of the German prisoners of war had to be considered who had been drafted into the area. The breaches in the banks got larger, and the question then arose on how to block them. It was decided that military tanks would be driven into the breaches (at the time there was a surplus of these tanks as the second world war had just finished). The tanks were filled with sandbags and clay. A few tanks were lost, but eventually it worked and the breaches were blocked. Barges and lorries were commandeered from all over the eastern counties to assist in this work. There were many unforeseen factors that hindered operations, sluices froze up, debris was washed along with the flood water, and normal pumping stations were under water. Once the breaches had been blocked, then commenced the task of getting the water back into the rivers. Many large portable pumps were drafted in, and slowly the Fens own pumps were freed and took over the pumping. It took many months to complete this task. Rivers have now been widened and new channels cut so it could never happen again, and the silt was removed from river mouths. |
| Below (1947): Deeping High bank, and to the right is the River Welland. The water in the river even went over the road and onto the low lying fenland on the left. Note: Crowland Abbey is on the distant horizon on right |
| Below (2004): Deeping High bank,(same location as left) and to the right the current River Welland. In 1947 The water in the river rose so high it even went over the road. Note: The water tower has since been built |
Continuing the story. Some of the gaps in the banks where the water burst through were reputed to be over 100 feet wide. Men had come from all over the country, and included members of the armed services and prisoner's of war, who worked day and night to try and stem the flow of water. Heavy armoured tracked vehicles filled with soil, were put into the gaps. The story goes that a large number of these vehicles were used, some of which were washed away, never to be seen again. Finally, with the help of these vehicles coupled with piling, success was achieved in filling the gaps, then the task of draining the low lying Fenland began. Some existing pumping stations were flooded and many could not be used. A total of sixteen giant water pumps were brought into the area, and slowly the Fenland was drained again. Eventually a number of the above men were rewarded with British Empire Medals. The Great Ouse River Flood Protection Bill was passed by Parliament in 1949, in which it was accepted that floods greater than the 1947 level plus 5% would be acceptable As previous stated a number of new drains were dug, and the river outfalls into The Wash were cleaned out. Spalding was by-passed by a newer wider river, called the Coronation Channel. Some of these breaches in the banks are still evident today, but invariably they are away from the centres of population. Fen men wait with baited breath for the next unforeseen problem. The Great Eastern Marsh has been turned into an area that now replenishes supermarkets. It all started hundreds of years ago by the Romans, then Vermuyden, and finished by market forces in the twentieth century. But what problem will the twenty first century bring, could it surround global warming? The next time you pick up a common fen potato in a Supermarket, think about all the effort and risk that goes into getting it in your hand. The Washes (Flood plains) although being below sea level are now underused as floodwater reservoirs, the drainage is so effective that many of them have been turned into arable land that needs irrigation in the summer months. (See more about drainage and irrigation) |
EARLY FEN HISTORY In addition to Floods or Water, the Fens have suffered other problems in the past. 'Bog Oaks' there has been other evidence uncovered of the watery past of the area. Finds include the remains of Whales, Seals and Walruses. From dryer times, the remains of Bears, Beaver, Wild Ox and Wolves have been found. In the bronze age there is evidence that man populated The Fens, insomuch that metal weapons and implements have been found. Pottery and coins from the Roman occupation have also been located. Later the natives of the Fens called the 'Girvi', and Queen Boudicca of the of the 'Icene' in Norfolk attacked the Romans that had invaded Britain, but they were eventually put down. The Romans unsuccessfully tried to drain the Fens and built many banks to fend off the flood waters, hence the name 'Roman Bank' which is a very common name throughout The Fens of today. Later still there is evidence that The Fens became a refuge for outlaws and religious men, including St Guthlac who founded the place called 'Crolande' (Now Crowland), and there are other monastic sites, like Ramsey Abbey, Isle of Ely, and Thorney Abbey, also Peterborough which was later ransacked by the Vikings who settled in The Fens, and villages ending in 'toft' , 'thorpe' or 'by' are generally regarded as original Viking settlements. There is even evidence that a Viking long boat was uncovered at Manea. We then come to 'Hereward-the-Wake', who was a Robin Hood type figure, and led a revolt against William the Conquerer, He was finally betrayed by the Monks at Ely, when it was an Island and virtually impassible to the Normans. Followed by 'King John' who aledgedly lost his treasure in The Wash somewhere between Sutton Bridge and Wisbech, an area noted in those days for it's quicksands, which is now dry land in this day and age, as there has been a lot of drainage and reclaiming of land since King John's Time. At a junction in the Ouse where the it joins a River fed by the Cam, Lark, Little Ouse and Wissey is what is called Denver Sluice which was built in it's present form by a Swiss engineer names Labely. From this point nearly to Kings Lynn the River Ouse is accompanied by a relief channel that runs nearly parallel to the main river, but at a point named Magdalen Bend, where the Ouse snaked, the River was re-cut through the silt to take out the bend, and the relief channel was cut through the old river course. Making both Rivers virtually straight. There have been more battles fought and threatened in this water sodden place than anywhere else in England. In the last war, the Nazi hordes were expected to invaded down The Wash, and try and cut the country in two, so concrete bunkers and watchtowers sprung up along the foreshore, and many of them are still there today. The Luftwaffe used the Wash to gain access to the Midland cities. Places like Spalding were bombed regularly, even though it had no military or industrial significance. Why? Because it was the last place to unload bombs before returning across The Wash. |
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| Note: The location of the picture on the right is just beyond the telegraph pole. and Crowland Abbey is behind the second tree on the right |
| The only windbreaks during winter in the silt Fens defying the icy winds from the east, are the wooden poles that stand defiantly with their feet firmly embedded in silt as opposed to their fellows in the peat lands who lean over at crazy angles with their feet buried in moving peat. |
| Left are telegraph poles and to the right are electric poles. Some say it is a boring place others view it as a fascinating place. |
| Please bear in mind that this road is going to be several feet below sea level, and originally would be covered at high tide. |
| Note the pylon, one of many that stride across the flat fens in a direct route |