The Ouse Washes Website

South Level Drainage

Introduction

The section of the 'Great Level of the Fens' to the east of the Ouse Washes, reclaimed by drainage during the mid-17th Century, is known as the 'South Level' (SL). It is NOT part of the Ouse Washes, but water is transfered into and out of the Washes, and that plus the operation of Denver Sluice affects operations within the Washes.

Much of the land is below mean sea level and excess water has to be pumped up into raised and embanked "main rivers"

Management

Originally a division of the Bedford Level Corporation (BLC), and managed by them, the South Level gained some self control under an act of Parliament of 1830.

Today, the main (high-level) rivers are maintained by the Environment Agency (EA), the latest successors to the BLC, and the low lands are divided into districts, each managed by a local organisation known (generally) as an Inland Drainage Board (IDB) managed by people who own or farm land in the district.

Boards usually have representatives of local authorities (e.g Borough Councils). The IDBs own and operate Pumping Stations and also manage the majority of the network of drains that feed to them. IDBs also draw water from the main rivers for summer irrigation, often at a pumping station.

Major works undertaken

In 1827-1830 the South Level Commissioners straightened the Ouse by a cut from just below Ely to Sands Hill End near Littleport Bridge, eliminating the bend through Burnt Fen, increasing velocity and scouring power of the river

My project

The South Level Webpages are a companion to my main project, The Ouse Washes Website, a history and study of the management of the Ouse, or One Hundred Foot, Washes. All pumping stations in the South Level that discharge into the rivers bounding the Washes (Bedford Ouse, and New Bedford River or Hundred Foot Drain) are included.

For my purposes, I am defining the area as that drained by the Great Ouse from Hermitage Lock to Denver Sluice and its tributaries in between. Sections of the Great Ouse in this area are known by other names - Old West River in the south, Ely Ouse in the middle and Ten Mile River in the north. The main tributaries are the Cam, Lark, Little Ouse and Wissey.

KDG Hinde in his wonderful book Fenland Pumping Engines published by Landmark Publications Ltd in 2006, lists 29 steam and/or diesel stations in the South Level. He and his son Edward visited them all and recorded their history, often in great detail.

During 2011-16 I visited ten of them, taking many colour photos of the sites, including electric-powered plant. My pages contain many of my photos and information I've gathered, with some brief notes from Mr Hinde's book
Map: old OS 1" map annoted by Peter Cox, May 2014
Mr Hinde's ref numbers are shown thus: S22B, for Lower Padnall (at top).

Many of the IDBs have grouped together in recent times to share administrative and engineering costs whilst still maintaining their independence. The two major groups are Ely and Downham Market .


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History

The South Level was one of Vermuyden's three divisions of the "Great Level of the Fens known as Bedford Level". It covering approx 120,000 acres and was administered by The Bedford Level Corporation, through the office of a Superintendent, from 1663 until 1920, although much of the responsibility was transferred to other bodies in 1830.

The principal works maintained by the BLC within the South Level included:

• Rivers
• Banks
  • The South Level Barrier Banks on the south side of the Bedford Ouse and east side of the Hundred Foot River from above Overcote to Denver Sluice
    • Overcote to Mepal known as the Upper Division
    • Mepal to Denver Sluice, the Littleport and Downham District Division
  • Cradge bank on the west side of the Hundred Foot River
  • Banks of Sandy's or Sandall's Cut
• Sluices
  • Hermitage on the Old West River
  • Denver Sluice
  • Welmore Lake Sluice
  • Upware Sluice
  • Swaffham Sluice
  • Bottisham Sluice on the River Cam (or Granta)
  • "Owens Sluice and Drain", aka Mepal Sluice and Great Dyke, across the Wash at Mepal
• Bridges
  • Hermitage Bridge
  • over the Hundred Foot River at Sutton Gault
  • over the Hundred Foot River at Mepal

Pumping Stations

 

station/engine name & OS grid	discharge into	from IDB (& area)	power	built (in-use)	remarks
Alder Fen 6229 8004	Lark	Mildenhall	diesel electric electric	1944 19?? 2007?
Aldreth (Haddenham) 427 728	Grt Ouse Old West	Haddenham Level	steam steam diesel electric electric	1831 1897-1948 1949 1970s 2010	Maudsley & Field Allen in 1831 house 2 x Mirrlees in new hse both sold 1990s in 1949 house on site of steam house
Brandon 619 893	Little Ouse	Burnt Fen	steam steam diesel	1829-1892 1892-1925 1925-1958	plant removed 1892 plant removed 1933 engine removed >1962 Site abandoned 1958 - see Whitehall PS
Haddenham see Aldreth
Harrimere 5540 7644	Grt Ouse	Middle Fen & Mere
Henny 5661 7506		Middle Fen & Mere (Soham Fen)	wind gas steam steam diesel electric	1831-1833 1839-1910 1910-1940 1940-1986 1986>	to supplement wind new house in 1839 house new house new house
Hundred Foot		Littleport & Downham	wind steam steam steam diesel diesel electric	1756-1830 1830-1882 1882-1914 1914-1950 1926-1965 1950> 1986>	Butterley Butterley Gwynnes Mirrlees in new house Ruston in steam house Flygt. New site
Lark Engine 6097 8260	Lark	Burnt Fen	steam steam diesel diesel diesel electric	1842-1833 1883-1937 1926-1974 1945 1976> 1997>	Boulton & Watt Hawthorn-Davey. Plant removed 1945 Blackstone in new house. Crossley-Premier in another new house Dorman (auto run) in 1945 hse in new house/position
Lower Padnall 5755 8563	Grt Ouse Sandy's Cut	Padnall & Waterden	wind steam steam diesel electric electric	1833-1879 1879-1881 1881-1937 1937-c1970 c1970-c200? 200??	"locomotive" Easton & Anderson. Plant scrapped 1937 Allen S27 in 1881 steam house Allen-Gwynnes in new house. Replaced 200? in another new house?
Mildenhall Fodder Fen 6283 7905	Lark	Mildenhall	steam diesel	1844 1944	all disused & derelict; for sale since 2007
Mildenhall 6305 7859	Lark		wind		rems of 8-sided wind pump, private house
New Mill 6279 7890	Lark	Middle Fen & Mere	diesel electric electric	1944 19?? 2007?
New Ten Mile 607 940	Grt Ouse Ten Mile R	Littleport & Downham	electric	1980>	replaced Ten Mile Bank PS
Overfall 5613 8032	Grt Ouse	Middle Fen & Mere	wind diesel electric	? 1913-1971 2007>	disel eng removed '71
Oxlode
Prickwillow 5976 8242	Lark	Middle Fen & Mere	steam steam steam diesel electric diesel	1831 1880 1897 1923-1958 1958> 1958>	in new house in 1831 house Mirrlees in 1880 house. Preserved by trust Lancashire Dynamo & Crypton in new house Dorman in new house with electric pump
Stretham					now a museum
Sutton Gault	100 Foot	Haddenham Level	diesel electric	1971
Ten Mile Bank (original site) 600 963	Grt Ouse Ten Mile R	Littleport & Downham	steam steam steam diesel diesel	1820-1842 1842-1912 1912-1948 1935-1995 1948-1995	Hague & Topham. Demolished/plant sold 1842 Butterley in new house like 100 Ft PS 2 x Allen pumpsets in truncated 1842 house Allen S60 replaced 1 steam engine Allen T47 replaced other steam eng. In 1980, station replaced by New Ten Mile PS This stn stand-by only 1980-95, then diesels removed to Prickwillow museum. 1842 house now domestic dwelling.
Upper Padnall (old) 5786 8392	Lark	Padnall & Waterden	steam steam diesel	1831 1884 1937-1988	all demolished 1998 ??
Upper Padnall (new) 5674 8199		Padnall & Waterden	electric
Whitehall 5867 8898	Grt Ouse	Burnt Fen	electric	1958	replaced Brandon PS
Willingham					now held by private trust

Note all OS grid refs are TL

References and Bibliography

ref	notes, sources and glossary used in text and tables throughout this page
1	ELY Group of IDBs website
2	KSG Hinde: Fenland Pumping Engines, Landmark, 2006
3	Personal observation during site visits
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