South Forty-foot drain

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The South Forty-foot Drain is the main channel for the land-drainage of the Black Sluice Level in the Lincolnshire Fens. It lies in eastern England between Guthram Gowt, reference TF171225 and the Black Sluice on The Haven, at Boston. ⁽¹⁾

Contents 1 Origins 2 Functions 3 Maps 4 Footnotes

[edit] Origins

It is about 32 kilometres long and serves the function of parts of the Double Twelves system of drainage in the Black Sluice scheme's predecessor, the Lindsey Level. That in turn, superseded the Midfen Dyke of the medieval fens. By the year 1500, this last was regarded more as a boundary marker between the Parts of Holland and Kesteven, than as a drain for the land.

[edit] Functions

The South Forty Foot now serves this boundary function over the length where it runs roughly south to north. This is broadly, from the River Glen to the Nottingham to Boston railway. As the South Forty Foot crosses the line of the Midfen Dyke, the boundary between Boston (borough) (Holland) and North Kesteven (Kesteven) takes up its medieval course. In this Aerial photograph the boundary is shown in the map overlay. See also map 7.

The main job of the drain is to gather the waters pumped from the Kesteven and Holland Fens from the Weir Dyke⁽²⁾, a soak dike in Bourne North Fen, alongside the Bourne Eau and River Glen, northwards and eastwards to the Black Sluice at Boston, where they are discharged to the tidal waters of The Haven. In this aerial photograph of The Black Sluice, the waters of The Haven (here misnamed in the map overlay, "River Witham") are pale with silt.

[edit] Maps

1. Overview
2. The Weir Dike where Bourne Eau joins the River Glen.
3. At Guthram, The Engine Drain and Weir Dike join and head north as the South Forty Foot.
4. Pumping stations add water from the fens each side.
5. The Twenty Foot Drain is a re-used part of the Lindsey Level works.
6. The Old Forty Foot is one of the Double Twelves, of the Lindsey Level and the drain just to the east of the South Forty Foot is a remnant of the Medieval Midfen Dyke.
7. At Wragmer Stake, the South Forty Foot begins to turn more sharply towards Boston.
8. The South Forty Foot rounds the ancient head of Bicker Haven.
9. The South Forty Foot receives the water of the North Forty Foot.
10. The Black Sluice at Boston Haven.
11. The South Forty Foot crosses the medieval Midfen Dyke. (Aerial photograph).

[edit] Footnotes

• Note (1): The coordinates of the Black Sluice are 54.966° N 0.025°W.
• Note (2): The Weir Dyke takes its name from a weir in the bank of the Bourne Eau at Tongue End. The river bank would be called a levee in some parts of the world. The weir allows water to escape from the Glen to be collected in an orderly manner by the Weir Dike, when the Glen's capacity is exceeded in time of flood. Miles, W.D. A History of the Drainage of Bourne South Fen and Thurlby Fen (1976)