The Fens

Hello,everyone,Ive been talking,about the area I live in and thought it might help if I was to clarify things abit,so with the help of my brother inlaw Pete,(Jeans husband)here is a brief history of the Fens, The Fens were formed over many thousands of years and have continualy changed in there shape and size to become the fens we know today. They were before mans intervention made up of vast areas of salt water marshes and rich vegetation. That would be washed down by the three main rivers that enter the fens these being the rivers Nene Welland and Ouse. These rivers would carry vast quantities of rich soil down from the Midlands and deposit them in the low lying areas . It was decided that with a lot of hard work and money that the Fens were right for a drainage scheme   that was to be undertaken by the richest men in the land . These brave men some calling them foolish, were to be rewarded for their efforts by the crown ,the more money they put into the scheme the more of the new land they would receive,these men were  known as adventurers. Although there had been many small scale attempts to drain different parts of this vast area over the last two thousand years. The adventurers started their work in the sixteen thirties and took about two hundred and twenty years before real success was achieved. The man that made the biggest and most successful impression was a Dutch man by the name of Cornelius Vermuden, he came over to design and supervise the net work of drains that were dug for many miles across the fens. I hope you find this of some interest,and it explains some things for you,A history/geography lesson and on a Sunday too !!   Have a happy and blessed Sunday      Jan xx