Southwestwards across Bell Water Drain and Old Fen Bank: aerial 2017

Image: © Chris Taken: 4 Mar 2017

Old Fen Bank marks the eastern edge of the East Fen. East of it lie the Low Grounds, and east of these is Low Road, the boundary with the Tofts. To the right of the road and bank the broken diagonal line marks the course of the Lusdyke. This was a drain cut just inside the fen bank near Firsby Clough and then down to the head of Wainfleet Haven. It dates from the 11th-12th century and was to divert water from the Lymn to help scour the harbour at Wainfleet. It was enclosed in a wooden trough and no water was supposed to escape it. When the fen was drained, it was filled in and the land sold off. With thanks to Professor I G Simmons for this information. The geology, layout and water management of this area over the centuries are discussed in "Creating dry land in S.E. Lindsey (Lincolnshire, England) before AD 1550", "Rural landscapes between the East Fen and the Tofts in south-east Lincolnshire 1100–1550" and "The landscape development of the Tofts of south east Lincolnshire 1100 1650", all by Professor I G Simmons. He and others have made some of this material available as "Margins of the East Fen: Historic Landscape Evolution" - see https://www.dur.ac.uk/east-lincs-history

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