Introduction

Janet Galpin and Oliver Patterson decoy.farm@zetnet.co.uk
Mon, 21 Apr 2003 10:11:59 PDT
The message <3EA32E1C.10806@nj.rr.com>
from Arnold <Arnold@nj.rr.com> contains these words:

> Welcome Janet:

> Could you please elaborate on Fenland and fen silt.

> Arnold

Thanks for your welcome. This seems to be a very welcoming group.

Fenland is an area in the east of England which was originally under
water or consisted of salt marshes. It is still mainly below sea level
but was drained over the centuries. The process began with the Romans, I
believe, but was mostly carried out in the sixteenth century onwards by
methods close to those used in Holland. i.e. a whole network of
dykes/drains leading to the sea, plus sea banks and a lot of pumps.

The area is quite close to the sea (The Wash) where several rivers
drained and deposited silt. A lot of Fenland is peat but there is a band
of silt nearer the sea which was exposed as the area was drained.

I hope this tells you some of what you wanted to know. Please ask if it
doesn't.

Janet


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