Document
Holbeach
This drawing covers parts of Lincolnshire and Cambridgeshire, showing the River Witham at the top of the sheet flowing south-eastwards into Boston and the Wash. Drains across fens and marshland are highlighted in blue towards the lower part of the plan. These date from the 17th century, when James I appointed Dutch engineer, Cornelius Vermuyden to direct the drainage of the wetlands. Many local people opposed the scheme since it included commonland on which they grazed cattle. As a result of Vermuyden's work, the fens changed radically in appearance, from an area of flooded marshes to one of extensively farmed land.
The British Library1812
1812