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Draining and Reclaiming Land

Draining and Reclaiming Land
Synopsis

In an effort to improve and stimulate British agriculture the Society became concerned with reclaiming land from the sea and draining land to improve crop production. Numerous premiums were awarded to those who had successfully added land by draining it or building dams. The Society also offered premiums for the cultivation and improvement of waste land, including finding the best practice of crop rotation on different types of soil and the successful drainage of marsh land.

This “Plan of a water meadow made out of a bog” was submitted by William Smith, who received a medal in 1805 for draining ‘Prisley Bog’.

Joseph Glynn wrote to the Society about his successful use of steam power to drain and improve fens and marsh lands in Lincoln and Cambridgeshire and was rewarded with the Gold Isis Medal in 1835. He provided numerous large plans showing different examples of his work. The one shown here demonstrates his use of a “Steam engine of 60 Horses Power” to drain an area known as “Middle Fen” near Soham, Cambridgeshire (1832).

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This shows a map of some sea marsh land, enclosed under the directions of Lieutenant Page of His Majesty’s Corps of Engineers. This is thought to explain the method of carrying on such works against running water.

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This illustrates sections through the principal part of the sea bank, showing the action of the water at different periods of time as the work was carried out.

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