The River Witham, from source to sea

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Creative Commons Licence [Some Rights Reserved]   Text © Copyright April 2020, Tim Heaton; licensed for re-use under a Creative Commons Licence.
Images also under a similar Creative Commons Licence.


Boston



TF3244 : The 'Boston Stump' by the River Witham by Tim Heaton
The River Witham passing the Boston'Stump'
The tower of St Botolph's church, completed in 1510, and always known as 'the Stump', rises 272 feet above the flat surface of the Fens. It has long served as a valuable landmark for those on land and sea; and, during World War II, for pilots returning to air bases in Lincolnshire.




TF3244 : Grand Sluice Lock, Boston by Tim Heaton
The Grand Sluice, Boston
The original barrage (subsequently enlarged and improved) was completed in 1766, and provided a much needed stabilisation on the water levels of the river Witham; improving navigation and reducing flooding. The barrage allows the river to be isolated from large tidal variations in 'The Haven' (the name of the final part of the river's connection to The Wash).



The influence of the Grand Sluice is clearly illustrated from these two pictures. Note how the level of the water in the River Witham in the distance, beyond the Grand Sluice, is unaffected by the large change in level of water in the tidal part, this side of the sluice.






TF3244 : Looking southeast to Town Bridge from St. Botolph's footbridge on the River Witham, Boston by Derek Voller
The tidal nature of the canalised Witham downstream of the Grand Sluice makes it less visually appealing



TF3243 : South Quay, Boston by David P Howard TF3243 : The Haven, Boston by Dave Hitchborne TF3243 : Boats on the Witham, alongside London Road by Tim Heaton TF3243 : Boston Harbour railway swing bridge by Alan Murray-Rust

TF3242 : Black Sluice Pumping Station by J.Hannan-Briggs
Black Sluice pumping station and lock
The Witham below the Grand Sluice continues to receive drainage waters from the Fens; here from the South Forty Foot Drain - a major drainage dyke south-west of Boston. A new lock installed in 2009 as part of the Fens Waterways Link project allows navigation into the first 19 miles of the Drain



[map TF 3322 4309]

Port of Boston
The importance of Boston as a port grew in the middle ages. The export of wool, booming since the 13th century, contributed to the town paying more tax than any other town except London. Other exports included grain, salt and lead; with wine, timber and fish as the main imports. By the 16th century movement of the wool trade to other centres, and silting of the river, led to a decline in port activity. Fortunes revived in the 18th century when drainage of the Fens and improvement in the Witham navigation made Boston a major route for exporting grain to London. Present annual tonnage is reported as about 1.3 million, principally dry bulk goods, grain and feedstuffs, hazardous cargo, forest products and general cargo.

TF3242 : Port of Boston by Richard Croft TF3343 : Docks, Boston by Stephen Richards TF3441 : Not all bad by Ian Paterson


The Haven, to the sea


The Haven was a tidal creek up which early settlers could access habitable land beyond the coastal salt flats; with Boston developing at its head. The growth of Boston as a port, however, only occurred after 1014, when the river Witham entered the Haven after severe flooding diverted it from an outflow further west.

TF3342 : The Vicky Ellen (left) passing the Mary Angus, the Haven, Boston by Tim Heaton TF3442 : The 'Five J's' making her way up The Haven to Boston by Tim Heaton TF3441 : 'Tricia B' making her way up The Haven to Boston by Tim Heaton TF3541 : Lagoon along The Haven by Mat Fascione TF3540 : The 'Elisabeth-S' making her way down The Haven by Tim Heaton TF3540 : Lagoons next to The Haven by Graham Horn

TF3640 : Memorial to the Pilgrim Fathers by Tim Heaton
Memorial to the Pilgrim Fathers
In 1607 members of the Scrooby Congregation, Protestant separatists from Nottinghamshire, chartered a Dutch vessel to transport them to the Netherlands. Whilst awaiting the vessel near this spot they were arrested and briefly imprisoned in Boston. They later escaped to the Netherlands from the Humber in 1607. In 1620 many of the congregation then emigrated to the colony of Virginia aboard the Speedwell in company with the Mayflower.



TF3639 : Hobhole Drain (left) joining the River Witham (The Haven) by Tim Heaton TF3639 : Pumping station on the mouth of Hobhole drain by Tim Heaton TF3639 : Ships outbound on the Haven, Boston: aerial 2019 (1) by Chris TF3739 : Looking across the River Witham to Cut End Cottages by Tim Heaton

TF3838 : Pillbox overlooking The Scalp by Tim Heaton
Pillbox overlooking the salt flats of Frampton Marsh south of the Haven embankment
There are several pillboxes of this type on both slopes of the south embankment of the Haven: small, square, with small embrasures.



TF3838 : The Scalp from the sea bank by Ian Paterson TF3938 : Nearing the mouth of the River Witham by Tim Heaton TF3939 : Outfall of Rivers Witham (Haven) and Welland: aerial 2019 (2) by Chris

[map TF 3971 3913]

TF3939 : Seat looking to Tabs Head by Tim Heaton
The Witham finally reaches the sea
Looking towards Tabs Head, marked by the navigation beacon visible just offshore. Here the river Witham on the left flows into The Wash alongside the River Welland on the right.

The Witham at this point is 35 miles from its source (by crow), but has travelled 86 miles to get here.




Selected References


Most of the publications below are available as .pdf files from the web

Fox, Jon (2022). The Witham: Lincolnshire's River. ISBN: 978-0-9932696-2-2. This detailed, and beautifully illustrated book was published after the above article.

Wikipedia articles on the River Witham, Lincoln, Boston, History of Lincolnshire.

Boreham, S et al., 2010. The Quaternary history of the Wash fluvial network, UK. Proceedings of the Geologists' Association, 121, 393-409.

Bridgland, D.R. et al. (2015). New insight into the Quaternary evolution of the River Trent, UK., Proceedings of the Geologists' Association., 126, 466-479.

Geology of the Grantham district: memoir for 1:50000 geological sheet 127, British Geological Survey, 1999.

Gibbard, P.L. et al. (2013). The Bytham river reconsidered. Quaternary International, 292, 15-32.

Lee, J.R. et al., 2008. Pre-Devensian lithostratigraphy of shallow marine, fluvial and glacial deposits in northern East Anglia. Quaternary of northern East Anglia - Field Guide. Edinburgh: Quaternary Research Association.

Abbeys of the Witham Valley. Lincolnshire Museums 1978.

Antiquities from the River Witham, Archaeology Series No. 12, Lincolnshire Museums Information Sheet, 1979.

Boston Borough Council Strategic Flood Risk Assessment, AECOM, October 2010.

River Witham Catchment Flood Management Plan, Summary Report December 2009. Environment Agency.

National Library of Scotland - Map Images.

'http://www.localhistories.org/locallist.html.






KML

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