From Punt to Plough: A History Of The Fens - Softcover

Sly, Rex

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0750933984 ISBN 13: 9780750933988

Publisher: The History Press, 2003

Synopsis

The counties of Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk, and Peterborough City Council all lay claim to a part of the Fens. Since Roman times mankind, by his ingenuity, hard work and determination has increased the land mass in this area by one third of the size. It is the largest plain in the British Isles, covering an area of nearly three-quarters of a million acres and is unique to the Uk. The fen people know the area as marsh (land reclaimed from the sea) and fen (land drained from flooding rivers running from the uplands). The Fens are unique in having more miles of navigable waterways than anywhere else in the Uk. Mammoth drainage schemes during the 17th and 18th centuries, undertaken primarily by Dutch engineers such as Sir Cornelius Vermuyden and Sir Phillibert Vernatti, changed the landscape forever - but it could be said that the Fens were not truly drained until the 20th century with improvements being carried out even to this day. Rex Sly's book draws on his many years of research, and his knowledge of and love for this unique area of England shines through on every page.

About this title

From the Author:

My book has sold the first print run in 5 weeks from publication not only in the fens themselves but also outside them. It is now on the second print run. I believe it is not only the drainage of the fens that people are interested in but also the social changes caused by the drainers and adventurers that came into the fens during the 17th c. Lots of interest from the media.

About the Author:

Rex Sly's family has been living in the Fens since 1545 and in Huntingdon the name Sly can be traced back to 1273. He is a farmer at Crowland, near Peterborough and a keen local historian.

About this edition

• Publisher: The History Press
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 0750933984
• ISBN 13: 9780750933988
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 160