Place:


Bedford Level  Cambridgeshire

 

In 1887, John Bartholomew's Gazetteer of the British Isles described Bedford Level like this:

Bedford Level, flat marshy dist., on the E. coast of England, comprising the greater part (703 sq. m.) of what is called the Fens -- the whole of Isle of Ely, Cambridgeshire, 89 sq. m. in Huntingdonshire, 98½ in Norfolk, 12½ in Northamptonshire, 47 in Suffolk and SE. part of Lincolnsh. ...


Extreme length from N. to S., 60 m.; breadth, 40 m. Two cuts or canals, the Bedford Rivers Old and New, have been constructed from the borders of Huntingdonshire through the Isle of Ely to confluence with river Stoke; the New river is 100 ft. wide, the Old 70 ft.; and these are both navigable for upwards of 20 miles. Much of the land has been reclaimed at vast expense; and grain, flax, and coleseed are raised in considerable quantities. Wild fowl abound, and are caught in great numbers for the London market.

Bedford Level through time

Bedford Level is now part of East Cambridgeshire district. Click here for graphs and data of how East Cambridgeshire has changed over two centuries. For statistics about Bedford Level itself, go to Units and Statistics.

How to reference this page:

GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth, History of Bedford Level in East Cambridgeshire | Map and description, A Vision of Britain through Time.

URL: https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/place/24888

Date accessed: 28th March 2024


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