Ferriby Sluice
The River Ancholme enters the River Humber, which forms the
boundary between Lincolnshire and Yorkshire, through a sluice completed in 1844
by Sir John Rennie at the hamlet of Ferriby Sluice just
outside South Ferriby. The image below was taken approaching slack water with the
sluice gates slightly ajar to regulate the water level in the marina on the
River Ancholme, a river which has long been used as a navigation and drainage
channel.
The sluice itself is Scheduled under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological areas Act, 1979 as being of national Importance.
Historic England, Ferriby Sluice, Scheduled Monument No.
1005244
The Ancholme was usually navigable to the market town of Brigg, allowing trade with many areas, particularly in timber and agricultural products.
Back in the 11th century the only crossing was by wading through a ford where the river was just a few feet deep. A very small settlement was clustered near the crossing point. The first recorded reference to the county of Lincolnshire was in 1016 and the area was surveyed by the Domesday Commissioners after the Norman Conquest. Few people lived in the tiny hamlet and were probably involved only in a little agriculture, fishing and wildfowling. The meandering river was connected directly to the tidal Humber and the district was subject to frequent flooding, particularly during the winter. Brigg really came of age in 1205 when the first Thursday market and two fairs a year were established by way of Royal Charter.
Improvements, Drainage and Trade
There are records of improvements to the river to improve drainage and alleviate flooding from as early as the thirteenth century. The river now runs in two channels known as the "Old River Ancholme" and the "New River Ancholme", the latter being the result of a local landowner cutting a straight drainage channel in 1635 to help take the waters of numerous becks out to the River Humber, whilst the old "Old River Ancholme" follows its natural course..
The arrival of turnpike roads was also a boost to improved communications and trade on which Brigg relied. Methodist pioneer John Wesley visited Brigg in the late 1700s and described it as “a noisy, turbulent town.” In 1794 Brigg Fair attracted 200 people from Hull by boat and historic buildings dating from the 18th century still survive today.
Sir John Rennie’s work on improving the drainage of the Ancholme, including Ferriby Sluice in the 1820s, meant that traffic along the river expanded significantly, particularly to Hull, with regular steam packet services from Brigg carrying cargo of many kinds.
Brigg Marketplace in 1836
Navigation
The navigation of the river and its relevance to the local economy can be traced back to the Iron Age.
A giant prehistoric boat and a causeway were discovered near the Ancholme during construction work in the late 19th century, showing that the area had been inhabited during ancient times.
Discovery of a log boat near Brigg, 1866
As recently as 1981 a further ancient log boat was discovered and is now preserved at the archaeological Museum at Lincoln, The Collection, which I recently went to visit (below).
Brigg
Improvements, Drainage and Trade
There are records of improvements to the river to improve drainage and alleviate flooding from as early as the thirteenth century. The river now runs in two channels known as the "Old River Ancholme" and the "New River Ancholme", the latter being the result of a local landowner cutting a straight drainage channel in 1635 to help take the waters of numerous becks out to the River Humber, whilst the old "Old River Ancholme" follows its natural course..
The arrival of turnpike roads was also a boost to improved communications and trade on which Brigg relied. Methodist pioneer John Wesley visited Brigg in the late 1700s and described it as “a noisy, turbulent town.” In 1794 Brigg Fair attracted 200 people from Hull by boat and historic buildings dating from the 18th century still survive today.
Sir John Rennie’s work on improving the drainage of the Ancholme, including Ferriby Sluice in the 1820s, meant that traffic along the river expanded significantly, particularly to Hull, with regular steam packet services from Brigg carrying cargo of many kinds.
Brigg Marketplace in 1836
Horkstow Bridge
Rennie was also responsible for the design of an early suspension bridge which spans the New River Ancholme at Horkstow, about 1.1 miles (1.8 km) upstream from Ferriby Sluice. It links the villages of Horkstow, east of the river, and Winterton on the west. A ferry had previously connected the villages, and it is believed a bridge had occupied the site from the 18th century, providing access to brick-making kilns located on the west side. The bridge was open to vehicles until recently, but movement can be felt even under pedestrian traffic. It is now mainly used by walkers and cyclists. It can be approached from the east via Bridge Lane, just north of Horkstow, but on the west bank only a dirt track remains. Horkstow Bridge is a Grade II* listed building, which is testament to Rennie's design and marks its historical importance to the local infrastructure and commercial requirements.
Horkstow Bridge
Relevance to my work
My research into the history of the River Ancholme has enabled me to put the importance of managing the river, its drainage and importance to the local economy into context. The recent tidal surge and floods are not only a constant threat to the area now, but have been an issue for many years, as the works by Sir John Rennie demonstrate. The fact that such an important engineer was called in to design the sluice and suspension bridge is good evidence to say that the Ancholme River played a vital role in local trade and had to be kept open and navigable. The threat from high tides and the difficulty of draining such low-lying land had to be kept in check from its earliest days.
Much of what I have described above is still visible today. Many of the works I have made so far involve the landscape around the sluice and the outlet of the river into the Humber Estuary. I have also made prints and paintings of the diverted river and objects surrounding it. I have visited the archaeological museum at Lincoln and seen the log boat referred to above and other Iron Age and Roman remains. I have visited Brigg and seen for myself the historic market place and many Georgian and Victorian buildings which still survive. I have walked across the ancient wooden boards of Horkstow Bridge and taken many photographs. It is a quiet backwater and it is difficult to imagine the important role that the bridge played at the time it was built.
In summary, the threat of flooding to the area and the importance of keeping the channel open for trade sets in place the historical context of the river. I feel that the aspect of "time" and the use by humans of the land and waterways plays a large part in my practice and interests, especially as global warming and climate change can have such devastating effects .
No comments:
Post a Comment