Vermuyden and the Dagenham Breach – 1623

In the 1200s, large embankments were constructed along the Thames to protect the low-lying land from flooding. These fertile marshes provided excellent grazing for cattle, but maintaining the river walls was both time-consuming and labour-intensive.

By 1400, maintaining the river defences had become unsustainable. For the next century, large areas of marshland were abandoned. While still used for some grazing and reed harvesting for thatched roofs, the area also gained a reputation for its oyster beds.

Gradually, over the next two centuries, the river walls were restored, and the water levels behind them brought back under control. However, in 1621, a major breach occurred again at Dagenham. Cornelius Vermuyden was engaged by the Commissioners of Sewers for the County of Essex to undertake repairs. He not only stopped the breach but also enclosed the entire Dagenham Creek with new embankments. At the mouth of the main watercourse (or “watergang”), he installed a sluice—an innovative structure for the time. This consisted of a strong gate suspended on hinges, designed to open only outward. As the tide rose, it pressed the gate shut, preventing the river from flooding the reclaimed land.

This system held for nearly 80 years. However, on 17 December 1707, the sluice was catastrophically destroyed. A combination of an extreme spring tide and a heavy flood of river water caused the gate to “blow up,” resulting in significant flooding once again.

Sources:
Essex Field Club. “The Dagenham Breach.” The Essex Naturalist, vol. 6, 1892, pp. 159–162.
Smiles, Samuel. “Sir Cornelius Vermuyden.” Lives of the Engineers: Early Engineering. Vermuyden. Myddelton. Perry. James Brindley, vol. 1, J. Murray, 1874, pp. 19-68.