Vermuyden’s Drainage Scheme – Phase 1 – Drainage of Hatfield Chase – 1626-1628
The first phase of Cornelius Vermuyden’s works took place between 1626 and 1628
- The River Idle was blocked up at its junction with Bickersdike, shown on the 1596 map as Sadlersbrig – now known as Idlestop.
- The entire flow of the Idle now flowed along Bickersdike to enter the River Trent at West Stockwith
- The 1596 map of the southern part of the Isle of Axholme shows this point before it was blocked.
- The eastern branch of the River Don, which once flowed past Crowle toward Adlingfleet, was blocked near Thorne, diverting its entire course northwards along Turnbridgedyke into the River Aire near Cowick.
- A barrier bank known as the Ashfield Bank was built to prevent the River Don from flooding the newly drained land. A navigable sluice—called a Sass by the Dutch—was incorporated into the bank so that boats carrying drainage materials could continue through to Sandtoft.
- A barrier bank, known as Dikesmarsh Bank, was built on the East side of Turnbridgedike to prevent the additional waters from the diversion of the River Don from flooding the drained area.
- A Barrier bank on the north bank of Bickersdike, now the only course of the Idle, from Idlestop to West Stockwith
- A new drain, known as the New Idle, was created by straightening the former course of the River Idle. It ran for just over eight miles from Idlestop to Dirtness, where it turned east, where it was known as the South River, and continued for a further five and a half miles before discharging into the River Trent at Althorpe.
- The system relied entirely on gravity drainage, operating without pumps. At low tide, the sluices into the Trent were opened to release water from the drains, and were closed again as soon as the tide began to rise.
- A new drain was also constructed, which ran from Thorne to Althorpe – known as North River.
- The River Torne was also rerouted – though not to its current route – this will be described in the next post.