Keep on pumping

      We paid a visit to our favourite butcher on Monday and decided that our route back would be a little bit of a slow rally round our part of the West Norfolk Fenland. There's one section of road that runs between two drains, the drain on the northerly side of the road is Smeeth Lode and the one opposite is called Mill Basin, to the north the expanse of land is called Black Ditch Level. Great names and straight out of Charles Dickens.
      Out of interest I've caught pike and perch in both but nothing of any great size I think that's probably because they are fairly shallow and get pumped out to quite low water levels.

      And on the topic of excess water the pumps at the western end were really going with all four outlet pipes churning the water out as it made its way to the tidal Great Ouse near Kings Lynn. The major source of water for the pump is the 'Chancellor's Dike' whose network drains a vast tract of land to the south and all of that water ends here at Subscription Bridge.
      The not very inspiring plaque below details the men of the Kings Lynn Drainage Board who made it all possible or at least provided the improvements to the system. They made some excellent waterways too. I wonder if William Pepper is related to the well know Sergeant?