Burwell Lode

Burwell Lode

Burwell Lode is one of the Cambridgeshire lodes, a man-made channel used for the transport between the fen edge villages and the county's great rivers. Burwell Lode runs from the village of Burwell and joins Reach Lode about ¾ miles from the River Cam south of Wicken Fen.

The present course of the Lode was cut in the mid seventeenth century, replacing the previous course, which was referred to as the Old Lode. At Burwell, two branches diverge in opposite directions, both of which had wharves. 'Anchor Straits' to the south was used by coasters and 'Weirs' to the north was used by lighters.

The lode is crossed near Wicken by bascule bridge.

History

Burwell became more important than Reach when T T Ball opened the Burwell Chemical Works, which was built between 1864 and 1865. Fertilizer was produced from coprolites, ancient fossilised dung extracted from the newly drained fens, using a process which had been developed by a man who lived locally. The works became the Patent Manure Works in the 1890s, and following a partnership, was owned by Colchester and Ball, who ran a fleet of three steam tugs and a large number of lighters, which were carrying around 10,000 tons a year by the early 20th century, despite the fact that the works had been served by a railway siding since 1900. Richard Ball had opened a brickworks nearby, which was served by a channel which became known as Factory Lode.

Cockup Bridge over Burwell Lode near Wicken Fen

Prentice Brothers Ltd, who had built barges at Burwell until 1920, and repaired and maintained them there until 1936, took over the Manure Works in 1921. In addition to the fertilizer, the barges carried coal, stone and sugar beet, and the yellow bricks produced by the Burwell Brick Company. The toll structure was complicated, as the South Level Commissioners were responsible for both Burwell Lode and Reach Lode, but tolls of 3 pence (1.2p) per ton were payable to the Burwell Fen Drainage Commissioners, and a further 3 pence per ton for use of the connecting stretch of Reach Lode had to be paid to the Swaffham and Bottisham Drainage Commissioners.

The fertilizer company Fisons took over the factory in 1929. Prentice's lighters were bought by A. V. Jackson in 1936, and Jacksons continued to carry fertilizer until 1948. Trade in sugarbeet continued until 1963. Production of fertilizer at the site ceased in 1962, and the brickworks, which made up to 10 million bricks a year, finally closed in 1971.

The waterway is comparatively wide, at 40 to 45 feet, and the junction of the branches at Burwell provides a point at which long boats can be turned, but the modern lock at Upware restricts access to boats less than 63 feet long. It is also quite deep, and the 2007 Strategy Study considered the option of reconstructing it at a lower level, but did not recommend this action.