Ely Internal Drainage Boards

Ely Group of Internal Drainage Boards

The Drainage Office, Main St, PRICKWILLOW, Nr Ely, Cambridgeshire, CB7 4UN

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Lakenheath

The Lakenheath Internal Drainage Board was originally constituted in 1768 and its District is situated to the north west of the village of Lakenheath in Suffolk, on the edge of the Fenland Basin, part of the South Level Fens.

The District Boundary encloses approximately 1,975 ha. of mainly agricultural land with a low concentration of private dwellings, agricultural properties/buildings and associated infrastructure. Approximately 260 ha. of “highland water” from outside the District drains to the Board’s system.

The Little Ouse River forms part of the northern boundary and the cut-off channel intersects the District running north to south. The Ely to Norwich railway line intersects the District running east to west.

Large areas of the District are below “mean sea level” and considerably below “flood level” and are therefore reliant on pumped land drainage for their existence, as they have been for many years. The pumping station basin is one of the few remaining areas of “deep peat” in the “fens”. This overlies sand and chalk. Areas of sandy drift form the slightly high lands to the south and east.