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Popham's Eau - Part of The Middle Level Fenland Waterways

The Popham's Eau watercourse is named after Sir John Popham, who was the Lord Chief Justice at the time, work started on a drainage scheme near Upwell.

The scheme was abandoned in 1608, Popham's Eau, was his 5.6mi (9.0 km) cut from River Nene (Old Course - now part of the Middle Level Link Route, River Nene to River Great Ouse), around 6.5mi north east of March, Cambridgeshire to the Well Creek at Nordelph it still remains although under half is navigable today.

We cruised the navigable section of Popham's Eau (known by the Middle Level Commissioners' Chief Engineer as 'New Pophams Eau') from Low Corner at the junction with the River Nene (Old Course) to Three Holes junction with Sixteen Foot Drain in early June 2011. The navigable section of Popham's Eau is a dead straight cruise of around 2.2mi (3.5km) with high embankments either side.

There are no locks or sluices on Popham's Eau and at the half way point the view back towards Low Corner is highlighted by a number of wind turbines while the view forwards only had a pipe bridge and the B1098 road bridge to focus upon.

The navigation runs almost true west to east, is wide and the water deep. There are no visitor moorings and we didn't see another boat. The speed limit is 5mph

Navigation Authority - Middle Level Commissioners, 85 Whittlesey Road, March, Cambridgeshire PE15 OAH

Tel: 01354 653232

E-mail: engineers@middlelevel.gov.uk

Web: www.MiddleLevel.gov.uk

Ordnance Survey Map (OS) 143

There are no low bridges on this watercourse.