Location :
Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire
South Cambridgeshire, Fenland, North Kesteven, South Kesteven, East Cambridgeshire, Huntingdonshire
City of Peterborough
North Kyme, Billinghay, Deeping St. James, Martin, South Kyme, Timberland, Farcet, Ewerby and Evedon, Peakirk, Deeping Gate, Northborough, Glinton, Newborough, Whittlesey, Eye, Willingham, Cottenham, Heighington, Branston and Mere, Washingborough, Waterbeach, Potter Hanworth, Ramsey, Landbeach, Chatteris, Sutton, Walcott, Metheringham, Nocton, Dunston, Somersham, Blankney, Horbling, Colne, Earith, Billingborough, Pointon and Sempringham, Dowsby, Asgarby and Howell, Haddenham, Morton & Hanthorpe, Haconby, Helpringham, Heckington, Great Hale, Little Hale, Swaton, Dunsby, Rippingale, Thurlby, Market Deeping, Bourne, Baston, Langtoft
Non Civil Parish
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More information : Car Dyke surveyed by Trollope in 1872 from the River Witham at Washingborough (TM 0270) to Fengate (TL 2098). (Annotations on 6" map strips in Linear Archive File.) (1)
Special annotated 6" map strip of Car Dyke from Park Wood Thurlby (TF 10106) to the south-west of Great Hale (TF 1642) compiled by Mrs Hallam, 1953-54. (See Linear Archive File). (2)
From the Northants/Lincs county boundary [River Welland] northwards, the Car Dyke is generally incorporated into modern drainage of arable land, and runs through an area of extensive Romano-British occupation.
Northwards from TF 145 500 [Halfpenny Bridge], contemporary sites close to the Car Dyke are spasmodic, but several good stretches with flanking banks survive. (See annotations on 6" map strips in Linear Archive File and re-surveyed earthwork sections at 25" scale) (3)
Course investigated south of the River Welland to Fengate. (See annotations on 6" map strips in Linear Archive File and re-surveyed earthwork sections at 25" scale (4)
Re-investigated at TF 118 152,TF 104 183 and TF 153 540 on 6" map strips and annotated on 6" map strips (5)
Car Dyke. A series of watercourses, usually in fairly straight lengths, extending from the River Cam at Waterbeach to the River Witham at Washingborough has been traditionally been named Car Dyke but this strictly applies to the section, largely in Lincolnshire, to the north of the River Nene at Peterborough. The application of the name to the Cambridgeshire section south of the River Nene (LINEAR 327) is erroneous.
The tradition that Car Dyke was a Roman canal has been refuted by recent investigation north of Bourne (6-7). It could not have possibly been used for water-borne transport, but is part of a fen drainage and land reclamation system. The dyke is not continuous, being interrupted at intervals by causeways, and functions as a catchwater, diverting water from the uplands to the west in east-flowing streams. Investigation of the section between the Welland and the Nene (10) has confirmed the function as a catchwater, constructed in the late 1st or early 2nd century. (6-13)
The course of the dyke between Billinghay and Ferry Bridge in Ewerby and Evedon was recorded at a scale of 1:10000 from aerial photographs as part of the Welland Valley project. (15-17) |