Terrington St Clement History Group

Part of the Roman BANK
 

The Roman Bank is not Roman but of an undetermined later date. It runs for over fifty miles from the banks of the now defunct Old Ouse at Clenchwarton and around the base of the Wash to Terrington St.Clement to Walpole Cross Keys, Walpole St. Andrew, Walpole St Peter, West Walton and then to Wisbech. It then reappears on the west side of the river Nene and thence on to Tydd and then again follows the base of the Wash in Lincolnshire. The embankment carries on to abut the bank of the river Welland at Bicker Haven. At Terrington St.Clement it seems that at one time there must have been some kind of water course coming through the embankment to feed the salterns behind the sea wall. The topography suggests that there was such a water course through what is now the Pope’s Lane area continuing across to a point somewhere near Shepherdsgate. It then carried on into the fen beyond Tilney All Saints to possibly connect with the defunct river that is now where the Smeeth road is today.
 

Copy from Fadden’s map of the 17th century showing an early water course running from the Roman Bank out to the Wash . The thin blue line is the authors suggestion of how it may have continued inland.