The River Welland

The waterway which runs through the Deepings from west to east provides an attractive Sunday afternoon walk that belies its status as one of the three major lowland rivers traversing eastern England to their outfall in the Wash, along with the Nene and the Great Ouse to the south. 

The Welland rises in the Hothorpe Hills at Sibbertoft in Northamptonshire before flowing eastwards to Market Harborough, Stamford and the Deepings, then on to Spalding and the North Sea, a distance of 65 miles and with its tributaries, forms a river system with a catchment area of more than 600 square miles. 

The Deepings had a river trade from the earliest times but this was given added impetus in the early 17th century when it was opened up from Stamford to the sea, bringing added employment and prosperity. Until then, several water mills on the Welland between there and Market Deeping had been making it difficult for commercial traffic and in 1571, merchants appealed to Queen Elizabeth to construct a new cut which would make the river navigable throughout.  

The work was eventually approved in 1620 to allow the passage of boats, lighters and other vessels for a fee of 3d. per ton, so bringing added opportunities for the Deepings where wharves, landing stages and jetties had already sprung up along the river bank to handle cargoes of coal, wood, wine and provisions, often brought in by convoys of five vessels at a time, each carrying twenty tons, and drawn by horses along tow paths that can still be seen today in several places.  

When the barges arrived in Market Deeping, workmen would be waiting at the jetties close to the main street to unload and the goods transported by horse and cart to nearby warehouses to await sale and distribution. During the 19th century, one family owned several barges which were built in the yard of their house overlooking the river and the boat owner had a special protruding oriel window built into the front of his property in order that he could sit in comfort and watch his craft as they hove into view.        

The sporting tradition along the river also has an eminent place in our history, embracing fishing, wildfowling, boating and skating, and an annual raft race which has more recent origins has now become a popular event attracting an assortment of homemade craft raising funds for the benefit of local charities.

Return to Deeping St James