Bottisham Lock, Waterbeach, baptism 1886 (Cambridgeshire Collection)

Bottisham Lock & Lode, Waterbeach

History of Bottisham Lock

Bottisham Lode is important because it illustrates how smaller fenland waterways connected rural villages with the larger river network of the Cam and Great Ouse. Lodes were vital for transporting agricultural produce, fuel, building materials, and goods between isolated communities and nearby market centres. Bottisham Lode also reflects the long history of drainage and water management in the Fens, showing how waterways served both economic and environmental purposes within the rural landscape.

The Cambridge Chronicle report 24.9.1886: The ordinance of baptism was administered to six persons on Sunday afternoon in the river Cam by Mr G Williams. The candidates were five females and one youth. The greatest decorum was manifested on the occasion, and many hundred on the river bank were witnesses.

In 1887 F Thompson baptised 16 young persons in the Cam before a crow of 1000. This was a frequent event.

The bridge at Bottisham Lock was vital for the coprolite industry to the east of the Cam.  It was built in 1872.

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4 December 1899

A bog oak raised from the fen at Bottisham Lode was found to be 100 feet long. When men were splitting it they found in the centre a honeycomb which had also been embedded in the peat. The comb was in a perfect state of preservation and dotted about it were bees. The entrance to the comb was a gigantic knot and it is supposed that when the tree fell this fell directly into the gault, thus making prisoners of the bees which were in it. — Mike Petty, Bottisham Scrapbook 1897 to 1990.

30 January 1939

Flood levels in the fens remain high. At Waterbeach the Town Crier made a call for volunteers and rallied forty men to work on the banks of the Bottisham Lode. At Littleport station sleepers are covered and only the tops of the lines are showing. Goods trucks are standing with water beneath them. In the Holmes inhabitants have left before their houses were surrounded. At Swavesey Mow Fen and Middle Fen railway gatehouses have had to be evacuated. 39 01 30a — Mike Petty, Bottisham Scrapbook 1897 to 1990.

10 May 1974

Water seeping through the banks of the Reach, Burwell, Swaffham Bulbeck and Bottisham lodes presented the Great Ouse local land drainage committee with a cash dilemma: spending a smaller amount of money but partly closing the system to navigation or spending a lot more to allow boating to continue. The engineer said there was a straight choice. This involved demolishing all or part of the high-level lode systems so creating a new low-level system of drains, or retaining the high-level systems and controlling the seepage that occurs. “Once you close a system of waterways to navigation you will never get it open again”, he said. — Mike Petty, Bottisham Scrapbook 1897 to 1990.

Bottisham Lode railway station
26 June 1964

Bottisham Lode railway station, once used by dairy farmers as a centre for milk distribution, is to close under the Beeching plan. The old waiting rooms, station master’s office and lamp room will be turned into office accommodation. James Beard, who has worked as porter for 45 years, members when there was also a station master, three clerks, two signalmen and an assistant porter. Now only he remains. The once gleaming rails are becoming rusty and the British Railways sign creaks on ancient hinges. Three times a week freight trains pass through but these will stop on July 13th – 64 06 26 — Mike Petty, Bottisham Scrapbook 1897 to 1990.

Bottisham Locks / Sluice
9 April 1909

The river Cam is so badly silted that sailing races are seriously impeded. Now the section from Bottisham Locks to Waterbeach Lode will be dredged by the South Level Commissioners and the bit from Clayhithe to Jesus Green by the Conservators of the Cam with funding from the Town Council and University Boat Club. This is of satisfaction to all sailing and rowing men especially F. H. Sanderson, president of the Cam Sailing Club, who regards the river as one of the most valuable assets Cambridge possesses. 09 04 09 — Mike Petty, Bottisham Scrapbook 1897 to 1990.

10 June 1925

A vision of 300-ton vessels using the river to bring goods into Cambridge from abroad was conjured up by Rotarian Alfred Winship. This could not be done however until Baitsbite and Bottisham Locks had been enlarged and made efficient. His idea was to have a ship canal. Rivers had to be enlarged in any case for drainage purposes. Barges approaching 14 feet wide already used the lodes and farmers were already talking about getting Scotch seed potatoes by river. — Mike Petty, Bottisham Scrapbook 1897 to 1990.

19 April 1940

Eeling at Bottisham Locks. — In a recent issue (March 22), writes Watchman, reference was made to a possible revival of a once important Fenland industry, namely eel fishing. A correspondent, who, about 70 years ago was born and reared within a mile of Bottisham Locks, once a famous place on the Cam for eels, is reminded of some interesting happenings and of’ an eel pie business there. About a century ago, the keeper of the locks was old William Robinson, who lived in a little cottage opposite the sluice gates with his wife and daughter. And he was one of the most famous, eelers of his time, working not only on the Cam, but also along the lode that runs from Bottisham to the locks on the main stream. He rarely used an eel fork or spear for catching eels, preferring the “eel-set” (snare) or eel-buck (trap), a kind of wicker tunnel closed at one end. The old lock keeper caught more eels than he could comfortably dispose of alive, and this led to the making of two penny eel pies by his wife and daughter. On certain evenings the old fellow would go into Waterbeach village and at the Sun, Rose and Crown, Dog and Duck, Travellers’ Rest, and other taverns marketed his wares. The fame of Robinson’s eel pies, reached Cambridge, but before a branch business or “round” could be established in the town, the famous old eel catcher died and the business came to an end. According to my correspondent, who often discussed the eel trade with other eelers at the locks, the: female eel is “very tasty, very sweet” and far better than the male of the species, the male being smaller and tougher than the female. CIPof 19 Apr 1940 — Mike Petty, Bottisham Scrapbook 1897 to 1990.

24 June 1965

Bottisham Sluice new hydraulic lock being constructed – photo 65 06 24a — Mike Petty, Bottisham Scrapbook 1897 to 1990.

23 July 1965

Bottisham Locks showing new lock – photo – 65 07 23b — Mike Petty, Bottisham Scrapbook 1897 to 1990.

28 September 1965

Bottisham Lock construction progress – photo – 65 09 28a — Mike Petty, Bottisham Scrapbook 1897 to 1990.

1 July 1982 — date indicated by the reference

Bertie Harding and his wife Gladys are retiring after 22 years as keepers at Bottisham lock and river users must now operate it for themselves. The most boats they have put through in one day was 97 on one August Bank Holiday. There have been nasty moments with people falling into the water or injuring themselves jumping from boats. Broken legs have been the most common injury. 82 07 01a — Mike Petty, Bottisham Scrapbook 1897 to 1990.

Date discrepancy: the last extract appears beneath the scrapbook heading “1983 05 13”, but its own reference is “82 07 01a”.