NORTH BURROWS AND THE TIDAL RIVERS TAW AND TORRIDGE: Sir, have read with much interest your remarks in the ‘North Devon Journal’ of the instant, the recent inroad of the sea on Northam Burrows, and the detailed particulars connected therewith in the letters of the Rev. Mr. Gosset and Mr. William Bear, all tending to show that unless prompt and effective steps be taken, Northam parish must sustain great injury to its burrows, or common lands, and, as a certain consequence thereof, the ports on the Taw and Torridge, and on the estuary of those rivers, more especially Barnstaple, Bideford, Appledore, Instow, and Fremington, may greatly suffer from sand deposits on the sea coasts and mouths of those rivers. By the same post as brought me your last journal I also received, but without any intimation leading me to judge from whom the proposed meeting emanates, printed notice paper in the following words: —
“A meet will held at the National Schoolroom, Appledore, Saturday, April 1st, at four p.m., to consider the proposal of the Instow, Appledore and Westward Ho! steam ferry and tramway, and with it the protection of the Northam Burrows. The inhabitants Instow and the parish of Northam are invited to attend. Dated March 21st, 1876.” It being quite out of power to be present at this meeting, I wrote to a gentleman resident at Appledore, who I considered would most probably attend it, pointing out how in my opinion the construction of the proposed tramway through the whole length of the Burrows might afford the needed protection to the common from future encroachments of the sea, and the accumulation of sand banks in the estuary, prejudicial to the navigation of the rivers to the ports situated thereon, and provide the funds essential for these objects. The statements in your Journal of the 23rd thoroughly concur in one view of the case, on which there can exist no doubt, viz., that money, and that of no limited amount, will be required to prevent encroachments of the sea. May not then, I would submit, the required money may be difficult to obtain, that a substitute for it would be forthcoming, after this manner: – Let the free grant of the common land required for the proposed tramway be made to the projectors, whoever they may be, of the steam ferry and tramway, and who, without specific obligations binding them so to do, would necessarily, for the preservation of their tramway, erect such works for protection thereof as would guard the burrows lands also; and further, the projectors might be required to construct a dyke or canal parallel with their tramway, the excavations from the construction of which would be of essential value to them for raising their tramway to the level required for laying their metals on, at an elevation above the natural level of the lands. The said canal, or dyke, would moreover prove most useful for carrying off the rainfall and other waters with which the Burrows may at any time hereafter be flooded. The proposed plan for uniting Instow and Appledore by a steam ferry, as has been found to answer so well on the South Devon line, with respect to Kingswear and Dartmouth, must assuredly prove beneficial to the two towns, besides affording to the towns and parishes on the North Devon line direct access to the seacoast. Italy, the country from which I write, and in which have been passing the part winter, supplies me with hints on which I mainly base my present suggestions.
The Pontine Marshes, extending from six to twelve miles in breadth, and twenty-five miles in length, lying between Rome, Terracina and Naples, remained, for many centuries after the fall of the Roman Empire, little better than a swamp. About the end of the last and the beginning of the present century, however, it was determined by the Papal Government to construct a post road through the said marshes. A canal was at the same time cut, parallel with the new road, furnishing as it did, materials for elevating the newly formed road to its required level: subsidiary small canals were also formed for draining the surrounding swamps into the trunk canal, and passing the water onwards to the sea; and thus by these wise steps, extensive tract of land, for so many centuries unproductive, has been redeemed and turned to profitable account. “Parvis componere magna,” as Virgil was wont to do. May not then Northam parish do with the superfluous water of its Burrows what Rome has done in the matter of its Pontine Marches, that is, find an outlet for them in the sea. I suggest this, under the full impression that as the Mediterranean has been found equal to the absorption of the waters of the Pontine Marshes and of the Tuscan Maremma, the Atlantic would not be inconvenienced by the accession of the waters of Northam Burrows and its central lake, the celebrated Goosey Pool! Barnstaple, Bideford, and other ports interested in the free navigation of the Taw and Torridge, will doubtless be forthcoming, and ready to aid in a measure so absolutely needed for keeping the channel of those rivers free from impending accumulations of sand. I remain, Sir, yours faithfully, Florence, March 30th, 1876. THOS. PYNSENT.
Transcribed in whole or part from scanned originals: Presented with or without modified text and punctuation. For absolute accuracy refer to the original newspapers. Source: The British Newspaper Archive.
Referenced
GRO0835 Hennock: Thomas Pynsent: 1808 – 1887