Port of Wisbech

52°40′19″N 0°09′26″E

Yachtclub with cargo depot in the background.

Port of Wisbech is an inland port on the River Nene in Wisbech, Isle of Ely, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom. It is mainly used for cargo and industrial purposes, with the southern part of the port housing a number of berths for yachts. Fenland District Council is the harbour authority for most of the River Nene; as well as operating the port and harbour, it provides a Port Health service to commercial ships, leisure craft and fishing vessels.[1] The port runs a fortnightly service from Riga, Latvia importing from the Baltic.[2]

History

Wisbech was an Anglo-Saxon port on The Wash and continued to serve as a port in medieval times.[3] After the estuary of the River Ouse became silted up, it was diverted into the sea at King's Lynn. This led to the construction of the present course of the River Nene from Peterborough to the Wash. The drained marshes provided rich productive farmland, bringing prosperity to the port of Wisbech from the regular shipments of corn and oil seed rape to the coast and continent, and imports which included coal from the North, slate from Wales and timber from the Baltic. Woad (Isatis tinctoria) was shipped out from the port.[4][5] At its peak over 200 vessels were registered to the port.[6]

Operations

Approx annual tonnage: 800,000.[7] Connections to major transport links - A17, A47 east coast to A1/M1 carriageway. The port runs a fortnightly service from Riga, Latvia importing from the Baltic.[8]

Further reading
  • Monger, Garry (2021). "Big Ben". The Fens. Natasha Shiels. 34.
  • Monger, Garry (2021). "Fenland's Sheriff". The Fens. Natasha Shiels. 39.
  • Oldham, Arthur Artis (1933). A History of Wisbech River. Arthur Artis Oldham.
  • Powell, Roger (1995). Richard Young of Wisbech. Wisbech Society.
  • Wedgwood, Iris (1936). Fenland River:- Impressions Of The Fen Counties. Rich and Cowan.

References
  1. "Yacht Harbour and Wisbech Port". www.fenland.gov.uk. 27 November 2014. Retrieved 30 November 2019.
  2. "Wisbech". Ports and Harbours of the UK. Retrieved 30 November 2019.
  3. Michael Chisholm (2021). Anglo-Saxon Hydraulic Engineering in The Fens. Shaun Tyas. p. 27.
  4. "Ship News". Stamford Mercury. 11 April 1788. p. 3.
  5. "Ship News". Cambridge Chronicle. Retrieved 21 January 2020.
  6. Monger, Garry (2022). "Port of Wisbech". The Fens (51): 20.
  7. "Wisbech". UK-PORTS.ORG. Retrieved 30 November 2019.
  8. "Welcome to The Port of Wisbech – an international professional port handling facility like no other". www.portofwisbech.co.uk. Retrieved 30 November 2019.
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