River Witham

For the schooner, see River Witham (schooner).

River Witham
A view of the river
Path of the River Witham
Location
Country	United Kingdom
Country within the UK	England
Counties	Lincolnshire Nottinghamshire Leicestershire
Cities	Lincoln
Towns	Grantham, Boston
Physical characteristics
Source
• location	South Witham, Lincolnshire
• coordinates	52.755622°N 0.690858°W / 52.755622; -0.690858
• elevation	130 m (430 ft)
Mouth
• location	The Haven, Boston, Lincolnshire
• coordinates	52.964541°N 0.010042°W / 52.964541; -0.010042
• elevation	0 m (0 ft)
Length	132 km (82 mi)
Basin size	3,817 km2 (1,474 sq mi)
Discharge
• location	Claypole Mill
• average	1.86 m3/s (66 cu ft/s)
• maximum	21.79 m3/s (770 cu ft/s)
Discharge
• location	Colsterworth
• average	0.23 m3/s (8.1 cu ft/s)
Basin features
Tributaries
• left	Foston Beck, Ease Drain, Shire Dyke, Fossdyke Navigation, Barlings Eau, Tupholme Beck, Bucknall Beck, Catchwater Drain, The Sewer, Engine Drain, Cut Dike, Newham Drain, Cowbridge Drain, Maud Foster, Hobhole Drain
• right	Honington Beck, River Brant, Branston Delph, Middle Drain, Cathole Drain, Nocton Drain, Nocton Bankside Drain, Dunston Bankside Drain, Water Dike, Duns Dike, Metheringham Delph, Dales Drain, Blankney Town Drain, Black Horse Drain, Timberland Delph, Town Dike
Progression : River Witham – The Haven – North Sea

Source

Lincoln

Boston

Grantham

Claypole

Dogdyke

Kirkstead

Bardney

Map showing the course of the Witham and locations along its length

The River Witham is a river almost entirely in the county of Lincolnshire in eastern England. It rises south of Grantham close to South Witham at SK8818, passes through the centre of Grantham (where it may be closely followed using the Riverside Walk through Wyndham Park and Queen Elizabeth Park), passes Lincoln at SK9771 and at Boston, TF3244, flows into The Haven, a tidal arm of The Wash, near RSPB Frampton Marsh. The mouth of the river moved in 1014 following severe flooding, and Boston became important as a port.

Archaeological and documentary evidence shows the importance of the Witham as a navigable river from the Iron Age onwards. From Roman times it was navigable to the Brayford Pool in Lincoln, from where the Fossdyke was constructed to link it to the River Trent.

From 1142 onwards, sluices were constructed to prevent flooding by the sea, and this culminated in the Great Sluice, which was constructed in 1766. It maintained river levels above Boston, and helped to scour the channel below it. The land through which the lower river runs has been the subject of much land drainage, and many drains are connected to the Witham by flood doors, which block them off if river levels rise rapidly. The river is navigable from Brayford Pool in Lincoln to Boston. Its locks are at Lincoln, Bardney and the Grand/Great Sluice. Passage through the latter is restricted typically to 4-hour intervals during daylight when the tidal levels are suitable. The river provides access for boaters to the Witham Navigable Drains, to the north of Boston, and to the South Forty-Foot Drain to the south, which was reopened as part of the Fens Waterways Link, a project to link the river to the Nene flowing through the city of Peterborough.

The name "Witham" seems to be extremely old and of unknown origin.