58 minutes
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Farming our Land

The town of King’s Lynn lies on the banks of the River Ouse and is surrounded by rich farming land.  Its key position, as a market for farm produce and as a centre for export, meant it was at the heart of the local agricultural industry.  It is also uniquely placed between the loamy soils of the uplands and the dark peat of the Fen.

Over the years the landscape has changed dramatically, most notably during the large-scale drainage of the fenland.  This made previously un-usable swamp land into the most productive agricultural land in the country.  However, whilst the draining of the fen brought more land into production, it also created problems for farmers to overcome.

There have been many changes in the farming industry.  Working methods have moved from hand worked strip farming during the medieval period, to the intensive mechanical methods we use today.  Transportation has also changed, from horses dragging wagons across rutted droves, to trains taking milk to the London markets. There were opportunities for farming innovation, such as crop rotation developed by Turnip Townsend, and the production and use of fertilisers developed by the West Norfolk Fertiliser factory.

Over the years agriculture has continually developed and changed.  Processes have become mechanised and workers' roles have had to evolve.  Transportation has developed and the markets have expanded.  However, through local innovation and far sightedness, Lynn and its surrounding farmland have always managed to bring the harvest home. Narrated by Roy Marsden.