Along The WITHAM

It’s 82 miles long, it’s been with us since prehistoric times and it has played a vital part in the ecology, history and economy of the county, from the draining of the Fens to the transport of goods. And yet, the River Witham is rarely celebrated, which is why Lincolnshire author Jon Fox has dedicated his third book to the river...

Words: Rob Davis. All Images: Jon Fox. Main Image: Sunrise in the Witham Fens.

IT’S A HABITAT for wildlife, its been used to drain and irrigate farmland, and to transport everything from wool to grain during its life. History, ecology, agriculture and industry are all inextricably bound up in the history of the River Witham, and yet the 82-mile long waterway has sometimes been a bit overlooked by historians, reckons local author and photographer Jon Fox, who intends to address that oversight with a new book, entitled The Witham: Lincolnshire’s River.

Jon was schooled in Sleaford before his family moved away to Melton Mowbray when his father took a teaching job in Leicestershire. Returning to Lincolnshire in 1998 to take an environmental job with the City of Lincoln Council, Jon became very well-acquainted with the city and the rest of the county, as a keen walker, cyclist and photographer.

In 2014, Jon left the day job behind to pursue a career as a self-publishing author, and released his first book, The Lincolnshire Landscape: An Exploration in 2015, having worked on it in his spare time for a few years before pursuing publishing full-time.

The first book was an introduction to Lincolnshire’s landscapes, its geology and ecology, history and cultural heritage, divided into character areas; the Fens, Wolds, Marsh & Coast etc.

A second book, Lines Across Lincolnshire, followed in 2018 and explores the natural and historical lines in the Lincolnshire countryside, focusing on features used or constructed as routes, banks or boundaries.

“The third book follows the Witham as an interesting thread through which to explore the county,” says Jon. “It’s a natural feature that has been important since prehistoric times, while undergoing complex natural and man-made changes.”

“Today the river and its landscape face new developments such as the Lincoln Southern Bypass and proposed South Lincolnshire Reservoir, and it’s important that the river’s heritage is appreciated and conserved.”

Jon chose to self-publish his books, reasoning that his local knowledge and role as both author and photographer – and book designer too – would give him more creative control and would be a better way to represent the county in print. >>

>> “Like my previous volumes, The Witham isn’t intended to be an academic text. I’ve used lots of source material and referenced many of these in the book so readers can seek further information.”

The book is beautifully illustrated throughout with Jon’s distinctive photographs, and the accompanying text is well-researched, with a view to revealing the river as a relatively little-known and under-appreciated watercourse with a remarkable history and a rich heritage of geology, ecology, archaeology and architecture.

The river’s drainage history adds another dimension to the book’s interest from the ancient Car Dyke to the contested Stuart and Georgian reclamation of the Witham Fens.

The book comprises of ten chapters each covering a section of the Witham and its surrounding landscape. There’s an introductory essay too, providing an overview of the river, and each section is accompanied by a specially produced map.

“There are over 260 illustrations and 12 maps, so it’s a visual book as well as one with a good quantity of text to read. I do make a point of never writing about somewhere I’ve not visited, and as the book’s photographer too, I adopt the role of explorer with a camera.”

“Cold weather doesn’t bother me and I love being out in the fresh air, so there are images throughout the book from every season, and from sunrise to twilight.”

Jon says it’s been a pleasure to create the book, and when asked if book number four is currently underway he’s keen to point out that whilst he’s having a bit of a rest having met his pre-Christmas deadline, books do have a habit of finding him. Watch this space we reckon, but in the meantime, enjoy taking a landscape journey with Jon, along the Witham! n Jon Fox’s book The Witham: Lincolnshire’s River, A Landscape Journey from Source to Sea is now available from Green Plover Books for £28, with 260 colour photographs and 12 maps, hardback, 224 pages, 302mm x 202mm. Call 01522 533613 or see www.greenploverbooks.co.uk.