Originally published in 1940, this book, together with its companion volume The Draining of the Fens, constitutes an attempt to outline the changing conditions of a fascinating region. The text is ambitious in scope, reflecting the author's position as a historical geographer, and covers a broad range of disciplinary perspectives, ranging from geology to socio-economic analysis. Numerous illustrative figures are contained, including maps, diagrams and photographs of the area, and a bibliography is also provided. Detailed, yet highly readable, this book will be of value to anyone with an interest in Fenland history and historical geography in general.