Somerset Levels

North Drain

by Jeff Bevan · Published 29th October 2023 · Updated 30th October 2023

North Drain – From the Blakeway, Somerset Levels, UK. ID MG_9059

Despite its awful name the North Drain is a beautiful waterway that slowly flows through a series of amazing moors in the wide open flat valley of the River Brue on the Somerset Levels.

A Brief History

The route followed by the River Brue has flipped and flopped around over the years. For a while it even followed a small gap in the hills allowing it to flow north and join forces with the River Axe to create a navigable river.

Surprisingly, the Brue Valley was one of the first areas of the Somerset Levels to be drained. Starting as early as the 13th century. However, it was not until 1775 that a new drain was cut through Tadham Moor. Then in 1801 a sluice was built diverting water from the River Sheppey into the drain.

Water would flow from the Sheppey into the North Drain then empty into the Brue a few miles downstream. This is fine when the water level in the River Brue is lower than the water in the drain. But when the water level in the Brue is high water would flow the wrong way up the North Drain. To fix this a pumping station was built in 1959. From then on the drain could be pumped up into the Brue and eventually out to sea.

The North Drain at its widest, not far from the pumping station.

Rattling Bow – Tealham Moor, Somerset, UK. ID IMG_6217

The Route

Using gravity the North Drain flows 6 miles from a sluice on the River Sheppey near Fenny Castle to the pumping station at the River Brue. Between this sluice and the pumping station, it passes through a series of moors:

Godney Moor
Westhay Moor
Aller Moor
Tadham Moor
Tealham Moor

Using an Ordnance Survey map I find it difficult to know where one moor ends and the next one begins. But, along its route the drain flows under a regular series of drove bridges. Bridges are much easier to locate on a map, and they are the only public access points to the drain. So I will use these droves to mark the boundaries between each of the moors. Here is my list, but a word of warning it could be very wrong.

Godney Moor
- Hurn Drove
- Yeap’s Drove
- Drake’s Drove
- Tilleys Drove
- White’s Drove
- Lewis’s Drove
Westhay Moor
- Oak’s Drove
- Dagg’s Lane Drove
- London Drove
- Parson’s Drove
Aller Moor
- Blakeway
Tadham Moor
- Sand Drove
Tealham Moor
- Jack’s Drove
- Totney Drove

That is a lot of droves in just 6 miles, that divide the land into a series of north-south strips.

Hurn Drove

A horse chestnut tree hangs over the River Sheppey near the Hurn Drove sluice. This is a good point to sit for a while on the small bridge hoping to catch a glimpse of an otter or a bright flash of a kingfisher.

Horse Chestnut – Fenny Castle, Somerset, UK. ID JB_4090

The first bridge over the North Drain is at the Hurn Drove sluice.

River Sheppey at the Hurn Drove Sluice – Nr Fenny Castle, Somerset, UK. ID MG_9331

This is where water flows out of the River Sheppey and into the drain.

North Drain Input at Hurn Drove – Godney Moor, Somerset Levels, UK. ID MG_5829

From here is the only section of the North Drain that you can walk alongside thanks to the short footpath that leads to Yeap’s Bridge.

North Drain at Hurn Drove – Godney Moor, Somerset Levels, UK. ID MG_5757

Yeap’s Drove

This drove cuts through Godney Moor, that was once fen peat land.

Godney Drove from Yeap’s Drove – Somerset Levels, UK. ID MG_5500

Compared to much of the route this is an area of crops, trees and hedges as well as water filled field edge ditches. And lots of curious friends.

Cattle on Yeap’s Drove – Somerset Levels, UK. ID MG_5461

Drake’s Drove

Where Drake’s Drove crosses the drain there is a small stone bridge. Some, but not all, of the bridges over the drain are pretty like this one.

North Drain at Drake’s Drove – Godney Moor, Somerset Levels, UK. ID MG_5642

White’s Drove

This is a green lane that even Google maps has been down. Walking north you have views of Barrow Hill at the end of the drove.

Whites Drove – Godney Moor, Somerset Levels, UK. ID MG_9456

The drain is beginning to get a bit wider.

Whites Drove - Godney Moor, Somerset Levels, UK. ID MG_9407

North Drain from Whites Drove – Godney Moor, Somerset Levels, UK. ID MG_9411

On this drove it is another nice bridge.

North Drain bridge on Whites Drove – Godney Moor, Somerset, UK. ID MG_9423

Lewis’s Drove

On the morning I decided to visit Lewis’s Drove there was a deep mist and a glorious sunrise.

Lewis Drove Sluice on the North Drain – Godney Moor, Nr Bleadney, Somerset, UK. ID JB_5428H

On the drove is a sluice gate that can divert water north to join the Panborough Drain.

Teasel (Dipsacus fullonum) – Lewis Drove Sluice, Godney Moor, Nr Bleadney, Somerset, UK. ID JB_5409

Oak’s Drove

The droves come regular now, from Oak’s Drove it is easy to look across to the tin bridge over the drain on Dagg’s Lane Drove.

North Drain from Oaks Drove – Westhay Moor, Somerset Levels, UK. ID IMG_0315

The next two droves, Dagg’s Lane and London form part of the Westhay Moor nature reserve.

Westhay Moor

Westhay Moor is well known for the Somerset Wildlife Trust’s nature reserve of the same name. This area of raised bog has been drained, and cut for peat then filled back up with water.

Westhay Moor – Somerset Levels, UK. ID MG_9151

It is a beautiful location for bird watching. Here the North Drain has become wide and straight.

London Drove Bridge – Westhay Moor, Somerset, UK. IG MG_5023

Another tin bridge at London Drove.

London Drove Bridge – Westhay Moor, Somerset, UK. IG MG_5045

Conservation work never ends and alongside the North Drain the Somerset Wildlife Trust are restoring a fen landscape.

Building a Fen – Westhay Moor, Somerset Levels, UK. ID MG_5065

Blakeway Bridge

Leaving the well known Westhay Moor the North Drain continues to Aller Moor.

North Drain – Aller Moor, Somerset Levels, UK. ID MG_9083

At the busy Blakeway Bridge the drain is long and straight. Telegraph polls leading back are a sure sign that the surrounding land is dropping.

The Blakeway – Aller Moor, Somerseet Levels, UK. ID MG_5359

Sand Drove and Tadham Moor

Roe Deer - Aller Moor, Somerset Levels, UK. ID MG_3802

Roe Deer – Tadham Moor, Somerset Levels, UK. ID MG_3802

It is called Sand Drove but it should have been called Mud Drove. But it does have beautiful views from its tin bridge over the North Drain.

Dawn from Sand Drove Bridge – Aller Moor, Somerset Levels, UK. ID MG_3902

This is still an area of working farms.

Heading out in the morning – Totney Drove, Tadham Moor, Somerset Levels, UK. ID MG_8954

The bridge here is not as pretty as the stone bridges on Godney Moor. But as well as being a nature reserve this is also farmland, and these ‘tin bridges’ do have lots of working character.

Sand Drove Bridge – Aller Moor, Somerset Levels, UK. ID IMG_7001

Tealham Moor

There are only two more bridges over the North Drain – Jack’s Drove that runs north-south, and Totney Drove which is the main east-west route through the area.

On Jack’s Drove the bridge is stone with iron railings. It is popular for fishing and enjoying a splash in the cold water.

Jack’s Drove Bridge – Tealham Moor, Somerset Levels, UK. ID MG_4559

The drain flows slow straight and wide.

North Drain from Jack’s Bridge – Tealham Moor, Somerset Levels, UK. ID MG_2484

Rattling Bow

Where the drain turns south and passes under Totney Drove is known as Rattling Bow. It is a special place were cyclists and drivers pause to enjoy the view.