 Although the area included some common land it was unlawful to take fish or game though many locals gained their livelihood by fishing and fowling
 the area which was unsuitable for agriculture.The circumstances of Charles' appointment of Vermuyden to drain this area in 1626 are obscure.A story that he had accompanied an earlier royal hunting party is almost certainly fictional, but the king was keen to make his assets profitable and the contract divided the land into three parts, one for the king, one for the adventurers who would drain the land and the remainder for those locals who had interests in the land.