astern ▁bank ▁of ▁the ▁Ste eping ▁River , ▁and ▁its ▁main ▁d rain age ▁channel ▁was ▁connected ▁to ▁the ▁Bell ▁Water ▁D rain ▁by ▁three ▁o val ▁brick ▁t unn els , ▁each ▁ ▁long , ▁which ▁pass ▁under ▁the ▁river . ▁The ▁t unn els ▁were ▁completed ▁in ▁ 1 8 2 1 , ▁and ▁were ▁entirely ▁hidden ▁until ▁the ▁construction ▁of ▁La de ▁Bank ▁p ump ing ▁station ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 7 ▁lower ed ▁the ▁water ▁levels . ▁ ▁P ump ed ▁D rain age ▁The ▁ 1 8 6 0 s ▁saw ▁the ▁first ▁attempts ▁to ▁d rain ▁the ▁F ens ▁by ▁p ump ing , ▁as ▁suitable ▁steam ▁engines ▁became ▁available . ▁Gr ound ▁levels ▁in ▁the ▁extensive ▁area ▁of ▁pe at ▁land ▁in ▁the ▁northern ▁half ▁of ▁the ▁East ▁Fen ▁had ▁been ▁stead ily ▁falling ▁since ▁the ▁fen ▁was ▁first ▁dra ined ▁and ▁The ▁With am ▁D rain age ▁( F our th ▁District ) ▁Act , ▁which ▁was ▁obtained ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 7 , ▁author ised ▁the ▁construction ▁of ▁a ▁steam - dri ven ▁p ump ing ▁station ▁at ▁La de ▁Bank , ▁which ▁was ▁completed ▁by ▁September , ▁to ▁resolve ▁this ▁problem . ▁Sil ting ▁below ▁the ▁Hob hole ▁sl u ice ▁was ▁rem ed ied ▁by ▁the ▁prov isions ▁of ▁the ▁With am ▁Out fall ▁improvement ▁Act , ▁passed ▁later ▁in ▁the ▁same ▁year . ▁La de ▁Bank ▁p ump ing ▁station ▁had ▁two ▁p ump ▁well s , ▁each ▁containing