▁was ▁built . ▁The ▁With am ▁Four th ▁D rain age ▁District ▁Commission ers ▁were ▁created ▁by ▁Act ▁of ▁Parliament ▁in ▁ 1 7 6 2 , ▁but ▁the ▁East ▁Fen ▁and ▁the ▁area ▁managed ▁by ▁the ▁Court ▁of ▁S ew ers ▁were ▁specifically ▁ex cluded ▁from ▁their ▁sphere ▁of ▁influence . ▁ ▁As ▁the ▁dra ins ▁became ▁wider ▁and ▁more ▁extensive , ▁there ▁were ▁propos als ▁to ▁use ▁them ▁for ▁navigation , ▁and ▁a ▁lock ▁at ▁Anton ' s ▁G ow t ▁was ▁first ▁suggested ▁in ▁ 1 7 7 9 . ▁Fund s ▁were ▁not ▁available ▁at ▁the ▁time , ▁and ▁so ▁land ▁doors ▁were ▁built ▁so ▁that ▁boats ▁could ▁access ▁the ▁dra ins ▁until ▁the ▁lock ▁was ▁completed ▁in ▁ 1 8 1 3 . ▁ ▁Civil ▁engineering ▁In ▁ 1 7 8 4 , ▁Mill ▁D rain ▁was ▁en larg ed , ▁with ▁the ▁intention ▁of ▁using ▁it ▁to ▁d rain ▁parts ▁of ▁the ▁East ▁Fen , ▁but ▁this ▁action ▁was ▁stopped ▁by ▁Fen men ▁blocking ▁the ▁d rain , ▁as ▁they ▁lived ▁by ▁fish ing , ▁f ow ling ▁and ▁cutting ▁re eds , ▁and ▁these ▁activities ▁were ▁threatened ▁by ▁d rain age . ▁A ▁pet ition ▁was ▁presented ▁to ▁the ▁Commission ers , ▁signed ▁by ▁ 1 0 5 ▁Fen men , ▁of ▁whom ▁ 8 6 ▁were ▁sufficiently ▁liter ate ▁to ▁write ▁their ▁own ▁name . ▁As ▁a ▁result , ▁a ▁sl u ice ▁was ▁built ▁on ▁Valent ine ' s ▁D rain , ▁which ▁maintained