The Lhen (Old Map: 'extensive sheet of water')

LOST LANDSCAPE FEATURE. Durham's 1595 map (the oldest detailed map of IoM) shows The Lhen as an 'extensive sheet of water with a good entrance from the sea.' This was a TIDAL LAGOON or inlet — a natural harbour that has since silted up completely. Today it's flat farmland. WHY THIS IS EXTRAORDINARY: (1) Natural harbours attracted boats, trade, and settlement from the earliest times, (2) A lagoon with sea access was a PERFECT smuggling/landing point — boats could hide inside, (3) Viking longships could shelter here — flat-bottomed vessels ideal for tidal lagoons, (4) As the lagoon silted up over centuries, items deposited in water were SEALED IN SILT — exceptional preservation, (5) The Lhen is in the Andreas/Bride area = Viking heartland. The farmland where the lagoon once was is PRIME detecting territory. Items preserved in former waterlogged conditions can be spectacular.