Water meadow 400m east of Clattinger Farm

Reasons for Designation

Water meadows were an agricultural innovation in use in Britain from the 17th to 19th centuries. They were a mechanism for allowing water to flow across early spring pasture protecting it from frost and supplying nutrients. The resulting early growth of grass allowed early spring grazing and, despite an initial capital investment, this increased the value of land many times. Water was fed to the meadow by a series of weirs and sluices, controlled by a `drowner', often a full time occupation. Within the meadow, water flowed along carriers or ridges fed by mains or ditches, leaving through a series of channels. The particular requirements of water meadows restricts their geographical distribution, but they were common in certain locations, particularly along the chalk valleys of southern England. The water meadow 400m east of Clattinger Farm survives well and is a good example of the relatively uncommon Thames valley meadows, many of which have been lost through gravel extraction.

Details

The monument includes a water meadow, situated 400m east of Clattinger Farm in the Upper Thames Valley. The meadow is on flat alluvial gravels deposited by the Swillbrook, a tributary of the Thames, which flows from east to west 200m to the south. The meadow is contained in a rectangular field of 2.8ha which slopes gently to the south and east. The water meadow survives as a series of low earthworks built to allow water entering the field from the north to flow across the pasture before leaving the field to the south and draining eastwards into the Swillbrook. The meadow comprises two elements: mains and carriers. Three mains or ditches run from north to south along the field, fed from a main drain to the north. These formerly fed the ridges or carriers along the spine of which a channel was cut from which water overflowed into the channels between. The carriers are orientated north to south in a central block of the field, fed by subsidiary drains which cross from east to west. The carriers are up to 0.3m high and 40m-50m long and are spaced 9m-12m apart. The field is marked as `The Water Meadow' on the Oaksey Tythe Map of 1843.

MAP EXTRACT The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract.

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

34201

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Other
Title: Oaksey tythe map and appointment Source Date: 1843 Author: Publisher: Surveyor:

End of official list entry

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