Monument record MDO45335 - Watermeadows, Tarrant Monkton

A post-medieval water meadow system is visible as earthworks on aerial photographs. The meadows are orientated roughly NNW to SSE along the flat eastern bank of the river Tarrant. The water meadows make a highly formal pattern of parallel and perpendicular water channels which are fed by a main carrier drain to either side. The water meadows may have been constructed in the 17th or 18th century and were probably used into the early 20th century.

A Post Medieval water meadow system is visible as earthworks on aerial photographs. The site is centred at ST 9487 0825 and extends over an area that measures 410m long by up to 90m wide. It is orientated roughly NNW / SSE, along the flat eastern bank of the river Tarrant. Drains and water channels connect the meadows with other similar systems to the north (eg ST 90 NW 144 / UID: 1478948) and south, beyond the project area, along the valley. The water meadows comprise a highly formal pattern of parallel and perpendicular water channels. They are fed by a main carrier drain which extends down the eastern side of the site, between ST 9479 0843 and ST 9502 0810, although this also doubles as a tail drain. A tail drain also extends down the western side, between ST 9478 0831 and ST 9495 0806. These main carriers flank four groups of smaller, interleaved floats and drains and both flow southwards into a drain that returns water to the river. Two amorphous ponds are situated immediately beyond this drain, although in each case a further drain extends southwards. Each group of smaller water channels is served by a carrier drain that extends perpendicularly to the main carrier drain to the north and by a similar drain to the south which flows into one of the two flanking tail drains. Some of the small component float drains within the groups appear to have silted up and are not visible. The water meadows may have been constructed in the 17th or 18th Century and were probably used into the early 20th Century. They would have played a vital role in the local agricultural regime, allowing more sheep to be kept and therefore increasing the flock available to maintain the fertility of the relatively infertile chalk soils. <1>

Record last edited

Jan 25 2023 4:28PM