Geograph - photograph every grid square

The stone slabs on this footbridge over the River Ebble cover a hatch that would have controlled the water supply to water meadows further downstream. For a picture of the other remaining example of a clapper bridge on the River Ebble at Fifield Bavant see SU0124 : Clapper over the Ebble.

Controlling the level of water needed for a water meadow was a highly skilled job carried out by a 'drowner' who made sure that the meadow was not actually flooded. The idea was to just keep a trickle of water flowing through the roots of the spring growth of the grass, with just enough of a flow to warm them and protect them from frosts. The result was faster grass growth and earlier grazing times - this could be several weeks earlier if the spring is cold.