SK6072 : Carburton Water Meadows
taken 8 years ago, near to Carburton, Nottinghamshire, England
Water meadows were operated as a means of improving low lying grasslands by regulated irrigation. By flooding areas in rotation, damage from frost was minimised and nutrients could be fed onto the fields to improve growth. This was achieved by running a feed channel at a higher level and allowing water to drain down to the river at the bottom. The water meadows at Carburton have survived relatively intact and the western meadows have had many of the sluices etc. used to control the water flow restored recently. Although flooding is no longer carried out, the meadows are managed in traditional manner without the use of artificial fertilisers or herbicides, resulting in an enriched wildlife habitat.
The meadows at Carburton were created in around 1840 by the Duke of Portland at Welbeck Abbey, who was a noted agricultural innovator. !1st edition 1inch OS maps show other designated 'Water Meadows' in the neighbourhood.