Water Meadows played a crucial role in Britain's farming economy between 1600 and 1900. The early grass that could be produced by watered meadows was a crucial element to the farming regimes of the chalklands of Dorset, Wiltshire and Hampshire. The meadows formed a central feature of the local 'sheep corn' system of agriculture. The Water Meadows are comprised of a series of complex and sophisticated bedworks, which used a system of weirs, hatches, channels and drains to drown the meadows. These were interspersed by culverts and bridges, which provided access to the meadows for carts when the hay was harvested. The evidence for these is still visible in the landscape.

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The survival of relic Water Meadows in the AONB can clearly be seen in the map. They cover an area totalling nearly 2000 hectares. They are present along all the main rivers in the AONB: the Wylye, Nadder, Ebble, Allen, Crane and the Tarrant.

The map on the right shows the location of the relic water meadows to the south of Witchampton on the River Allen in more detail.

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The following books are excellent starting points to discover more about the Watermeadows of the AONB.

Cook, H. and T. Williamson eds.(2007) Water Meadows. History, Ecology and Conservation. Windgatherer Press: Cheshire.

Cowan, M. (2005) Wiltshire Water Meadows. Hobnob Press: Salisbury.