Medieval artficial dam, Woodham Walter Common (EHER 5600)

Remains of a small Medieval artficial dam, of earth, mesuring 19m long x 4m wide and 3m high in 1949.

Field survey, 1949 Remains of a small artficial dam, of earth, 19m long x 4m wide and 3m high. Cut by stream near its southern end. Trees grow on top of dam which is in a fragmentary condition (in 1950). The valley here is not as steep as where a larger dam was built (see EHER5599). <1> <2> According to <4> there are two dams here <1> <4> "Three medieval ponds, presumably fish ponds, formed by damming stream. A fourth pond, the furthest upstream and still wet, was made in the 1950's as a hazard for the golf course" <3> Site Assessment = Cut by stream. Trees grow on top of dam which is in fragmentary condition (in 1950) <1> Ponds cut by stream and dry <3> Although there were originally two medieval fish ponds in the area that is now the golf course, only part of one dam remains. <5> Centred TL 797065. The remains of two earthen pond bays still survive amongst the landscaping on the Warren Golf Course. The land here was originally part of the estate of the nearby Woodham Walter Hall, and presumably the dams were connected with the creation of fish ponds to serve the occupants of the Hall. The dams span a small valley draining eastwards to meet another small brook flowing N to the Chelmer. The larger of the two is centred at TL 79670654 (EHER 5599) and is also the better preserved; 20m wide and 2.4m high, it still extends some 25m out from the S side of the valley, before being cut through by the modern sluice controlling the flow of the water. No trace of it survives however N of the stream. The valley slope immediately in front of the dam shows signs of having been cut back, possibly as a quarry source for the dam's construction. The other dam is situated at TL 79810662, 150m downstream where the valley is wider. Conversely, it is best preserved N of the stream where it is up to 2m high; on the S bank it is recognisable merely as a low swelling some 0.3m high. The original limits of the ponds behind the dams were not ascertained. Surveyed at 1:2500, transferred to MSD.<6>