THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS. | |
| Meare Decoy, 4 miles NW. of Glastonbury.-In the low-lying lands near Meare, through which runs the River Brue, is the site of the ancient lake of Meare, thus described by Leland in 1538, and on the borders of which the Decoy of this name was situated. "The Meare," says Leland, " is at high waters in winter a 4 miles in cumpace, and where it is lest, a two miles and an half, and most communely 3 miles. This lak or mere is a good mile yn length, and at the ende of it toward west, it cummith again in alveum and going about a mile, it brekith into 2 armes whereof the one goith to Highebridge, the other to Rookes bridge, and so the armes goith asundre to the sea by crekes." From this description it would appear that originally the pool at Meare was so wide that it would cover the present site of the Meare Decoy, which is just within one mile N. of the eastern end of the village of Meare. The ground to the north of the village is rather steep, so that the margin of the Meare would have been within a quarter of a mile (perhaps within a furlong in most parts) of the road through the village. This mere was partially drained in monastic times ; but subsequently, from neglect of the channels cut for that purpose, it again reached its original dimensions, and the neigbourhood became swampy. Under these circumstances no Decoy could well have existed there at that period, and its construction must have taken place subsequently to the last drainage of the moor, for which an Act of Parliament was obtained in 1801 ; though the works reclamation do not appear to have been executed until 1807. As the Meare Decoy is not mentioned by Collinson in his "History of Somersetshire" (1791), this rather points to its construction after the completion of the drainage in the early part of the present century,or simultaneously with it. At the same time it should be noted that the neighbouring Brent Marsh, in which are situated the Decoys of Cheddar, Nyland and Stoke, all mentioned by Collinson, was drained under an Act of Parliament passed in 1802. All these lowlands of Somersetshire, were, until well drained, liable to frequent floods, being several feet below the level of the high water springtides. In a description of the manor of Glastonbury, including the site of the above mentioned Decoys, given by John de Glaston, sometime after 1335, no mention, as may be expected, is made of any Decoys. "The Meare Pool was NW. of Godney, between Lower Godney and Meare. | |
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