Sir Walter Erneley,
Baronet, told me, a little before he died, that he was making one at
Stert, I thinke, neer the Devizes.
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The improvement of watering meadows began at Wyley, about 1635, about
which time, I remember, we began to use them at Chalke. Watering of
meadows about Marleburgh and so to Hungerford was, I remember, about
1646, and Mr. John Bayly, of Bishop's Down, near Salisbury, about the
same time made his great improvements by watering there by St.
Thomas's Bridge. This is as old as the Romans; e.g. Virgil, "Claudite
jam rivos, pueri, sat prata biberunt". Mr. Jo. Evelyn told me that out
of Varro, Cato, and Columella are to be extracted all good rules of
husbandry; and he wishes that a good collection or extraction were
made out of them.
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INCLOSING.- Anciently, in the hundreds of Malmesbury and Chippenham
were but few enclosures, and that near houses. The north part of
Wiltshire was in those dayes admirable for field-sports. All vast
champian fields, as now about Sherston and Marsfield. King Henry the 7
brought in depopulations, and that inclosures; and after the
dissolution of the abbeys in Hen. 8 time more inclosing. About 1695
all between Easton Piers and Castle Comb was a campania, like
Coteswold, upon which it borders; and then Yatton and Castle Combe did
intercommon together. Between these two parishes much hath been
enclosed in my remembrance, and every day more and more.
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