File:Traversing a marsh pasture - geograph.org.uk - 1103335.jpg

English: Traversing a marsh pasture. Here the public footpath which skirts the eastern edge of Horsey Mere leads through a pasture which at this time of the year is empty of livestock. Gates on both ends > 1103327 of the path prevent livestock from straying further afield. In the 13th century most of the marsh pastures in the Broads could only be grazed during the summer months, when the area was not flooded. It was during this time that sea levels were rising and flooding became more frequent. As a consequence, dykes were dug and embankments built in order to protect the grazing marshes. When this was no longer sufficient, wind-powered drainage mills were built, which pumped water from the marshes into dykes and from there into the rivers. Grazing in the marshes became more extensive from the mid-18th century onwards - the drained marshes contain lots of nutrients and the grazing is very lush.