Ditch

A moat is an artificial or developed, mostly slightly flowing water.

Function

Ditches for water supplies, or the drainage or irrigation drainage as melioration of the soil. Drainage ditches, agricultural areas are also referred to as a fire pit.

Common terms in this context are floodlights and receiving water. Also served a moat - as still water component of fortifications - as an artificial obstacle to the defense, such as castles ( moat ), city walls ( moat ) and fortifications ( moats ).

The irrigation of large areas in Münster ( Westphalia ) also served the purpose of defense, where the pastures were flooded and were thus almost not to be overcome water areas for attackers. Depending on the gradient of the terrain these trenches (where a Hagen (Wall ) as a trench, see also Wall Hecke) respectively applied so far apart that the slope of the terrain could be compensated. In low gradient ( eg 1 m drop at 100 meters distance ) of the Wall had to be at least 1 meter high, or the distance between the walls was reduced. For very flat surfaces so wide areas were put under water, and the Romans (and others) had little chance.

For field names that point to flooding, it can be assumed that there existed formerly man- water systems, eg Flothfeld, Vlothfeld, Floedfeld, Flödenveld.

As an art ditches ditches are called, are supplied by the mines with water to drive water wheels.

Regional designations

In some regions, there are also special names for moats:

• Trains (of a ditch draw )
• Graft, moat or ( in Northern Germany, the Netherlands and Flanders) canal
• Specifically also Fleet in Hamburg - these were - mostly because broader - primarily used as a transport route in the former goods.
• Schloot in East Frisia; Vent in Emsland
• Wetterung, bettors or weather in the Weser march and in the Elbmarschen
• Fléizen in Luxembourg

Main ditches are also called Landgraben.

In many cases, these ditches were filled in the meantime, as soon as the original purpose was fulfilled, or replaced by pipes for land development. Your name then but survived mostly as a street name.