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Summary

A post medieval water meadow system, known locally as a catchwater meadow, is visible on aerial photographs as a series of earthworks to the east of Westleigh Farm. A number of roughly parallel gutters were used to distribute flowing water evenly over the meadow in order to encourage early growth in spring and prevent freezing in winter. There is no evidence that this system was connected to any nearby farmyard, suggesting that this was a detached system, which could not supply liquid manure as fertiliser to the fields unless it was carried out to the field manually. The gutters were probably fed by a spring to the north.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: 1461363
• National Monuments Record: SS 64 NW 52
• Pastscape

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• WATER MEADOW (Post Medieval to XX - 1540 AD to 1901 AD)

Full description

Ordnance Survey, 1972, OS/72065, NMR OS/72065 171 15-APR-1972 (Aerial Photograph). SDV350744.

A series of earthwork ditches are visible.

Cook, H. & Williamson, T. (eds.), 2007, Water Meadows: History, Ecology and Conservation, Chapters 1 and 3. (Monograph). SDV349525.

Catchwork, catch-meadow or field-gutter water meadows are a type of water meadow distinctive to the south-west of England. Their form and function are described in chapters 1 and 3.

Exmoor National Park, 2009, Exmoor National Park National Mapping Programme (Archive - Survey). SDV350587.

A post medieval water meadow system, known locally as a catchwater meadow, is visible on aerial photographs as a series of earthworks to the east of Westleigh Farm. Centred at SS 6092 4539, at least two ditches are visible stretching across a single steep north-east facing field. The longer of the two ditches, usually known as gutters, measures approximately 100 metres in length, while the shorter one measures approximately 50 metres. It seems likely that these two gutters are the remnants of a larger system, since catchwater meadows usually consist of at least three gutters. These roughly parallel gutters were used to distribute flowing water evenly over the meadow in order to encourage early growth in spring and prevent freezing in winter. There is no evidence that this system was connected to any nearby farmyard, suggesting that this was a detached system, which could not supply liquid manure as fertiliser to the fields unless it was carried out to the field manually. The gutters were probably fed by a spring approximately 100 metres to the north and drained into an un-named stream downslope to the east.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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