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Summary

A post medieval water meadow, known locally as a catchwater meadow system, is visible on aerial photographs as a series of earthwork ditches to the south west of Coulsworthy farm, Combe Martin. A series of approximately parallel gutters were used to distribute flowing water evenly over the surface of the meadow in order to prevent freezing in winter and encourage early growth in spring, thereby providing extra feed for livestock. This system does not appear to be connected to the farmyard at Coulsworthy Farm, or any of the other local farms, suggesting that this was a detached system which only distributed water and not liquid manure as fertiliser.

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Earthwork leats of Catch (water)meadow, west of Coulsworthy House

Other References/Statuses

• SHINE Candidate (Yes)

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CATCH MEADOW (Early Medieval to Post Medieval - 1066 AD to 1750 AD)
• WATER MEADOW (Early Medieval to Post Medieval - 1066 AD to 1750 AD)

Full description

Meridian Airmaps Limited, 1976, MAL/76046, NMR MAL/76046 148 25-JUN-1976 (Aerial Photograph). SDV350671.

Curviliear earthwork ditches are visible.

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

Page(s)1-7, 28-29

Hegarty, C. + Knight, S., 2011-2012, North Devon Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty National Mapping Programme Project (Interpretation). SDV349018.

A post medieval water meadow, known locally as a catchwater meadow system, is visible on aerial photographs as a series of earthwork ditches to the south west of Coulsworthy farm, Combe Martin. Centred at approximately SS 6185 4486, three gutters are visible on the south-facing side of a fairly gentle combe slope above an un-named stream. The gutters vary in length from approximately 60 to 220 metres long, and are between 1 and 4 metres wide. This system does not appear to be connected to the farmyard at Coulsworthy Farm suggesting that this was a detached system which only distributed water and not liquid manure as fertiliser.
Catchwater systems used a series of approximately parallel gutters to distribute flowing water evenly over the surface of the meadow in order to prevent freezing in winter and encourage early growth in spring, thereby providing extra feed for livestock. Most catchwater systems are believed to date to the post medieval period, although it is possible that they were first developed in the medieval period.
This description has been adapted from a monument record originally created as part of the Exmoor National Park National Mapping Programme (NMP) survey.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV349018	Interpretation: Hegarty, C. + Knight, S.. 2011-2012. North Devon Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty National Mapping Programme Project. AC Archaeology Report. ACD383/2/1. Digital.
	Linked documents:1
SDV349525	Monograph: Cook, H. & Williamson, T. (eds.). 2007. Water Meadows: History, Ecology and Conservation. Water Meadows: History, Ecology and Conservation.
SDV350671	Aerial Photograph: Meridian Airmaps Limited. 1976. MAL/76046. Meridian Airmaps Limited Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). NMR MAL/76046 148 25-JUN-1976.

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV6132 - North Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty NMP Project (Ref: ACD383/2/1)

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