MSO11244 - Post-medieval water meadow at Elworthy Farm (Monument)

Earthworks of an irrigation system, probably 16th or 17th Century. Shown as small leats on OSAD 6" map with gaps signifying sluices. [1,2] A post medieval field gutter system lies to the north of Elworthy Farm, centred at ST 0835 3515. [3] A post medieval water meadow system, known locally as a catchwater meadow, is visible on aerial photographs as a series of earthworks north of Elworthy Farm, Elworthy. Centred at approximately ST 0833 3515, five gutters are visible running north-south along the contours of a west-facing slope and covering an area of some 2.3 hectares. They appear to have been fed from a spring at the northern end of the system, which does not appear to be connected to any local farmyards, suggesting that this was a detached system which only distributed water to the fields and not liquid manure or other fertilisers. Catchwater meadows used 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. Most catchwater meadows are believed to date to the post medieval period, although it is possible that they were first developed in the medieval period. [4-5] This record was enhanced as part of the National Record of the Historic Environment to Exmoor National Park Historic Environment Record data transfer project. [6,7]