MMO1668 - Post-medieval water meadow east of Withycombe or Withy Combe (Monument)

A post-medieval water meadow system, known locally as a catchwater meadow, is visible on aerial photographs as a series of earthworks. This system is unusual in that it contains several very long gutters, up to 350 metres in length.

A water meadow system has been seen on aerial photographs to the southwest of Oareford Farm. [1,2] One leat is shown on the 1978 1:10,000 Ordnance Survey map linking Chalk Water and Withy Combe. [3] The system is ploughed out in the field immediately to the south of the farm although three channels still exist cutting through the hedgebanks of Hart Way, formed by stone slabs. [4] A post-medieval water meadow system, known locally as a catchwater meadow, is visible on aerial photographs as a series of earthworks in fields to the east of Withy Combe. The gutters are located on a steep west facing slope above Withy Combe, centred at SS 8094 4617 and run approximately north-south for up to 400 metres. This series of parallel gutters were used to distribute flowing water evenly over the surface of the field in order to prevent the soil freezing in winter and encourage early growth in spring. This sysem is unusual in that it contains several very long gutters, up to 350 metres long. There are indications that the gutters are connected to a local barn, at SS 8096 4633, and this may therefore be an integrated system which also carried liquid manure and other fertilisers to the field. [2,5,6] This record was enhanced as part of the National Record of the Historic Environment to Exmoor National Park Historic Environment Record data transfer project. [7]