MMO1840 - Post-medieval water meadow south east of Higher Doverhey, Porlock (Monument)

A post-medieval water meadow, known locally as a catchwater meadow, is visible on aerial photographs as a series of earthworks. It seems to have been a detached system, which only distributed water and not liquid manure as fertiliser.

A post-medieval water meadow, known locally as a catchwater meadow, is visible on aerial photographs as a series of earthworks to the southeast of Higher Doverhey, Porlock. Centred at SS 8891 4641, three gutters are visible on a gentle northwest facing slope. The measure between 20 and 35 metres in length an run approximately north to south. Catchwater meadows used a series of approximately parallel gutters to distribute flowing water over the surface of the meadow in order to encourage early growth in spring and prevent freezing in winter. This system does not appear to have been connected to the farmyard at Higher Doverhay, suggesting that this was a detached system, which only distributed water and not liquid manure as fertiliser. Catchwater meadows are believed to date to the post-medieval period, although it is possible that they were firs developed in the medieval period. [1-3] This record was enhanced as part of the National Record of the Historic Environment to Exmoor National Park Historic Environment Record data transfer project. [4]