MMO1946 - 19th Century water meadow northeast of High Bullen (Monument)

A simple water meadow of probable 19th Century, of a type known locally as a catchwork or field gutter system, is visible as a series of ditches or water channels on aerial photographs on the gentle slopes to the northeast of High Bullen Farm, East Ilkerton, with which it is probably associated. Catchwork systems are usually found on steeper combe sides, but operate well even on gentle gradients. They are designed to irrigate pasture by diverting water from a spring or stream downslope via a series of roughly parallel channels or gutters. In this instance the source of the water is probably a small pond or spring at circa SS 7102 4676. When irrigation was required the gutters were blocked, causing water to overflow, thereby irrigating the slopes. This film of water prevented the ground freezing during the winter and raised the temperature of the grass in the spring, thereby encouraging early growth, particularly important during the hungry gap of the March and April. Any excess water then returned to the feeder stream at the valley bottom or was removed by a tail drain. The use of parallel gutters to improve the coverage is a common feature of Exmoor systems. [1-4] This record was enhanced as part of the National Record of the Historic Environment to Exmoor National Park Historic Environment Record data transfer project. [5]