MMO1952 - 19th Century water meadow west of West Ilkerton (Monument)

A simple water meadow of probable 19th Century, of a type known as a catchwork or field gutter system, is visible as a ditch or water channel on some aerial photographs but may have been levelled by landscaping following floods in 1952.

A post-medieval water meadow of a type known locally as a catchwork or field gutter system was constructed on a west facing slope above the Barbrook at circa SS 7039 4659, to the west of West Ilkerton, with which it is probably associated. This appears to be a relatively simple system of one main gutter or head main, but multiple parallel gutters, to improve the water coverage, is a common feature of Exmoor water meadows. This system may be an example of an 'integrated system', where the water is passed though the farmstead to pick up manure and subsequently distribute this liquid fertaliser on the slopes. The gutters are not clearly visible on aerial photographs of the 1950s onwards, and it may have been levelled during landscaping following the 1952 floods. [1,2] This record was enhanced as part of the National Record of the Historic Environment to Exmoor National Park Historic Environment Record data transfer project. [3] The northwestern section is partially marked as a "drain" on the 2022 MasterMap data. [4]