MMO2226 - Post-medieval water meadow north of Pinkery (Monument)

A number of gutters or leats are visible on aerial photographs as earthworks on moorland north of Pinkery and above the River Barle. They resemble the drainage ditches around Pinkworthy and Pinkery Pond; however, they closely follow the contours of the slope and may be the remains of a water meadow. Centred at approximately SS 7219 4176, at least 10 gutters are visible located on a fairly steep west and south-west facing slope above the River Barle. The gutters vary in length from 50 to 150 metres, and several of them appear to be connected in places with the leat known as Pinkery canal. Catchwater meadows used a series of approximately parallel gutters to distribute flowing water evenly across a slope, in order to prevent the ground freezing in winter and encourage early growth in spring. Frederic Knight was known to have constructed several as part of his improvement programme for the Royal Forest. The area is shown as unimproved moorland on the 1st Edition Ordnance Survey map, suggesting it was either constructed after 1890 or abandoned soon after construction. [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]