MMO2570 - Post-medieval water meadow north of Bougham Farm (Monument)

A post-medieval water meadow system, known locally as a catchwater meadow, is visible on aerial photographs as a series of earthworks north of Bougam Farm, Timberscombe. Centred at SS 9592 4142, up to six gutters are visible, stretching across a steep west facing slope above an unnamed stream or combe. The system appears to have been fed from a spring to the east of the deserted farm of Bougam and may have been connected to the farmyard, suggesting that this was an integrated system which also distributed liquid manure as fertiliser to the fields. Catchwater meadows used a series of approximately parallel gutters to distribute flowing water evenly over the surface of the meadow in order to prevent freezing in winter and encourage early growth in spring, thereby providing extra feed for livestock. Most catchwater meadows are believed to date to the post-medieval period, although it is possible that they were first developed in the medieval period. [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]