MMO2986 - Post-medieval catchwork water meadow system southwest of Higher Barn (Monument)

A water meadow of probable post-medieval date, of a type known as a catchwork, ditch gutter or field gutter system is visible on aerial photographs as earthworks to the southwest of Higher Barn, Exford parish, with which it is probably associated. Such water meadows are typically found on combe or hill slopes and are designed to irrigate pasture by diverting water from a spring or stream along the slope via a series of roughly parallel channels or gutters. When irrigation was required the gutters were blocked, causing water to overflow from gutter to gutter, 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. The water-meadow is centred on circa SS 8456 3965 and is visible as three gutters that probably tapped a spring fed stream at their northern ends. It is possible that further gutters are be present but not visible on the available aerial photographs. [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]