MMO2991 - Post-medieval water meadow northeast of South Ley (Monument)

A possible simple water meadow of post-medieval date is visible on aerial photographs as an earthwork channels to the north-east of South Ley on southeast facing slopes above the River Exe, at circa SS 84093868. It is probably a simple variation on the type known as catchwork, ditchcgutter or fieldcgutter systems, which are found typically on combe or hill slopes. They are designed to irrigate pasture by diverting water from a spring or stream along the slope via channels or gutters. When more than one gutter was present, they were cut in a roughly parallel arrangement. When irrigation was required the feeder gutters were blocked, causing water to overflow downslope from gutter to gutter, thereby irrigating the pasture. 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. From the aerial photographs and map evidence available to the survey, it is unclear in this instance from where the system was supplied with water. [1-3] This record was enhanced as part of the National Record of the Historic Environment to Exmoor National Park Historic Environment Record data transfer project. [4]