MMO3110 - 19th Century water meadow south of Ashway Farm (Monument)

An extensive water meadow of probable 19th Century date is visible on aerial photographs as earthworks. Much of the system appears to be associated with Ashway but some of the more southeasterly end may relate to Slade Farm.

An extensive water meadow of probable 19th Century date is visible on aerial photographs as earthworks centred on circa SS 8691 3103, to the south of Ashway. This is a type of water meadow known as catchwork or field gutter system, commonly found on combe or hill slopes and designed to irrigate pasture by diverting water from a spring or stream. The water is carried along the valley sides via one or more channels or gutters and 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 March and April. Although it is clear that much of the visible system is associated with Ashway, gutters can be seen to continue to the south east for some distance and without further information as to the extent of the farms holdings, it is not possible to tell from the aerial photographs alone exactly where Ashway's water-meadow ends and that belonging to Slade starts. Nonetheless, it is a large undertaking, the gutters that may belong to Ashway covering an area of at least approx 22 hectares. The gutters can still be seen on aerial photographs of 1972 but appear poorly maintained and may have passed out of use. [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]