MMO3325 - 19th Century water meadow southeast of Hinam Farm (Monument)

A catch water meadow of probable 19th century date is visible on aerial photographs as faint earthworks. It is comprised of two gutters up to 120 metres long, one on either side of the spring fed stream from which it is probably fed.

A small water meadow of probable 19th Century date is visible on aerial photographs as faint earthworks centred at circa SS 8862 2912, directly to the south-east of Hinam Farm. This is a type of water meadow known as catchwork, catch meadow 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. The water meadow is comprised of just two gutters up to 120 metres long, one on either side of the spring-fed stream from which it is probably fed. The spring rises approximately 100 metres to the south of the farm. The earthworks are subtle and visible on limited numbers of sorties. However, they remain visible on aerial photographs of 1995. [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]