MMO3641 - Post-medieval water meadow east of Golsoncott (Monument)

A post medieval water meadow system, known locally as a catchwater meadow, is visible on aerial photographs as a series of earthworks in fields east of Higher Golsoncott Farm, Old Cleeve. Centred at apporoximately ST 0307 3911, five gutters are visible on a south-facing slope above an unnamed stream. They appear to have been fed from a small spring west of Golsoncott Farm. 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. This system appears to be connected to the farmyard at Higher Golsoncott, suggesting that this was an integrated system which also distributed liquid manure as fertiliser to the fields. 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. [1-3] 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]