MSO6303 - Post-medieval water meadow at Sloe Combe (Monument)

A post-medieval water meadow system, known locally as a catchwater meadow, is visible on aerial photographs as a series of earthworks at Sloe Combe, Wootton Courtenay. Centred at approximately SS 958 435, three gutters are visible located on a steep north-east facing slope and following the contours of the slope. A small stream is visible west of the gutters, which most likely supplied water to the system. This system does not appear to be connected to any local farmyards, suggesting that this was a detached system which only distributed water to the fields and not liquid manure or other fertilisers. 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. 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. [1-5] It may be associated with the nearby deserted farmstead (MSO6250). [6] This record was enhanced as part of the National Record of the Historic Environment to Exmoor National Park Historic Environment Record data transfer project. [7]