MDE14809 - Post-medieval water meadow north and east of Higher House Farm (Monument)

A post-medieval catchwater meadow is visible as a series of earthworks. In addition to the leats, a sluice and pond are also visible. The pond and two of the leats may also have fed the waterwheet at Higher House Farm.

A complex of earthworks representing catchwater leats, a pond and a sluice. The leat measures 1.6 metres across and is embanked by 0.9 metres. [1] A post-medieval water meadow system, known locally as a catchwater meadow, is visible on aerial photographs as a series of earthworks north of Higher House Farm, Twitchen. Centred at approximately SS 7894 3065, at least five leats are visible, following the contours of the south facing slope. In addition to the leats, a sluice and pond are also visible. 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. [2-4] 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] The pond and sluice are shown on the 1st Edition Ordnance Survey map. Two of the catchwork leats mapped by the NMP [4] also appear on this map, and are directed towards Higher House Farm. They may have fed the water wheel that has been recorded there (MDE14808). [6,7]