MMO1737 - Post-medieval water meadow system northwest of Heale Farm (Monument)

A post-medieval water meadow system is visible on aerial photographs as a series of earthworks. This system appears to be connected with the farmyard at Heale Farm, suggesting that this was an integrated system.

A post-medieval water meadow system, known locally as a catchwater meadow is visible on aerial photographs as a series of earthworks to the northwest of Heale Farm. Centred at SS 6441 4723, this large system extends across four fields on a both sides of a steep valley running as far as Heale Brake to the north. The gutters vary in length from between 60 to 200 metres, and appear to be fed from a spring at Heale Farm before draining into the un-named stream at the bottom of the valley. This series of roughly parallel gutters was used to distribute flowing water across the surface of the field in order to encourage early growth in spring and prevent freezing in winter. This system appears to be connected with the farmyard at Heale Farm, suggesting that this was an integrated system, which also distributed liquid manure as fertiliser to the fields. [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]