MMO2851 - 19th Century water meadow west of Combeleigh Farm (Monument)

A simple water meadow of probable 19th century date is visible on aerial photographs as earthworks associated with Combeleigh Farm. is visible as only two gutters, cut into the south facing slopes above the River Quarme.

A water-meadow of probable 19th Century date, of a type known as a catchwork or field gutter system, is visible on aerial photographs as earthworks associated with Combeleigh Farm, centred on circa SS 8987 3927. Such water meadows are typically found on combe or hill slopes and are designed to irrigate pasture by diverting water from a spring or stream along the slope via a series of roughly parallel channels or gutters. 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 the March and April. The water meadow is relatively simple, consisting of only two gutters, visible as earthworks cut into the south facing slopes above the River Quarme for approximately 340 metres. It is possible the gutters continued further to the west and operated in tandem with the larger system to the south of Hawkington Farm. [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]