MMO3117 - 19th Century water meadow southwest of Parsonage Farm (Monument)

A small water meadow of probable 19th century date is visible on aerial photographs as earthworks. It consists of up to three gutters and was probably fed by a longer gutter to the west, tapping a spring fed stream.

A small water meadow of probable 19th Century date is visible on aerial photographs as earthworks to the southwest of Parsonage Farm, at circa SS 8545 3187. This is a type of water meadow known as catchwork or field gutter system, commonly found on combe or hill slopes and designed to irrigate pasture by diverting water from a spring or stream. The water is carried along the valley sides via one or more channels or gutters and 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 March and April. It consists of up 3 gutters on the slopes to the south of the farm, probably supplied with water by a longer gutter which can be seen to tap a spring fed stream approximately 500 metres to the west. The gutters are less clear on aerial photographs of 1972 and have probably passed out of use by this time. [1-4] 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]