MMO3592 - Post-medieval water meadow east of Birchanger Farm (Monument)

A post-medieval water meadow system, known locally as a catchwater meadow, is visible on aerial photographs as a series of earthworks east of Birchanger Farm, Monksilver. Centred at approximately ST 0655 3732, four gutters are visible following the contours of a north facing slope above an un-named stream, and extending across an area of some 2.3 hectares. This system appears to be connected to the farmyard at Birchanger, suggesting that this was an integrated system which also distributed liquid manure as fertiliser to the fields. 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. [1-3] 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]