MSO6301 - 19th Century water meadow at Burrow Farm (Monument)

Water meadow system seen on aerial photographs at Burrow. [1,2] 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 to the north of Burrow Farm, with which it is probably associated. The water meadow is fed by a tributary to the River Avill which passes through the centre of the system, and forms the parish boundary between Wootton Courtenay and Timberscombe parishes. This is a large system centred on circa SS 9390 4230, covering area of circa 13 hectares of relatively gentle slope to the north of Burrow Farm. A further small area of gutters can be seen circa 150 metres to the northeast, but this may belong to Well Farm. The water meadow is of a type known as a catchwork or field gutter system found on combe or hill slopes and designed to irrigate pasture usually by diverting water from a spring or stream along the valley sides via one or more channels or gutters. When irrigation was required the gutters were blocked, causing water to overflow, 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. Any excess water then returned to the feeder stream at the valley bottom or was removed by a tail drain. [3-6] This record was enhanced as part of the National Record of the Historic Environment to Exmoor National Park Historic Environment Record data transfer project. [7]