MSO7433 - 19th Century water meadow at Holt Ball Farm (Monument)

Water meadow system seen on aerial photographs at Holt Ball Farm. [1,2] A water meadow of probable nineteenth century date is visible on aerial photographs as earthworks to the northwest and southeast of Holt Ball, with which they are probably associated. The gutters are probably fed by spring-fed streams which flow to the south of the farm. The two visible areas of water meadow are divided by an area of woodland, probably part of Barnspark plantation, and as such it is not possible from the photographs alone to be sure if they are part of a coherent single water meadow or two individual systems. Regardless, they are of a type known as catchwork or field-gutter systems, 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. [3-7] This record was enhanced as part of the National Record of the Historic Environment to Exmoor National Park Historic Environment Record data transfer project. [8]