MMO1174 - Post-medieval water meadow associated with Clicket (Monument)

The remains of a fragmented water meadow system presumed to be associated with the deserted post medieval farmstead of Clicket (MSO8302). The water meadow survives as a number of ditches running parallel to the slope. They were seen as earthworks and mapped from aerial photographs. [1,2] A post-medieval water meadow system, known locally as a catchwater meadow, is visible on aerial photographs as a series of earthworks to the south and east of South Cleeve Grove, Timberscombe. Centred at SS 9610 4000, four gutters are visible, following the contours of a steep west facing slope above an un-named stream. The gutters vary in length from 95 to 150 metres. There is no indication of a nearby water source for the gutters, and this system does not appear to be connected to any local farmyards, suggesting that this was a detached system which only distributed water to the fields and not liquid manure or other fertilisers. A series of approximately parallel gutters were used 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. [3-5] This record was enhanced as part of the National Record of the Historic Environment to Exmoor National Park Historic Environment Record data transfer project. [6]