MMO2106 - Post-medieval water meadow north and west of Whitefield Barton (Monument)

A post-medieval water meadow system is visible on aerial photographs as a series of earthworks. This system appears to be connected to the farmyard at Whitefield Barton, suggesting that this was an integrated system.

A post-medieval water meadow system, known locally as a catchwater meadow, is visible on aerial photographs as a series of earthworks to the north and west of Whitefield Barton, Challacombe. At least three gutters are visible, centred at approximately SS 6776 4193 and located on a fairly steep south facing slope above an unnamed stream or combe. It is not clear whether this system is part of that recorded under MMO2010 or is a separate system. This system appears to be connected to the farmyard at Whitefield Barton, suggesting that this was an integrated system which also distributed liquid manure as fertiliser to the fields. On photographs taken after 1964, building work at Whitefield Barton and the cpnstruction of West Whitefield appear to have destroyed this system. 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]