MMO2726 - Post-medieval water meadow southwest of Kedworthy Farm (Monument)

A possible post-medieval water meadow system, known locally as a catchwater meadow, is visible on aerial photographs as a series of earthworks. The field is now under coniferous plantation. 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. 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 possible post-medieval water meadow system, known locally as a catchwater meadow, is visible on aerial photographs as a series of earthworks in a field to the southwest of Kedworthy Farm, Brayford. Centred at approximately SS 7052 3684, four gutters are visible, following the contours of a steep west facing slope above an unnamed stream. A spring is visible to the south which may have supplied water to the system. 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. The field is now under coniferous plantation, and it is likely that the gutters have been levelled or destroyed. 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]