MMO2990 - Post-medieval water meadow northeast of North Ley (Monument)

A simple water meadow of post-medieval date is visible as three parallel earthwork channels to the northeast of North Ley. They form a type of water meadow known variously as a catchwork, ditch gutter or field gutter system. Such water meadows are typical of Exmoor and are usually found on combe or hill slopes. They are designed to irrigate pasture by diverting water from a spring or stream along the slope via a series of roughly parallel channels or gutters. When irrigation was required the gutters were blocked, causing water to overflow from gutter to gutter, 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 to April. [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]