MMO2996 - Post-medieval water meadow channel north of Sellbed Cross (Monument)

A simple water meadow of probable post-medieval date can be seen to the south of Withycombe at circa SS 8283 3798 as an earthwork channel, on aerial photographs of the 1940s onwards. It is probably a simple example of a type known as a catchwork, ditch gutter or field gutter system, which are typically found on the combe sides or hill slopes of Exmoor. This is a simple example consisting only of a single gutter, but more complex examples are widespread, designed to irrigate pasture by diverting water from a spring or stream over the slope via multiple 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 the March and April. This system was probably supplied with water from a spring issuing to the west of Sellbed Cross. It may be associated with more extensive systems to the north, around Withycombe. [1-4] This record was enhanced as part of the National Record of the Historic Environment to Exmoor National Park Historic Environment Record data transfer project. [5]