MMO3166 - 19th Century water meadow to south and west of Blindwell (Monument)

A water meadow of probable 19th Century date is visible on aerial photographs as earthworks on the south facing combe slopes to the west of Blindwell Farm, centred at circa SS 8010 3169. This is a type of water meadow known as catchwork or field gutter system, commonly found on combe or hill slopes and designed to irrigate pasture by diverting water from a spring or stream. The water is carried along the valley sides via one or more channels or gutters and 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 and April. The gutters are visible branching from either side of a spring fed stream within a shallow tributary combe. At least 10 gutters can be seen to the east of the stream, with fewer visible on the western side. The gutters are clearly visible on aerial photographs taken in 1979 and appear recently recut. However, on the Google Earth images available at the time of survey they appear unused and in need of maintenance. The gutters also appear to cut the remains of ridge and furrow of probable medieval origin, recorded seperately. [1-6] This record was enhanced as part of the National Record of the Historic Environment to Exmoor National Park Historic Environment Record data transfer project. [7]