MMO3207 - Post-medieval water meadow southwest of Lower North Radworthy (Monument)

A post medieval water meadow system, known locally as a catchwater meadow, is visible on aerial photographs as a series of earthworks. This system appears to be an integrated system with the farmyard at Lower North Radworthy.

A post-medieval water meadow system, known locally as a catchwater meadow, is visible on aerial photographs as a series of earthworks southwest of Lower North Radworthy Farm, North Molton. Centred at approximately SS 7515 3394, at least three leats are visible, running south-west along the contours of the slope. They are apparently fed from a spring immediately north of the farm. This system appears to be connected to the farmyard at Lower North Radworthy (MEM23239), suggesting that this was an integrated system which also distributed liquid manure as fertiliser to the fields. 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]