MMO3215 - Post-medieval water meadow south of Western Ball Farm (Monument)

A post-medieval water meadow system, known locally as a catchwater meadow, is visible on aerial photographs as a series of earthworks south of Western Ball Farm, Twitchen. Centred at approximately SS 7797 3126, three leats are visible running approximately north to south along the contours of the slope. This system may have been connected to the farmyard at Western Ball, suggesting that this was an integrated system which also distributed liquid manure as fertiliser to the fields. A series of approximately parallel gutters were used 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]