MSO8563 - Post-medieval water power at Great Bradley Farm (Monument)

Summary

A farm water wheel was powered by a leat from Bradley Pond. The leat is shown on historic mapping.

Please read the Exmoor National Park Historic Environment Record .

Type and Period (2)

Protected Status

  • None recorded

Full Description

A farm waterwheel, 16 feet in diameter and 2 feet 9 inches wide with 56 wooden buckets was noted to be present on the site in 1977. It had an outward facing rim gear (568 teeth) but all other gearing removed. Water was brought to the wheel by a leat 850 yards long, now derelict, but traceable from Bradley Pond. The last four yards of the leat were culverted in an 18 inch diameter pipe. [1] Nothing now exists of the wheel. [2] A ditch visible as an earthwork on aerial photographs of the 1940s onwards is the remains of a leat formerly supplying a water wheel at Great Bradley. Although only circa 124 metres can be seen on the aerial photographs, the Somerset SMR stated that the leat can be traced northwards for 850 metres to its source at Bradley Pond. The leat is very similar in appearance to, and could be confused with, the field gutter water meadow gutters immediately to the west. [3,4] The leat is clearly depicted on the 1st and 2nd Edition Ordnance Survey maps. The GIS mapping for the record has been edited to reflect this. It is not clear what route the water course took through the farmstead, or which building housed the water wheel, but it is possible the water drained into a pond shown at SS 8582 3404 on these maps. [6-8] This record was enhanced as part of the National Record of the Historic Environment to Exmoor National Park Historic Environment Record data transfer project. [9,10]

Sources/Archives (10)

  • <1> Verbal communication: Various. Various. Oral Information. D Warren, Somerset Industrial Archaeology Society, 24 November 1977.
  • <2> Verbal communication: Various. Various. Oral Information. The Farmer, Great Bradley, Winsford.
  • <3> Aerial photograph: Various. Various. Vertical Aerial Photograph. NMR RAF 106G/UK/1655 4257-8 (11 July 1946).
  • <4> Aerial photograph: Various. Various. Vertical Aerial Photograph. NMR 540/860 (F20) 4100-1 (2 September 1952).
  • <5> Archive: 2007-2009. Exmoor National Park NMP: SS 83 SE. MD002198.
  • <6> Map: Ordnance Survey. 1868-1901. County Series; 1st Edition 25 Inch Map. 1:2500.
  • <7> Map: Ordnance Survey. 1902-1907. County Series, 2nd Edition 25 Inch Map. 1:2500.
  • <8> Verbal communication: Various. 1993-. Exmoor National Park Historic Environment Team staff comments. Catherine Dove, 7 January 2015.
  • <9> Digital archive: Historic England. Various. National Record of the Historic Environment (NRHE) entry. 932916, Extant 12 October 2021.
  • <10> Digital archive: Historic England. Various. National Record of the Historic Environment (NRHE) entry. 1490731, Extant 12 October 2021.

External Links (1)

Other Statuses/References

  • Exmoor National Park HER Number (now deleted): MMO3151
  • Exmoor National Park HER Number (now deleted): MSO11681
  • Exmoor National Park HER Number (now deleted): MSO8699
  • Local List Status (Unassessed)
  • National Monuments Record reference: SS 83 SE104
  • National Monuments Record reference: SS 83 SE31
  • National Park
  • NRHE HOB UID (Pastscape): 1490731
  • NRHE HOB UID (Pastscape): 932916
  • Somerset SMR PRN (Somerset): 34240

Map

Location

Grid reference Centred SS 8582 3429 (120m by 533m) Historic mapping
Map sheet SS83SE
Civil Parish WINSFORD, WEST SOMERSET, SOMERSET
Civil Parish WITHYPOOL AND HAWKRIDGE, WEST SOMERSET, SOMERSET

Finds (0)

Related Monuments/Buildings (1)

Related Events/Activities (2)

Record last edited

Oct 12 2021 2:22PM

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