| Summary : Earthwork channels visible on aerial photographs of 1964 are probably part of a water meadow of 19th century date. The earthwork channels, known as gutters, are visible running from a point to the south of Twitchen village southwards into Barton Wood.The gutters form a type of water meadow known as catchwork, catch-water or field-gutter systems. Such water meadows are usually found on combe or hill slopes and are designed to irrigate pasture by diverting water from a spring or stream along the slope via a series of roughly parallel channels or gutters. When irrigation was required the gutters were blocked, causing water to overflow, 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. |
More information : Earthwork channels visible on aerial photographs of 1964 are probably part of a water meadow of 19th century date.
The water channels, known as gutters, form a type of water meadow known as catchwork, catch-water 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.
Centred within Barton Wood at circa SS 79102957, the water meadow system can be seen running from a point to the south of Twitchen village where the northernmost gutter taps the stream at circa 78843002, to a point circa 300 metres to the north of Barton Bridge where the tree cover becomes too dense and obscures the gutters from view. However, it seems probable that the gutters continue through the woodland and emerge near Barton Bridge. Here the gutters are recorded as a separate water meadow system under UID 1497364. It is probable that this system incorporates the leat recorded on the Devon HER as UID 53973.
The current condition of the gutters is unknown. (1-3)
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