Stile And Flanking Walls 400 Metres South-West Of The Great Sluice

Stile and flanking walls located 400 metres south-west of the Great Sluice date from around 1815. They are constructed from shale rubble with vertical stone capping, sloping down on either side of the dyke. At the top, there is an opening featuring a large slate placed on edge to form a stile between brick piers topped with rounded stone rubble. Below the stile, a stone step has been repaired with concrete. The flanking walls enclose sections of the dyke, allowing these areas to be grazed separately.

Braunton Marsh was likely reclaimed from the tidal waters of the River Taw during the Middle Ages. However, between 1811 and 1815, the marsh underwent more extensive drainage authorized by an Act of Parliament, driven by the Lords of the Manors of Braunton Gorges, Braunton Abbotts, Braunton Arundel, and Saunton, who held grazing rights on the marshes. This effort aimed to enclose Braunton Marsh, which was regularly flooded by tidal waters, resulting in the reclamation of 949 acres. John Pascoe served as the surveyor, while James Green, the County Surveyor, was the engineer. The nearby Horsey Island was reclaimed between 1852 and 1857.

These late enclosures are particularly significant in Braunton, where the Great Field, located immediately north of the Marsh, is one of only three surviving open field systems in England. As of 1984, only five farmers operated on the Great Field, with their holdings still widely dispersed, reminiscent of the Middle Ages when there were approximately 100 farmers.