Cattle Shelter And Adjoining Wall 630 Metres West South-West Of The Great Sluice

This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 16/07/2015

SS 43 SE 9/32

BRAUNTON, BRAUNTON MARSH Cattle Shelter and adjoining wall 630 metres west south-west of The Great Sluice

(Formerly listed as Cattle Shelter and adjoining wall 60 metres west south-west of The Great Sluice)

II

Cattle shelter and adjoining fold yard walls. Circa 1815-20. Shale rubble repaired at rear with concrete blocks possibly replacing cob upper section of wall. Slate roof with half hipped ends. Open east front with circular stone rubble piers supporting roof, one replacement concrete block pier. Situated on field boundary the shelter is divided at centre to serve the 2 fields. Fold yard to front with stone rubble walls breached at front. Yard has dividing wall at centre which continues as field boundary wall to east. This cattle shelter (locally known as linhays) is one of many on Braunton Marsh and served as a shelter and probably a fodder store for cattle on the marsh. Braunton Marsh was probably reclaimed in the Middle Ages from tidal waters of the River Taw, but from 1811-15 the marsh was more extensively drained after authorization by Act of Parliament (1811) as a result of the endeavours of the Lords of the Manors of Braunton Gorges, Braunton Abbotts, Braunton Arundel and Saunton and others who had grazing rights on the marshes. They sought to enclose Braunton Marsh which was reularly flooded by tidal water. 949 acres were reclaimed. John Pascoe was the surveyor and James Green (County Surveyor) the engineer. The adjacent Horsey Island to the south east was reclaimed between 1852-1857. Historically these late enclosures are particularly interesting in Braunton where the Great Field immediately north of the marsh is one of only 3 open field systems to survive in England. Although today (1984) there are only 5 farmers on the Great Field their holdings are still widely dispersed over the field as they were in the Middle Ages when there were about 100 farmers.

Reference : A H Slee Trans. Devonshire Assoc. (1969) Vol.100, pp.101-110. W G Hoskins and H P R Finberg, Devonshire Studies pp.265-271 and p.332.

Listing NGR: SS4714634031