Cattle Shelter And Adjoining Wall 700 Metres West Of The Great Sluice

A cattle shelter and adjoining walls, built between 1815 and 1820. The structure is constructed of shale rubble, with the west end rendered and a cob course appearing below the verges on the end walls. It has a corrugated iron half-hipped roof. The shelter comprises back-to-back sections under a single roof, featuring 8-bay open fronts on both sides, with the roof supported by circular stone rubble piers. One pier on the north side has been replaced with a square concrete pier, and one pier on the south side is missing. Rectangular fold yards are located on each side, enclosed by stone rubble walls with a vertical stone top course. These yards are divided in the centre, with the walls extending inside the shelter to create a central division.

This cattle shelter, known locally as a linhay, is one of several on Braunton Marsh and likely served as both shelter and a fodder store for cattle. Braunton Marsh was likely reclaimed during the Middle Ages from tidal waters of the River Taw, but underwent more extensive drainage between 1811 and 1815, following an Act of Parliament authorization in 1811. This endeavor was led by the Lords of the Manors of Braunton Gorges, Braunton Abbotts, Braunton Arundel, and Saunton, who held grazing rights on the marshes, and sought to enclose it to prevent regular tidal flooding. The reclamation resulted in 949 acres being recovered. John Pascoe served as the surveyor, with James Green (County Surveyor) as the engineer. Further reclamation occurred on Horsey Island to the south east between 1852 and 1857.

The late enclosures are historically significant in Braunton due to the presence of the Great Field immediately north of the marsh, one of only three surviving open field systems in England. While only five farmers currently hold land in the Great Field, their holdings remain widely dispersed, mirroring the situation from the Middle Ages when approximately 100 farmers worked the land.