Cattle Shelter And Fold Yard Walls 630 Metres North East Of The Great Sluice

The cattle shelter and fold yard walls, located 630 metres northeast of The Great Sluice, date from around the mid-19th century. They are constructed from stone rubble with brick dressings and feature a slate roof with gabled ends. The east front has two wide openings, one with a segmental red brick arch and the other with a wooden lintel. In front, there is a small rectangular fold yard enclosed by stone rubble walls, with a gateway on the north side supported by blue engineering brick piers. This cattle shelter, locally known as linhays, is one of many on Braunton Marsh and was used to provide shelter and likely served as a fodder store for cattle. Braunton Marsh was probably reclaimed from the tidal waters of the River Taw during the Middle Ages, but it underwent more extensive drainage between 1811 and 1815 following an Act of Parliament. This effort was led by the Lords of the Manors of Braunton Gorges, Braunton Abbotts, Braunton Arundel, and Saunton, who had grazing rights on the marshes. They aimed to enclose the marsh, which was frequently flooded by tidal waters, resulting in the reclamation of 949 acres. John Pascoe was the surveyor, and James Green, the County Surveyor, was the engineer. The nearby Horsey Island was reclaimed between 1852 and 1857. The late enclosures in Braunton are historically significant, as the Great Field to the north of the marsh is one of only three surviving open field systems in England. Although there are only five farmers currently working the Great Field, their holdings remain widely dispersed, reflecting the medieval pattern when there were about 100 farmers.