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Summary

A possible water-meadow of probable 19th century date is visible on aerial photographs of the 1940s onward as earthwork ditches on the combe slopes to the north-east of Hole Farm. Known locally as catchwork, catch-meadow 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 a series of roughly parallel channels or gutters, which were caused to overflow when irrigation was required. Their use was particularly important during the hungry gap between March and April.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty: ND

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CATCH MEADOW (XIX to Late 20th Century - 1801 AD to 2000 AD)
• WATER MEADOW (XIX to Late 20th Century - 1801 AD to 2000 AD)

Full description

Ordnance Survey, 1880-1899, First Edition Ordnance 25 inch map (Cartographic). SDV336179.

Ordnance Survey, 1904 - 1906, Second Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map (Cartographic). SDV325644.

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/106G/UK/1655, NMR RAF/106G/UK/1655 3170 11-JUL-1946 (Aerial Photograph). SDV349996.

Earthwork ditches are visible north-east of Hole Farm.

Environment Agency, 2007, LiDAR data JPEG image (1 metre resolution), LIDAR SS5547 Environment Agency D0081756 20-APR-2007 (Cartographic). SDV350479.

Earthwork ditches remain clearly visible north-east of Hole Farm. Map object based on this source.

Environment Agency, 2007, LiDAR data JPEG image (1 metre resolution), LIDAR SS5547 Environment Agency D0081757 20-APR-2007 (Cartographic). SDV350479.

Earthwork ditches remain clearly visible north-east of Hole Farm. Map object based on this source.

Environment Agency, 2007, LiDAR data JPEG image (1 metre resolution), LIDAR SS5547 Environment Agency D0081761 20-APR-2007 (Cartographic). SDV350479.

Earthwork ditches remain clearly visible north-east of Hole Farm. Map object based on this source.

Environment Agency, 2007, LiDAR data JPEG image (1 metre resolution), LIDAR SS5547 Environment Agency D0081762 20-APR-2007 (Cartographic). SDV350479.

Earthwork ditches remain clearly visible north-east of Hole Farm. Map object based on this source.

Collings, A. G. + Manning, P. T. + Valentin, J., 2007, The North Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Phase 1. Archaeological Survey. Summary Report, 1910 (Report - Assessment). SDV339712.

The 1889 and 1904 Ordnance Survey maps suggest a possible catchwork system was present here (two channels shown running north from stream). Channels marked 'Drain' on modern map.

Hegarty, C. + Knight, S., 2011-2012, North Devon Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty National Mapping Programme Project (Interpretation). SDV349018.

A water-meadow of probable 19th century date is visible on aerial photographs of the 1940s onward as three earthwork ditches centred on circa SS55124755, on the south and east facing combe slopes to the north-east of Hole Farm, with which it is probably associated.
Such water-meadows, known as catchwork, catch-meadow or field-gutter systems, are usually found on combe or hill slopes and are 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.
The gutters appear to tap a spring-fed stream which rises to the south-west of Hale Farm before flowing north-eastwards along the combe. The water meadow probably
irrigated approximately 2 hectares of combe slope. The gutters are partly depicted, but not labelled, on the Ordnance Survey first and second edition 25 inch maps, but additional elements not shown have been transcribed at circa SS54964749 and SS55204771.
The earthworks remain clearly visible on digital interactive images derived from aerial photographs taken in April 2007 and the two easternmost gutters are depicted as water channels on the 2012 Ordnance Survey Mastermap but are erroneously labelled as ‘Drains’.

Ordnance Survey, 2012, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV348725.

Two catchmeadow gutters are depicted and labelled 'Drain'.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV325644	Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 1904 - 1906. Second Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map. Second Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map. Map (Digital).
SDV336179	Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 1880-1899. First Edition Ordnance 25 inch map. First Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map. Map (Digital).
SDV339712	Report - Assessment: Collings, A. G. + Manning, P. T. + Valentin, J.. 2007. The North Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Phase 1. Archaeological Survey. Summary Report. Exeter Archaeology Report. 06.22 (rev.1). A4 Stapled + Digital. 1910.
SDV348725	Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 2012. MasterMap. Ordnance Survey. Map (Digital).
SDV349018	Interpretation: Hegarty, C. + Knight, S.. 2011-2012. North Devon Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty National Mapping Programme Project. AC Archaeology Report. ACD383/2/1. Digital.
	Linked documents:1
SDV349996	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1946. RAF/106G/UK/1655. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). NMR RAF/106G/UK/1655 3170 11-JUL-1946.
SDV350479	Cartographic: Environment Agency. 2007. LiDAR data JPEG image (1 metre resolution). Environment Agency LiDAR data. Digital. LIDAR SS5547 Environment Agency D0081756 20-APR-2007.

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV6132 - North Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty NMP Project (Ref: ACD383/2/1)

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