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Summary

The possible remains of a water-meadow of probable post-medieval to 19th century date are visible on digital images derived from aerial photographs flown in 2007 as a two narrow earthwork ditches on the combe slopes to the north of Beara Farm. The earthworks might be evidence of a type of watermeadow known regionally as a catchwork, catch-meadow or field-gutter system. 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: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CATCH MEADOW (Post Medieval to XIX - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
• WATER MEADOW (Post Medieval to XIX - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)

Full description

Next Perspectives, 2007, Pan Government Agreement Aerial Photographs, Next Perspectives PGA Tile Ref: SS5347 03-MAY-2007 (Aerial Photograph). SDV350196.

Two narrow and roughly parallel but widely spaced ditches are visible.

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

The possible remains of a water-meadow of probable post-medieval to 19th century date are visible on digital images derived from aerial photographs flown in 2007 as a two narrow earthwork ditches centred on circa SS53904733 on combe slopes to the north of Beara Farm. 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 possible visible gutters appear to be laid out so as to tap a spring-fed stream which flows east to west immediately to the south. The gutters are visible only as very subtle earthworks and cannot be seen on any earlier aerial photographs available to the survey. No evidence of the gutters can be seen further to the east, in the area where they would tap the water source, and it is probable they have been levelled or silted up through lack of maintenance.

Sources / Further Reading

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
SDV350196	Aerial Photograph: Next Perspectives. 2007. Pan Government Agreement Aerial Photographs. Pan Government Agreement Aerial Photographs. Digital. Next Perspectives PGA Tile Ref: SS5347 03-MAY-2007. [Mapped feature: #62591 ]

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV6132 - North Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty NMP Project

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