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Summary

A catch meadow of probable 19th century date is visible as a series of earthwork ditches on aerial photographs of 1947 onwards, at the former farmstead of Huntington.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CATCH MEADOW (Post Medieval to Modern - 1540 AD to 2013 AD (Between))

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1974 RS, RAF/CPE/UK/1974 RS 4280-81 11-APR-1947 (Aerial Photograph). SDV356947.

The catch meadow is visible as a series of earthwork ditches. Map object based on this source.

Next Perspectives, 2002, Pan Government Agreement, Next Perspectives PGA Imagery SS9609 29-SEP-2002 (Aerial Photograph). SDV356896.

The catch meadow is visible as a series of earthwork ditches. Map object based on this source.

Next Perspectives, 2010, Aerial Photography for Great Britain, Next Perspectives PGA Imagery SS9609 22-MAY-2010 (Aerial Photograph). SDV356259.

The catch meadow is visible as a series of earthwork ditches.

Hegarty, C. + Knight, S. + Sims, R., 2014-2015, East and Mid Devon River Catchments National Mapping Programme Project (Interpretation). SDV356883.

Most catch meadow systems are believed to date to the post medieval period, although it is likely that they were first developed in the medieval period. Catch meadows provided a simple, inexpensive and effective form of irrigation. When irrigation was required water was diverted from a source such as a pond, river, spring or spring-fed stream and passed along the meadow slopes via one or more of the gutters, which was then caused to overflow. The lower, roughly parallel gutters then ‘caught’ and redistributed water passing it evenly over the surface of a meadow below. The gently flowing water prevented the ground freezing in winter and encouraged early growth in spring, thereby providing extra feed for livestock, particularly important during the hungry gap of March and April. The catch meadow covers an area of approximately 2.21 hectares of west and northeast facing slope. The system comprises a series of gutters which measure less than 2m in width and appear to tap a spring-fed stream that rises at the southern extent of the system. Whilst the catch meadow is likely to have been associated with the former farmstead of Huntington, it is likely to have operated as a ‘detached’ system. The catch meadow remains visible as a series of earthwork ditches on digital images derived from aerial photographs taken in 2010.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV356259	Aerial Photograph: Next Perspectives. 2010. Aerial Photography for Great Britain. Aerial Photography for Great Britain Aerial Photographs. Digital. Next Perspectives PGA Imagery SS9609 22-MAY-2010.
SDV356883	Interpretation: Hegarty, C. + Knight, S. + Sims, R.. 2014-2015. East and Mid Devon River Catchments National Mapping Programme Project. AC Archaeology Report. Digital.
	Linked documents:1
SDV356896	Aerial Photograph: Next Perspectives. 2002. Pan Government Agreement. Pan Government Agreement Aerial Photographs. Digital. Next Perspectives PGA Imagery SS9609 29-SEP-2002.
SDV356947	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1947. RAF/CPE/UK/1974 RS. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/CPE/UK/1974 RS 4280-81 11-APR-1947.

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV6530 - The East and Mid-Devon Rivers Catchment NMP project (Ref: ACD613)

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