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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, to the east of Rhode Farm. The catch meadow was not visible on aerial photographs after this date and may have since been completely levelled.

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

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

A drain depicted on the First Edition Ordnance Survey map of between the 1880’s-90’s may have been associated with the catch meadow system.

Royal Air Force, 1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1974 FS, RAF/CPE/UK/1974 FS 2282 11-APR-1947 (Aerial Photograph). SDV356987.

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.

A catch meadow of probable 19th century date is visible as a series of earthwork ditches on aerial photographs of 1947, to the east of Rhode Farm. 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 1.30 hectares of southeast facing slope and comprises a series of parallel gutters which measure less than 2m in width. It is largely unclear, however how this system may have operated. It may have directly tapped a spring-fed stream that rises further to the northwest or tapped a drain (depicted on historic mapping) located to the north of the system which appears to divert the flow of water from the spring-fed stream, downslope towards the farm. The catch meadow was not visible on aerial photographs after 1947 and may have since been completely levelled.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV336179	Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 1880-1899. First Edition Ordnance 25 inch map. First Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map. Map (Digital).
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
SDV356987	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1947. RAF/CPE/UK/1974 FS. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/CPE/UK/1974 FS 2282 11-APR-1947. [Mapped feature: #67681 ]

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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