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Summary

A possible catch meadow of probable 19th century date is visible as a series of earthwork ditches on aerial photographs of 1947 onwards, to the southeast of Lower Pithayne Farm, with which it was probably associated.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CATCH MEADOW (XIX - 1801 AD to 1900 AD (Between))

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1974, RAF/CPE/UK/1974 RP 3310-11 11-APR-1947 (Aerial Photograph). SDV356127.

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

Royal Air Force, 1971, RAF/39/3829, RAF/39/3829 V 266-67 11-NOV-1971 (Aerial Photograph). SDV359524.

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

Hegarty, C. + Knight, S. + Sims, R., 2016-2018, The Blackdown Hills AONB and East Devon River Catchments National Mapping Programme Project (Interpretation). SDV359463.

A possible catch meadow of probable 19th century date is visible as a series of earthwork ditches on aerial photographs of 1947 onwards, to the southeast of Lower Pithayne Farm, with which it was probably associated. 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 0.44 hectares of gentle to moderate south facing slope. The system comprises a series of parallel gutters which measure less than 2m in width. These gutters appear to be bisected by a linear north to south aligned ditch, although it is unclear if, or how, this ditch is associated with the catch meadow. The system appears to tap one of two spring-fed streams that rise between 500-700m to the northwest and might have operated as what has been called an ‘integrated’ catch meadow, in which manure from the cow sheds within the farmyard was mixed with the water supply to supply liquid manure to the pasture. The catch meadow remains visible on aerial photographs of 1971, although is not visible after this date and may have been completely levelled.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV356127	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1947. RAF/CPE/UK/1974. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/CPE/UK/1974 RP 3310-11 11-APR-1947.
SDV359463	Interpretation: Hegarty, C. + Knight, S. + Sims, R.. 2016-2018. The Blackdown Hills AONB and East Devon River Catchments National Mapping Programme Project. Historic England Research Report. Digital.
	Linked documents:2
SDV359524	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1971. RAF/39/3829. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/39/3829 V 266-67 11-NOV-1971. [Mapped feature: #74209 ]

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV7508 - The Blackdown Hills AONB and East Devon River Catchments National Mapping Programme (NMP) project (Ref: ACD1228)

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