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Summary

A possible catch meadow of probable post-medieval to 20th century date was visible on aerial photographs of the 1940s onwards as two narrow curvilinear earthwork ditches on the south-east facing slopes of a tributary to the River Otter, east of Glebe Farm, Upottery parish.
Catch meadows are usually found on combe or hill slopes and are designed to irrigate pasture by diverting water from a spring or stream and passing it along the slope via a series of roughly parallel channels or gutters. When irrigation was required the gutters were blocked, causing water to overflow from gutter to gutter, thereby irrigating the slopes below.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CATCH MEADOW? (Post Medieval to XX - 1540 AD to 1947 AD (Between))

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1974, RAF/CPE/UK/1974 RS 2305-2306 11-APR-1947 (Aerial Photograph). SDV356127.

Two narrow and shallow curvilinear earthwork ditches were visible.

Ordnance Survey, 2000, OS/00973, OS/00973 V 91-92 19-MAR-2000 (Aerial Photograph). SDV359480.

Two narrow and shallow curvilinear earthwork ditches were visible.

Next Perspectives, 2007, Next Perspectives PGA Tile Ref:, Next Perspectives APGB Imagery ST1907 04-MAY-2010 (Aerial Photograph). SDV349344.

Two narrow and shallow curvilinear ditches remained visible as subtle earthworks.

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 post-medieval to 20th century date was visible on aerial photographs of the 1940s onwards as two narrow curvilinear earthwork ditches on the south-east facing slopes of a tributary to the River Otter, east of Glebe Farm, Upottery parish.
Many 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 and often continued in use into the twentieth century. 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 the March and April.
Catch meadow gutters typically closely follow the contours in an almost level course to ensure close control over where the water was made to overflow on the slopes. In this instance the gutter ditches cross the contours more obliquely, possibly indicating a local variation or non-specialist construction.
The possible gutters do not appear to have recently been used in 1947, and might therefore have passed out of use in the first half of the 20th century. The possible gutters remain visible as slight earthworks on digital images derived from aerial photographs of 2010 and subtle earthworks may therefore survive.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV349344	Aerial Photograph: Next Perspectives. 2007. Next Perspectives PGA Tile Ref:. Pan Government Agreement Aerial Photographs. Digital. Next Perspectives APGB Imagery ST1907 04-MAY-2010.
SDV356127	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1947. RAF/CPE/UK/1974. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/CPE/UK/1974 RS 2305-2306 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
SDV359480	Aerial Photograph: Ordnance Survey. 2000. OS/00973. Ordnance Survey. Photograph (Paper). OS/00973 V 91-92 19-MAR-2000. [Mapped feature: #75807 ]

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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