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Summary

An extensive catch meadow of probable post-medieval to 20th century date was visible on aerial photographs of the 1940s as multiple narrow linear and roughly parallel earthwork ditches on the east-facing slopes of a tributary of the River Otter, between Newhouse Farm and Blackenfields Farm, Luppitt parish.

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 4442-4443 11-APR-1947 (Aerial Photograph). SDV356127.

Curvilinear earthwork ditches were visible. Map object based partly on this source.

Next Perspectives, 2010, Aerial Photography for Great Britain, Next Perspectives APGB Imagery ST1605 4-MAY-2010 (Aerial Photograph). SDV359490.

Curvilinear earthwork ditches were visible. Map object based partly on this source.

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

An extensive catch meadow of probable post-medieval to 20th century date was visible on aerial photographs of the 1940s as multiple narrow linear and roughly parallel earthwork ditches on the east-facing slopes of a tributary of the River Otter, between Newhouse Farm and Blackenfields Farm, Luppitt 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.
Water can be seen to have recently flowed down the slopes from the gutters in April 1947, indicating that the systems remained in use into the mid-20th century. It was probably supplied with water from streams rising in the vicinity of Newhouse Farm, with which the gutters were potentially associated. Some of these to the north of the system were probably operated as gutters; water can be seen flowing downslope from their locations. A number of the gutters can be seen to survive as earthworks on digital images derived from aerial photographs of 2010.

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 RS 4442-4443 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
SDV359490	Aerial Photograph: Next Perspectives. 2010. Aerial Photography for Great Britain. Aerial Photography for Great Britain Aerial Photographs. Digital. Next Perspectives APGB Imagery ST1605 4-MAY-2010.

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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