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Summary

An earthwork ditch or channel visible on aerial photographs of the 1940s onwards on the north-facing slopes of a combe south of Ash Farm, Kenton, might be the remains of a catch meadow gutter of post-medieval to 19th century date.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CATCH MEADOW (Post Medieval to XIX - 1540 AD to 1900 AD (Between))

Full description

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

The visible earthwork does not correspond with any depicted feature.

Royal Air Force, 1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1995, RAF/CPE/UK/1995 RS 4320-4321 13-APR-1947 (Aerial Photograph). SDV354842.

An earthwork ditch is visible.

Devon County Council, 1984, DAP 9326, DAP 9326/6 29-JUN-1984 (AK) (Aerial Photograph). SDV361550.

An earthwork ditch is visible.

Next Perspectives, 2015-2017, Aerial Photography for Great Britain - Digital Elevation Data (DSM), Next Perspectives APGB Elevation Data SX9383-SX9483 19-JUL-2016 (Cartographic). SDV361521.

An earthwork ditch and slight bank is visible.

Hegarty, C., Knight, S. and Sims, R., 2018-2019, The South Devon Coast to Dartmoor Aerial Investigation and Mapping Survey. Area 1, Haldon Ridge to Dart Valley (AI&M) (Interpretation). SDV361305.

A ditch is visible on aerial photographs of the 1940s onwards as an earthwork on the north-facing slopes of a combe, south of Ash Farm, Kenton. The visible ditch is 2m wide is with a slight embankment on the downslope side, and roughly follows the 35m contour for circa 220m. It appears to abut the route of a spring fed drain at its western end. The ditch is interpreted as a gutter, part of a catch meadow, a type of hillslope water meadow common in Devon in the 19th century. It may be part of the catch meadow system visible on the south facing slopes of the combe. It may be part of the catch meadow system visible on the south facing slopes of the combe.
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.
The catch meadow was probably supplied by the spring-fed stream flowing from the south-west. It is not depicted on the 19th century maps available to the survey and may have passed out of use prior to the 1840s.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV336179	Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 1880-1899. First Edition Ordnance 25 inch map. First Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map. Map (Digital).
SDV354842	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1947. RAF/CPE/UK/1995. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/CPE/UK/1995 RS 4320-4321 13-APR-1947.
SDV361305	Interpretation: Hegarty, C., Knight, S. and Sims, R.. 2018-2019. The South Devon Coast to Dartmoor Aerial Investigation and Mapping Survey. Area 1, Haldon Ridge to Dart Valley (AI&M). Historic England Research Report. Digital.
	Linked documents:1
SDV361521	Cartographic: Next Perspectives. 2015-2017. Aerial Photography for Great Britain - Digital Elevation Data (DSM). Aerial Photography for Great Britain Aerial Photographs. Digital. Next Perspectives APGB Elevation Data SX9383-SX9483 19-JUL-2016.
SDV361550	Aerial Photograph: Devon County Council. 1984. DAP 9326. Devon Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). DAP 9326/6 29-JUN-1984 (AK).

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV7515 - The South Devon Coast to Dartmoor Aerial Investigation and Mapping (formerly NMP) Survey (Ref: ACD1748)

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