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Summary

A probable post-medieval or 19th century catchmeadow pit is visible as a series of curvilinear earthwork ditches on aerial photographs taken between 1946 and 1966. Much may since have been levelled, although some remains are visible on digital images derived from lidar data captured between 1998 and 2017.

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.

No features are depicted in this exact location.

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1890, Devon County Council RAF/CPE/UK/1890 FS 2123-2124 10-DEC-1946 (Aerial Photograph). SDV169268.

Curvilinear roughly parallel earthwork ditches are visible.

Meridian Airmaps Limited, 1966, MAL/66084, MAL/66084 V 070-071 07-DEC-1966 (Aerial Photograph). SDV363137.

Curvilinear roughly parallel earthwork ditches are visible.

Hegarty, C., Knight, S. and Sims, R., 2019-2020, The South Devon Coast to Dartmoor Aerial Investigation and Mapping Survey. Area 2, Avon Valley to Plymouth (AI&M, formerly NMP) (Interpretation). SDV362982.

Three roughly parallel curvilinear earthwork ditches are visible on aerial photographs taken between 1946 and 1966. They are approximately a metre wide, dropping more steeply as they run down a valley south from Leyford and then turning east to broadly follow the contour. They are interpreted as the gutters of a post-medieval or 19th century catchmeadow, perhaps fed from natural sources, but potentially working as an integrated system whereby manure from one of the farms at Staddiscombe was mingled with water to both irrigate and fertilise the fields to the south. A water channel that appears to join the northernmost earthwork is depicted on the late-19th century map and might support the latter interpretation. The rest of the earthworks do not correspond with any of the features depicted on the available historic maps and any watermeadow in this location is likely to have fallen out of use by the late-19th century. Much may since have been levelled, although one small segment is visible as an earthwork on digital images derived from lidar data captured between 1998 and 2017.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8098 - The South Devon Coast to Dartmoor Aerial Investigation and Mapping (formerly NMP) Survey, Area 2, Avon Valley to Plymouth (Ref: ACD2040)

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