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HER Number: | MDV127506 |
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Name: | Catch meadow at Leigh, Churchstow |
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Summary
Narrow curvilinear earthwork ditches interpreted as the gutters of a 19th century catch meadow irrigation system are visible on aerial photographs taken from 1946 onwards and on visualisations derived from lidar data captured between 1998 and 2017.
Location
Grid Reference: | SX 720 464 |
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Map Sheet: | SX74NW |
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Admin Area | Devon |
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Civil Parish | Churchstow |
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District | South Hams |
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Ecclesiastical Parish | CHURCHSTOW |
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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
Ordnance Survey, 1880-1899, First Edition Ordnance 25 inch map (Cartographic). SDV336179.
Two of the earthworks partly correspond with water channels in this location.
Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1890, Devon County Council RAF/CPE/UK/1890 1054-1055 10-DEC-1946 (Aerial Photograph). SDV169268.
Narrow curvilinear ditches are visible as earthworks.
Environment Agency, 1998-2017, LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution) EA: South Devon Coast to Dartmoor, LIDAR SX7146 Environment Agency DTM 01-JAN-1998 to 31-MAY-2017 (Cartographic). SDV361470.
Narrow curvilinear ditches are visible as earthworks.
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.
Narrow curvilinear ditches, less than 2m wide, are visible as earthworks on aerial photographs taken from 1946 onwards and on visualisations derived from lidar data captured between 1998 and 2017. The earthwork channels follow the contours of the southwest, west and northwest facing combe slopes and occupy an area of circa 2.37 hectares. They are interpreted as the gutters of a 19th century catch meadow irrigation system possibly associated with the farmstead at Leigh to the north and which tapped a spring-fed stream that rises circa 165m to the southwest. Two of the earthworks partly correspond with water channels depicted on the late 19th century Ordnance Survey map, suggesting that the system had mostly fallen out of use by this time. Catch meadow systems are designed to irrigate pasture by diverting water from a spring or stream. The water is carried along the valley sides via one or more channels or gutters and when irrigation was required the gutters were blocked, causing water to overflow from gutter to gutter, thereby irrigating the slopes. This film of water prevented the ground freezing during the winter and raised the temperature of the grass in the spring, thereby encouraging early growth, particularly important during the hungry gap of March and April.
Sources / Further Reading
SDV169268 | Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1946. RAF/CPE/UK/1890. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). Devon County Council RAF/CPE/UK/1890 1054-1055 10-DEC-1946. [Mapped feature: #124178 ] |
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SDV336179 | Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 1880-1899. First Edition Ordnance 25 inch map. First Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map. Map (Digital). |
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SDV361470 | Cartographic: Environment Agency. 1998-2017. LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution) EA: South Devon Coast to Dartmoor. Environment Agency LiDAR data. Digital. LIDAR SX7146 Environment Agency DTM 01-JAN-1998 to 31-MAY-2017. |
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SDV362982 | Interpretation: 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). Historic England Research Report. Digital. |
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Associated Monuments
MDV127511 | Related to: Field boundary south of Lower Leigh Farm, Churchstow (Monument) |
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)
Date Last Edited: | Feb 12 2020 9:56AM |
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