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Summary

A possible catch meadow of probable post-medieval to 19th century date is visible as curvilinear cropmarks and parallel earthwork ditches on aerial photographs of the 1980s, digital images derived from aerial photographs of 2003 and digital images visualised from photogrammetrically derived elevation data captured in 2016, on the combe slopes east of Ash Farm, Kenton.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX98SW/47

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• (Former Type) LINEAR FEATURE (Unknown date)
• CATCH MEADOW (Post Medieval to XIX - 1540 AD to 1900 AD (Between))

Full description

AP, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV286364.

Ash farm. Several curvilinear marks, recorded as cropmarks by griffith in june 1984 with other linear features (ap).

SEE SX98SW/49, Untitled Source (Report - Survey). SDV286365.

Vis=8/2/1989 (robinson) marks could be a leat, contouring round a small side valley. Possibly part of water meadow system (see sx98sw/49).

SEE SX98SW/49, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV286367.

Probably related to a watermeadow system as there are channels visible in fields to s + w. First ed 1890 (92se) map shows what is probably a pond in this field (see sx98sw/49) (ea).

Untitled Source (Aerial Photograph). SDV286368.

Aph=dap/ak 3a,5(29/6/1984).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV286369.

Des=dprfp 1989.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV286370.

Manning, p. T. + turton, s. D. /archaeological assessment of the kenn to ashcombe gas pipeline/(1995)6/(emafu report 95.14).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV286371.

Des=ea/(24/3/1997)/haldon ridge survey.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV286372.

Manning, p. T. + walmsley, l. P. /devon county council haldon ridge archaeological survey phase ii/(1997)10;no 404/(ea report 97.43).

Untitled Source (Aerial Photograph). SDV286373.

Aph=dap/iv 10,11/(10/7/1987).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV79.

Vis=24/3/1997 (ea) not visible - probably due to well developed crop.

Devon County Council, 1838-1848, Tithe Mosaic, approximately 1838-1848 (Cartographic). SDV349431.

A visble earthwork ditch corresponds with a channel depicted on the Tithe Map for Kenton.

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

A visble earthwork ditch corresponds with a channel depicted on the Ordnance Survey First Edition 25 inch Map.

Devon County Council, 1984, DAP 9326, DAP 9326/3A 29-JUN-1984 (AK) (Aerial Photograph). SDV361550.

A cropmark of a curvilinear ditch is visible.

Devon County Council, 1987, DAP 5651, DAP 5651/13 10-JUL-1987 (IV) (Aerial Photograph). SDV358586.

DAP 5651/13 10-JUL-1987 (IV)

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.

Two linear ditches are visible as earthworks.

Google, 2017, Google Earth Pro, EARTH.GOOGLE.COM 08-MAR-2014 ACCESSED 12-JUL-2018 (Aerial Photograph). SDV360456.

Two linear ditches are visible as earthworks.

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 narrow curvilinear cropmark of a ditch following the contours of the combe slope north-east of Ash Farm, Kenton, may be evidence of a former gutter, a water channel part of a catch meadow of probable post-medieval to 19th century date. The cropmark is visible on aerial photographs of the 1980s, the southern end of the cropmark aligned on an earthwork ditch following the contours of the slope to the south-west. The earthwork is one of two visible on digital images visualised from aerial photographs and photogrammetrically derived elevation data captured in 2016, on the combe slopes east of Ash Farm, Kenton. The visible earthworks correspond with water channels depicted on the Tithe Map for Kenton and the Ordnance Survey First Edition 25-inch map. The water channels are interpreted as gutters, the water channels that define a catch meadow, a type of hillslope water meadow common in Devon in the 19th century.
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 primarily by water diverted from stream flowing from the south-west. A pond near the north-east end of the system may have been supplied by water from the catch meadow.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV286364	Migrated Record: AP.
SDV286365	Report - Survey: SEE SX98SW/49.
SDV286367	Migrated Record: SEE SX98SW/49.
SDV286368	Aerial Photograph:
SDV286369	Migrated Record:
SDV286370	Migrated Record:
SDV286371	Migrated Record:
SDV286372	Migrated Record:
SDV286373	Aerial Photograph:
SDV336179	Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 1880-1899. First Edition Ordnance 25 inch map. First Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map. Map (Digital).
SDV349431	Cartographic: Devon County Council. 1838-1848. Tithe Mosaic, approximately 1838-1848. Digitised Tithe Map. Digital.
SDV358586	Aerial Photograph: Devon County Council. 1987. DAP 5651. Devon Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). DAP 5651/13 10-JUL-1987 (IV). [Mapped feature: #112393 ]
SDV360456	Aerial Photograph: Google. 2017. Google Earth Pro. Various. Digital. EARTH.GOOGLE.COM 08-MAR-2014 ACCESSED 12-JUL-2018.
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. [Mapped feature: #112394 ]
SDV361550	Aerial Photograph: Devon County Council. 1984. DAP 9326. Devon Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). DAP 9326/3A 29-JUN-1984 (AK).
SDV79	Migrated Record:

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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