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Summary

The narrow parallel curvilinear ditches of a simple catch meadow of 19th century date were visible on aerial photographs of 1947 on the gentle combe slopes south of Ford House, Membury parish on aerial photographs of 1947.

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Water Meadow earthwork ditches, 19th century or earlier, south of Ford Farm.

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: ST20NE/61
• SHINE Candidate (Yes)

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CATCH MEADOW (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1750 AD (Between))

Full description

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV98152.

Des=b/w print 25/09/92 film no.3031 frame no.19 in smr.

Royal Air Force, 1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1974, RAF/CPE/UK/1974 FS 2316-2317 11-APR-1947 (Aerial Photograph). SDV129775.

Curvilinear ditches were visible as earthworks.

Exeter Museums Archaeological Field Unit, 1992 - 1993, Blackdown Hills Survey Archive (Archive - Survey). SDV324187.

Vis=25/09/1992 (reed and stead). Valley bottom. On either side of the stream, filled channels can be observed following the line of the contours. Bridge extant, crossing infilled channel, south of ford farm.

Environment Agency, 1998-2014, LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution), LIDAR ST2704-ST2705 Environment Agency DTM 01-JAN-1998 to 30-SEP-2014 (Cartographic). SDV359177.

Curvilinear ditches were visible as earthworks.

Next Perspectives, 2014, Aerial Photography for Great Britain, Next Perspectives APGB Imagery ST2705 08-SEP-2014 (Aerial Photograph). SDV359479.

Curvilinear ditches were visible as earthworks under pasture.

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

Narrow curvilinear ditches were visible on aerial photographs of 1947 as roughly parallel earthworks on the gentle south-facing slopes south of Ford House, Membury parish. The ditches are interpreted as the gutters of a catch meadow irrigation system. Catch meadows were popular in the 19th century but many continued in use into the mid-20th century. Water can be seen flowing downslope from this ditch in 1947, supporting the interpretation it remained in use into the mid-20th century. The ditches remain identifiable as earthworks on digital images derived from lidar data captured between 1998 and 2014, but digital images derived from aerial photographs of 2014 show them to be under pasture and therefore unused.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV129775	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1947. RAF/CPE/UK/1974. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. RAF/CPE/UK/1974 FS 2316-2317 11-APR-1947. [Mapped feature: #92893 ]
SDV324187	Archive - Survey: Exeter Museums Archaeological Field Unit. 1992 - 1993. Blackdown Hills Survey Archive. Blackdown Hills Survey Archive. A4 Unbound.
SDV359177	Cartographic: Environment Agency. 1998-2014. LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution). Environment Agency LiDAR data. Digital. LIDAR ST2704-ST2705 Environment Agency DTM 01-JAN-1998 to 30-SEP-2014.
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
SDV359479	Aerial Photograph: Next Perspectives. 2014. Aerial Photography for Great Britain. Digital. Next Perspectives APGB Imagery ST2705 08-SEP-2014.
SDV98152	Migrated Record:

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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