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Summary

A water meadow of possible post-medieval to 19th century date is visible on aerial photographs of the 1940s onward as earthwork ditches to the west of Oakridge Farm. Known locally as catchwork, catch-meadow or field-gutter systems, such water meadows are typically found on combe or hill slopes and are supplied with water by warm springs or streams.

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Earthwork ditches of a post-medieval to 19th century water meadow to west of Oakridge Farm

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CATCH MEADOW (Post Medieval to XX - 1540 AD to 1904 AD)
• WATER MEADOW (Post Medieval to XX - 1540 AD to 1947 AD)

Full description

Royal Air Force, 19/05/1947, RAF/CPE/UK/2082, NMR RAF/CPE/UK/2082 4068-4069 19-MAY-1947 (Aerial Photograph). SDV350392.

Earthwork water channels of a catch meadow system are visible south and west of the East Wilder Brook.

Next Perspectives, 2007, Pan Government Agreement Aerial Photographs, Next Perspectives PGA Tile Ref SS5245 03-MAY-2007 (Aerial Photograph). SDV350196.

The catch meadow gutters south of the East Wilder Brook remain visible. Those to the west cannot be seen and have probably been levelled.

Hegarty, C. + Knight, S., 2011 - 2012, North Devon Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty National Mapping Programme Project (Interpretation). SDV349018.

A water meadow of possible post-medieval to 19th century date is visible on aerial photographs of the 1940s onward as earthwork ditches on south-facing slopes overlooking East Wilder Brook to the west of Oakridge Farm, with which it is probably associated.
Known locally as catchwork, catch-meadow or field-gutter systems, such water meadows are typically found on combe or hill slopes. They irrigate the pasture slopes with water diverted from warm springs or streams by passing it along a the top of the slope in a water channel or ‘headmain’ and, when irrigation was required, causing the channel to overflow, the water passing evenly own the slope via a series of lower roughly parallel water channels or ‘gutters’. 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.
The eastern ends of the gutters are the only part of the system to be depicted on the Ordnance Survey First Edition map. This indicates that the system predates circa 1890 but its partial depiction could support two opposing interpretations; that by circa 1890 it had begun to pass out of use or was only partially made. The full system of gutters, as transcribed, would have irrigated an area of nearly two hectares, and is clearly visible on aerial photographs of May 1947. This might support the interpretation that the system was regularly maintained and remained in use well into the twentieth century. The gutters remain visible on digital images derived from aerial photographs taken in May 2007, albeit in a somewhat poorer, grassed over condition. Two further curvilinear gutters located some 300-400 metres to the west might also be part of this system of irrigation, and could also tap the East Wilder Brook for their water supply.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV349018	Interpretation: Hegarty, C. + Knight, S.. 2011 - 2012. North Devon Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty National Mapping Programme Project. AC Archaeology Report. ACD383/2/1. Digital.
	Linked documents:1
SDV350196	Aerial Photograph: Next Perspectives. 2007. Pan Government Agreement Aerial Photographs. Pan Government Agreement Aerial Photographs. Digital. Next Perspectives PGA Tile Ref SS5245 03-MAY-2007.
SDV350392	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 19/05/1947. RAF/CPE/UK/2082. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). NMR RAF/CPE/UK/2082 4068-4069 19-MAY-1947. [Mapped features: #62600 ; #62601 ]

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV6132 - North Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty NMP Project

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