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Summary

A possible water meadow of probable 19th to 20th century date is visible on aerial photographs of the 1940s onward as two earthwork ditches to the south of Colly Bridges, on the north-facing slopes between Higher Slade Road and West Wilder Brook. Known locally as catchwork, catch-meadow or field-gutter systems, such water meadows are typically found on combe or hill slopes and are normally supplied with water by tapping warm springs or streams.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CATCH MEADOW (XVIII to XX - 1800 AD to 1947 AD)
• WATER MEADOW (XVIII to XX - 1800 AD to 1947 AD)

Full description

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

The souther, higher gutter is partially depicted.

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

The gutters are partially visible as earthworks to the west of the system, much of the combe being obscured by deep shadow. Map object partly based on this source.

Ordnance Survey, 1904 - 1906, Second Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map (Cartographic). SDV325644.

Both water meadow gutters are partially depicted.

Ordnance Survey, 1969, OS/69054, NMR OS/69/054 003-004 02-APR-1969 (Aerial Photograph). SDV350511.

The gutters are clearly visible as earthworks. Map object partly based on this source.

Next Perspectives, 2001, Next Perspectives PGA Tile Ref:, Next Perspectives PGA Tile Ref SS5145 22-MAY-2001 (Aerial Photograph). SDV349376.

The gutters cannot be seen and have probably been levelled during housing development.

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

A possible water meadow of probable 19th to 20th century date is visible on aerial photographs of the 1940s onward as two earthwork ditches to the south of Colly Bridges, on the north-facing slopes between Higher Slade Road and West Wilder Brook.
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 higher gutter, which could be described as a ‘head main’, is depicted on the Ordnance Survey First Edition 25 inch map and the system therefore probably predates circa 1890. This probably tapped the West Wilder Brook somewhere to the west around SS50884590.
Both gutters are depicted on the Ordnance Survey Second Edition 25 inch map, but incompletely. It is possible the system remained in use and was expanded into the twentieth century.
By 2001 this area has been developed for housing and the gutters have probably been levelled during the construction of the Saltmer Close housing estate.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV325644	Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 1904 - 1906. Second Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map. Second Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map. Map (Digital).
SDV336179	Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 1880-1899. First Edition Ordnance 25 inch map. First Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map. Map (Digital).
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
SDV349376	Aerial Photograph: Next Perspectives. 2001. Next Perspectives PGA Tile Ref:. Pan Government Agreement Aerial Photographs. Digital. Next Perspectives PGA Tile Ref SS5145 22-MAY-2001.
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.
SDV350511	Aerial Photograph: Ordnance Survey. 1969. OS/69054. Ordnance Survey Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). NMR OS/69/054 003-004 02-APR-1969.

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

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

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