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Summary

A possible water-meadow of probable 19th century date is visible on aerial photographs between the 1940s and 2007 as four earthwork ditches on the combe slopes to the south of Keypitts. Known locally as catchwork, catch-meadow or field-gutter systems, such water meadows are usually found on combe or hill slopes and are designed to irrigate pasture by diverting water from a spring or stream along a series of roughly parallel channels or gutters, which were caused to overflow when irrigation was required. They are likely to survive as earthworks.

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Earthwork leats (infilled) of Catch (water)meadow and earthworks of Extraction pits, south of Keypitts Farm

Other References/Statuses

• SHINE Candidate (Yes)

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CATCH MEADOW (XIX to XX - 1801 AD to 1947 AD)
• WATER MEADOW (XIX to XX - 1801 AD to 1947 AD)

Full description

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

One of the gutters is depicted but not annotated.

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/106G/UK/1655, NMR RAF/106G/UK/1655 4130 11-JUL-1946 (Aerial Photograph). SDV349996.

Probable gutters of a catchwork water meadow are visible.

Next Perspectives, 2007, Pan Government Agreement Aerial Photographs, Next Perspectives PGA Tile: SS5344 03-MAY-2007 (Aerial Photograph). SDV350196.

Three of the four earthworks are visible.

Cook, H. & Williamson, T. (eds.), 2007, Water Meadows: History, Ecology and Conservation (Monograph). SDV349525.

Catchwork, catch-meadow or field-gutter water meadows are a type of water meadow distinctive to the south-west of England. Their form and function are described in chapters 1 and 3.

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

Four linear ditches visible as earthworks on aerial photographs between 1946 and 2007 are interpreted as field gutters of a nineteenth century valley water-meadow at Keypitts. They are clearly defined with wetter land on their downslope sides in the 1940s aerial photographs, and were probably still in use in the mid twentieth century.
Such water-meadows, known as catchwork, catch-meadow or field-gutter systems, are usually found on combe or hill slopes and 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.
The visible gutters extend to the south of Keypitts, and seem to be designed to irrigate an area of approximately 3 hectares of combe slope. One of the gutters is depicted, but not labelled, on the Ordnance Survey first edition 25 inch map. The gutters were probably fed by the spring that issues from SS5356644583. The gutters remain visible on Ordnance Survey aerial photographs of 2007 and are likely to survive at least in part.

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).
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
SDV349525	Monograph: Cook, H. & Williamson, T. (eds.). 2007. Water Meadows: History, Ecology and Conservation. Water Meadows: History, Ecology and Conservation.
SDV349996	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1946. RAF/106G/UK/1655. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). NMR RAF/106G/UK/1655 4130 11-JUL-1946. [Mapped feature: #62665 ]
SDV350196	Aerial Photograph: Next Perspectives. 2007. Pan Government Agreement Aerial Photographs. Pan Government Agreement Aerial Photographs. Digital. Next Perspectives PGA Tile: SS5344 03-MAY-2007.

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

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

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