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Summary

A water-meadow of probable post-medieval to 19th century date is visible on Ordnance Survey First and Second Edition 25 inch maps and aerial photographs of the 1940s onward as an earthwork ditch on the combe slopes to the south of Brinscott Farm. 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 water channels or gutters which were caused to overflow when irrigation was required. Their use was particularly important during the hungry gap between March and April.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

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 1904 AD)

Full description

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

The water meadow gutter is depicted. Map object partly based on this source.

Royal Air Force, 1947, RAF CPE/UK/1980, NMR RAF/CPE/UK/1980 3105-3106 11-APR-1947 (Aerial Photograph). SDV350276.

A long but narrow curvilinear water channel or gutter is visible as an earthworks. Map object partly based on this source.

Ordnance Survey, 1989, OS/89114, NMR OS/76048 221-222 25-JUN-1976 (Aerial Photograph). SDV350315.

The gutter remains visible as earthworks.

Next Perspectives, 2007, Pan Government Agreement Aerial Photographs, Next Perspectives PGA Tile Ref: SS5943 03-MAY-2007 (Aerial Photograph). SDV350196.

The gutter remains visible but appears overgrown and in poor condition.

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

A water-meadow of probable post-medieval to 19th century date is visible on Ordnance Survey First and Second Edition 25 inch maps and aerial photographs of the 1940s onward as an earthwork ditch on the south facing combe slopes to the south of Brinscott Farm. 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 water meadow is relatively simple, consisting only of one long gutter. However, it was probably supplied with water by a spring fed pond adjacent to the farm, and might have operated as an integrated catch meadow, whereby manure from the farmyard was mixed to the water supply to be distributed on the slopes as liquid fertilizer.
The gutter is depicted on the Ordnance Survey First and Second Edition 25 inch maps and therefore dates at least to the late 19th century and probably continued in use into the early twentieth century. The gutter remained visible on aerial photographs of May 1989 but appears somewhat overgrown on digital images derived from aerial photographs taken in May 2007.

Sources / Further Reading

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
SDV350196	Aerial Photograph: Next Perspectives. 2007. Pan Government Agreement Aerial Photographs. Pan Government Agreement Aerial Photographs. Digital. Next Perspectives PGA Tile Ref: SS5943 03-MAY-2007.
SDV350276	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1947. RAF CPE/UK/1980. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). NMR RAF/CPE/UK/1980 3105-3106 11-APR-1947.
SDV350315	Aerial Photograph: Ordnance Survey. 1989. OS/89114. Ordnance Survey Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). NMR OS/76048 221-222 25-JUN-1976.

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

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

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