See important guidance on the use of this record.

If you have any comments or new information about this record, please email us.

Summary

A water-meadow of probable post-medieval to 19th century date is visible on aerial photographs of the 1940s as three roughly parallel earthwork ditches on the steep west facing combe slopes to the west of Yellaton House 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 XIX - 1540 AD to 1889 AD)
• WATER MEADOW (Post Medieval to XIX - 1540 AD to 1889 AD)

Full description

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

The visible earthwork gutters do not correspond with any depicted map features. No water source is depicted in the vicinity of the water meadow.

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

The visible earthwork gutters do not correspond with any depicted map features. No water source is depicted in the vicinity of the water meadow.

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

Three narrow curvilinear water channels or gutters are visible as an earthworks. Map object based on this source.

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 aerial photographs of the 1940s as three roughly parallel earthwork ditches on the steep west facing combe slopes to the west of Yellaton House 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 of three roughly parallel curvilinear gutters spaced roughly 15 to 20 metres apart. It is unclear how the system was supplied with water as no springs, ponds or streams are visible or depicted in this area on the Ordnance Survey historic or current base maps. It is possible a spring was located in the area immediately south-east of the water meadow, which is obscured by trees on the 1940s aerial photographs. The current condition of the gutters is unknown, as the tree cover can be seen to have extended northwards to cover the area of the water meadow on digital images derived from aerial photographs taken in May 2007. The gutters are not depicted on the Ordnance Survey First Edition 25 inch map and therefore possibly passed out of use before the end of the 19th century.

Ordnance Survey, 2012, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV348725.

The visible earthwork gutters do not correspond with any depicted map features. No water source is depicted in the vicinity of the water meadow.

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).
SDV348725	Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 2012. MasterMap. Ordnance Survey. 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
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.

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

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

Search results generated by the HBSMR Gateway from exeGesIS SDM Ltd.