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Summary

A water meadow of probable 19th century date is visible on aerial photographs of 1945 onwards as a series of approximately parallel earthwork ditches roughly following the contours along the narrow west facing combe of a tributary stream to the River Yealm. Such water-meadows, known as catch meadow systems, are usually found on combe or hill slopes and are designed to irrigate pasture by diverting water from a spring or stream and passing it along the slope via a series of roughly parallel channels or gutters. When irrigation was required the gutters were blocked, causing water to overflow, thereby irrigating the slopes below.

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Historic deerpark and C18th parkland with walled garden and traditional farm buildings and earthworks of two World War II bomb Craters; former field system and Catch (water) meadow, at Wembury House

Other References/Statuses

• SHINE Candidate (Yes)

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CATCH MEADOW (Post Medieval to World War II - 1540 AD to 1945 AD (Between))

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1945, RAF/106G/UK/967, RAF/106G/UK/967 3104-5 01-NOV-1945 (Aerial Photograph). SDV351060.

A series of roughly parallel earthwork ditches are visible.

Next Perspectives, 2007, Pan Government Agreement Aerial Photographs, Next Perspectives PGA Imagery SX5349 03-MAY-2007 (Aerial Photograph). SDV350196.

The earthwork ditches remain visible, albeit in poor condition.

Hegarty, C. + Knight, S. + Sims, R., 2013-2014, South Devon Coast Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey National Mapping Programme Project (Interpretation). SDV351146.

A catch meadow of probable 19th century date is visible on aerial photographs of 1945 onwards as a series of approximately parallel earthwork ditches roughly following the contours along the narrow west facing combe of a tributary stream to the River Yealm.
Most catch meadow systems are believed to date to the post medieval period, although it is likely that they were first developed in the medieval period. Catch meadows provided a simple, inexpensive and effective form of irrigation. When irrigation was required water was diverted from a source such as a pond, river, spring or spring-fed stream and passed along the meadow slopes via one or more of the gutters, which was then caused to overflow. The lower, roughly parallel gutters then ‘caught’ and redistributed water passing it evenly over the surface of a meadow below. The gently flowing water prevented the ground freezing in winter and encouraged early growth in spring, thereby providing extra feed for livestock, particularly important during the hungry gap of the March and April.
The visible catch meadow appears to have tapped a spring-fed stream that rises to the east of Wembury House, with which it might be associated. Not being directly linked to a farmstead, the catch meadow probably operated as a ‘detached’ system. The earthwork gutters can be seen on digital images derived from aerial photographs taken in 2007 but are not clearly visible on more recent images. Ground investigation is required to assess the survival of the earthworks.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV350196	Aerial Photograph: Next Perspectives. 2007. Pan Government Agreement Aerial Photographs. Pan Government Agreement Aerial Photographs. Digital. Next Perspectives PGA Imagery SX5349 03-MAY-2007.
SDV351060	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1945. RAF/106G/UK/967. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/106G/UK/967 3104-5 01-NOV-1945. [Mapped feature: #63408 ]
SDV351146	Interpretation: Hegarty, C. + Knight, S. + Sims, R.. 2013-2014. South Devon Coast Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey National Mapping Programme Project. AC Archaeology Report. Digital.
	Linked documents:1

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV6127 - Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey National Mapping Programme (NMP) for South-West England - South Coast Devon (Ref: ACD618)

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