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 catch meadow of probable post-medieval to twentieth century date is visible on aerial photographs of the 1940s as roughly parallel earthwork ditches following the contours of a west facing combe west of Lower Aunemouth Farm, with which it was probably associated. Catch meadows 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 from gutter to gutter, thereby irrigating the slopes below.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

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

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1945, RAF/106G/UK/967, RAF/106G/UK/967 RP 3141-3142 1-NOV-1945 (Aerial Photograph). SDV351060.

parallel earthwork ditches are visible either side of a spring fed stream.

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 post-medieval to twentieth century date is visible on aerial photographs of the 1940s as roughly parallel earthwork ditches following the contours of a west facing combe west of Lower Aunemouth Farm, with which it was probably associated. 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 and continued in use into the twentieth century. 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 March and April.
The gutters appear as fragmentary earthworks detached from the spring fed stream on the 1945 images and the system has therefore probably already passed out of use by this date. The gutters are not visible on later aerial photographs and have probably now been levelled.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV351060	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1945. RAF/106G/UK/967. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/106G/UK/967 RP 3141-3142 1-NOV-1945. [Mapped feature: #63834 ]
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)

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