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Summary

The remains of a catch meadow of probable post-medieval or 19th century date is visible as earthworks and cropmarks on aerial photographs between 1946 and 2007 and on visualisations derived from lidar data captured between 1998 and 2017.

Location

Protected Status

• Registered Park or Garden (II) 1000692: FLETE

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CATCH MEADOW (Post Medieval to XIX - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)

Full description

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

A short section of gutter appears to be depicted immediately to the east and south of Edmeston.

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1890, Devon County Council RAF/CPE/UK/1890 2104-2105 10-DEC-1946 (Aerial Photograph). SDV169268.

Devon County Council RAF/CPE/UK/1890 2104-2105 10-DEC-1946

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1890, RAF/CPE/UK/1890 FP 2105-2106 10-DEC-1946 (Aerial Photograph). SDV351061.

Water meadow gutters are visible as earthwork ditches.

Environment Agency, 1998-2017, LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution) EA: South Devon Coast to Dartmoor, LIDAR SX6351 Environment Agency DTM 01-JAN-1998 to 31-MAY-2017 (Cartographic). SDV361470.

Curvilinear and sinuous ditches are visible as earthworks.

Next Perspectives, 2007, Pan Government Agreement Aerial Photographs, Next Perspectives PGA Imagery SX6351 03-MAY-2007 (Aerial Photograph). SDV350196.

The gutters are visible as cropmarks in one of the fields, although the earthworks seem to have been levelled by ploughing.

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

A post medieval water meadow, known locally as a catchwater meadow system, is visible on aerial photographs between 1946 and 2007 as a series of earthwork ditches to the south and west of Edmeston.
Catch meadows provided a simple, inexpensive but effective form of irrigation, designed to irrigate pasture by diverting water from a spring or stream along the slope via a series of roughly parallel channels or gutters. A larger gutter, often called a headmain, tapped water from a source such as a river, spring or spring-fed stream. When irrigation was required the headmain was dammed, causing water to overflow downslope, where the roughly parallel gutters distributed the flowing water 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. Most catchwater meadow systems are believed to date to the post medieval period, although it is possible that they were first developed in the medieval period.
The catch meadow south-west of Edmeston covers a visible area of approximately 7 hectares, apparently fed from Sheepham Brook and a short section of gutter depicted on the historic maps appears to originate from the east of Edmeston. It is possible therefore that the system operated as an ‘integrated’ catch meadow, in which manure from cattle sheds within the farmyards is mixed with the water supply to supply liquid manure to the pasture.
Most of the earthworks appear to have been levelled by 2007, although sections are visible as cropmarks in some fields and below-ground remains may survive in the field centred on SX6371851630.

Hegarty, C., Knight, S. and Sims, R., 2019-2020, The South Devon Coast to Dartmoor Aerial Investigation and Mapping Survey. Area 2, Avon Valley to Plymouth (AI&M, formerly NMP) (Interpretation). SDV362982.

This catch meadow system was initially recorded during the South Devon Coast Rapid Coastal Zone NMP project. It has been re-transcribed during this project from Devon County Council RAF aerial photographs taken in 1946 and visualisations derived from lidar data captured between 1998 and 2017. Additional gutters of this catch meadow have been recorded to the south at circa SX63875158 and to the west at circa SX63405149. The system was probably fed by Sheepham Brook which it possibly taps at Edmeston Farm to the east.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV169268	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1946. RAF/CPE/UK/1890. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). Devon County Council RAF/CPE/UK/1890 2104-2105 10-DEC-1946. [Mapped feature: #63986 ]
SDV325644	Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 1904 - 1906. Second Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map. Second Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map. Map (Digital).
SDV350196	Aerial Photograph: Next Perspectives. 2007. Pan Government Agreement Aerial Photographs. Pan Government Agreement Aerial Photographs. Digital. Next Perspectives PGA Imagery SX6351 03-MAY-2007.
SDV351061	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1946. RAF/CPE/UK/1890. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/CPE/UK/1890 FP 2105-2106 10-DEC-1946.
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
SDV361470	Cartographic: Environment Agency. 1998-2017. LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution) EA: South Devon Coast to Dartmoor. Environment Agency LiDAR data. Digital. LIDAR SX6351 Environment Agency DTM 01-JAN-1998 to 31-MAY-2017.
SDV362982	Interpretation: Hegarty, C., Knight, S. and Sims, R.. 2019-2020. The South Devon Coast to Dartmoor Aerial Investigation and Mapping Survey. Area 2, Avon Valley to Plymouth (AI&M, formerly NMP). Historic England Research Report. Digital.

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)
• EDV8098 - The South Devon Coast to Dartmoor Aerial Investigation and Mapping (formerly NMP) Survey, Area 2, Avon Valley to Plymouth (Ref: ACD2040)

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