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Summary

The remains of a water-meadow of probable post-medieval date is visible on aerial photographs between 1946 and 2002 as a series of earthwork ditches then cropmarks. Below-ground remains and slight earthworks may survive.

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Traditional farm buildings, marked on nineteenth century mapping and earthwork leats of Catch (water)meadow at Little Orcheton Farm

Other References/Statuses

• SHINE Candidate (Yes)

Monument Type(s) and Dates

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

Full description

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

No features are depicted in this location, although a gutter may be depicted running from the farmstead to the north-east corner of the field at circa SX6343750729.

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1890, RAF/CPE/UK/1890 FP 2104-2105 10-DEC-1946 (Aerial Photograph). SDV351061.

Water meadow gutters are visible as earthwork ditches.

Next Perspectives, 2002, Pan Government Agreement Aerial Photographs, Next Perspectives PGA Imagery SX6350 24-SEP-2002 (Aerial Photograph). SDV351206.

The gutters are visible as cropmarks or perhaps slight earthworks.

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 2002 as a series of earthwork ditches, then cropmarks, to the south and west of Little Orcheton.
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 Little Orcheton covers a visible area of approximately 1.5 hectares, apparently fed from a gutter depicted on historic maps as originating at the farm and running into the north-west corner of the field. 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.
The gutters are visible as dark cropmarks, and quite likely earthworks, on aerial photographs taken in 2002, and remains are likely to survive.

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).
SDV351061	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1946. RAF/CPE/UK/1890. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/CPE/UK/1890 FP 2104-2105 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
SDV351206	Aerial Photograph: Next Perspectives. 2002. Pan Government Agreement Aerial Photographs. Pan Government Agreement Aerial Photographs. Digital. Next Perspectives PGA Imagery SX6350 24-SEP-2002. [Mapped feature: #63988 ]

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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