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Summary

A catch meadow of probable 19th century date is visible as a series of earthwork ditches on aerial photographs of 1946 onwards, to the west of the former farmstead of Lower Weston, Totnes, with which it was probably associated.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CATCH MEADOW (Early Medieval to Post Medieval - 1066 AD to 1750 AD)

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1890, RAF/CPE/UK/1890 FP 1191-92 10-DEC-1946 (Aerial Photograph). SDV351061.

The catch meadow is visible as a series of earthwork ditches.

Royal Air Force, 1951, RAF/540/483, RAF/540/483 RS 4420-21 24-APR-1951 (Aerial Photograph). SDV352103.

The catch meadow is visible as a series of earthwork ditches.

Meridian Airmaps Limited, 1968, MAL/68004, MAL/68004 V 103-04 01-FEB-1968 (Aerial Photograph). SDV352105.

The site of the former catch meadow has been levelled and developed for housing.

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 as a series of earthwork ditches on aerial photographs of 1946 onwards, to the west of the former farmstead of Lower Weston, Totnes, 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. 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 catch meadow covers an area of approximately 1.9 hectares of northwest facing slope approximately 100m northwest of the former farmstead of Lower Weston. The system comprises a series of parallel gutters which measure less than 2m in width and appear to tap a spring-fed stream that rises approximately 80m to the north. The catch meadow remains visible as a series of earthwork ditches on aerial photographs of 1951, although has been levelled and developed for housing 1968.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV351061	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1946. RAF/CPE/UK/1890. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/CPE/UK/1890 FP 1191-92 10-DEC-1946. [Mapped feature: #64319 ]
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
SDV352103	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1951. RAF/540/483. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/540/483 RS 4420-21 24-APR-1951.
SDV352105	Aerial Photograph: Meridian Airmaps Limited. 1968. MAL/68004. Meridian Airmaps Limited Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). MAL/68004 V 103-04 01-FEB-1968.

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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