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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 1945 onwards and on digital images derived from aerial photographs taken in 1999, at Lower Swannaton Farm, 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, 1945, RAF/106G/UK/967, RAF/106G/UK/967 RS 4044-45 01-NOV-1945 (Aerial Photograph). SDV351060.

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

Next Perspectives, 1999, Pan Government Agreement, Next Perspectives PGA Imagery SX8750 18-JUN-1999 (Aerial Photograph). SDV352218.

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

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 1945 onwards and on digital images derived from aerial photographs taken in 1999, at Lower Swannaton 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. 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 0.9 hectares of southeast facing slope approximately 40m to the south of the farm. The system comprises a series of parallel gutters which measure less than 2m in width and appear to tap a spring-fed stream located at the northern extent of the catch meadow. The catch meadow system might have operated as what has been called an ‘integrated’ catch meadow, in which manure from the cow sheds within the farmyard was mixed with the water supply to supply liquid manure to the pasture. The catch meadow remains largely visible as a series of earthwork ditches on digital images derived from aerial photographs taken in 1999.

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 RS 4044-45 01-NOV-1945. [Mapped feature: #64675 ]
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
SDV352218	Aerial Photograph: Next Perspectives. 1999. Pan Government Agreement. Pan Government Agreement Aerial Photographs. Digital. Next Perspectives PGA Imagery SX8750 18-JUN-1999.

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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