See important guidance on the use of this record.

If you have any comments or new information about this record, please email us.

Summary

An extensive 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, from Little Weeke to Rock Cottage.

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Earthwork leats of a section of former extensive Catch (Water)meadow, from Little Weeks to Rock Cottage

Other References/Statuses

• SHINE Candidate (Yes)

Monument Type(s) and Dates

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

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, SX8850 18-JUN-1999 (Aerial Photograph). SDV352218.

The catch meadow is 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.

An extensive 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, from Little Weeke to Rock Cottage. 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 5.8 hectares of northwest and south facing slope. The system comprises a series of gutters which measure less than 2m in width and appear to tap a number of spring-fed streams that rise to the west and south. It is unclear from the aerial photographs alone with which farm this water meadow system might have been associated with. Given the extensive nature of the system, which extends to length of approximately 860m along the course of a valley, it may have been associated with a number of different farmsteads. The catch meadow remains 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: #64679 ]
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, SX8850 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)

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