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Summary

Evidence of a catch meadow of probable post-medieval to nineteenth century date is visible on aerial photographs of 1946 as curvilinear earthwork ditches and inferred from agricultural activity on the combe slopes to the north and west of Hensford Farm, with which the water meadow was probably associated. The earthworks have probably now been levelled.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CATCH MEADOW (Post Medieval to XX - 1540 AD to 1946 AD (Between))

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/106G/UK/1412, RAF/106G/UK/1412 3049-3050 13-APR-1946 (Aerial Photograph). SDV352504.

Catch meadow gutters are visible as earthworks and the presence of further, not visible gutters is inferred from water darkening the pasture on the south facing slopes as the catfh meadow is in operation.

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

Evidence of a catch meadow of probable post-medieval to nineteenth century date is visible on aerial photographs of 1946 as curvilinear earthwork ditches and inferred from agricultural activity on the north and south facing combe slopes to the north and west of Hensford Farm, with which the water meadow was probably associated. The ditches are probably water channels known as gutters which operated as part of a type of water meadow known as a catch meadow. Many 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 and often continued in use into the twentieth century. Catch meadows provided a simple, inexpensive and effective form of irrigation. When irrigation was required water was diverted from a water source such as a pond, river, spring or spring-fed stream and passed along the higher meadow slopes via one or more gutters, which was then caused to overflow. The lower 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. In this instance the gutters on the north-facing slopes system probably tapped a spring fed stream which flowed down-slope between them in north-easterly direction. Earthwork evidence of gutters on the south-facing slopes is not visible but the presence of a gutter running adjacent to the field boundary can be inferred from the evidence of the water meadow in operation in April 1946. The gutter probably continued to the north-west along the hedge line beyond the area of visible irrigation. The gutter earthworks are not visible on later aerial photographs and have probably been levelled.

Sources / Further Reading

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
SDV352504	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1946. RAF/106G/UK/1412. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/106G/UK/1412 3049-3050 13-APR-1946. [Mapped feature: #64947 ]

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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