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Summary

A possible catch meadow of probable nineteenth or early twentieth century date is visible on aerial photographs of the 1940s to 1960s as roughly parallel earthwork ditches on the gentle slopes to the south of Littleham Brook.
Catch meadows are usually found on combe or hill slopes and are designed to irrigate pasture by diverting water from a spring or stream and passing it along the slope via a series of roughly parallel channels or gutters. When irrigation was required the gutters were blocked, causing water to overflow from gutter to gutter, thereby irrigating the slopes below.

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Earthworks associated with possible site of medieval mills and former catch (water)meadow, north of Pratthayes Farm

Other References/Statuses

• SHINE Candidate (Yes)

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CATCH MEADOW? (XIX to XX - 1801 AD to 1946 AD (Between))

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1946, 106G/UK/1412, RAF/106G/UK/1412 3038-3039 13-APR-1946 (DCC HER 44/155-156) (Aerial Photograph). SDV336108.

Earthwork Gutters are visible as irregular earthwork ditches.

Royal Air Force, 1950, RAF/58/369, RAF/58/369 5022-5023 27-FEB-1950 (Aerial Photograph). SDV355804.

Earthwork gutters are visible as slight earthworks.

Meridian Airmaps Limited, 1969, MAL/69015, MAL/69015 136-137 05-MAR-1969 (Aerial Photograph). SDV355805.

Earthwork Gutters are visible as irregular earthwork ditches. They are less clearly defined than in earlier images.

Next Perspectives, 2006, Pan Government Agreement, Next Perspectives PGA Imagery SY0280 17-JUN-2006 (Aerial Photograph). SDV352652.

The possible gutters are not visible as earthworks and might have been levelled by agricultural improvements.

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

A possible catch meadow of probable nineteenth or early twentieth century date is visible on aerial photographs of the 1940s to 1960s as roughly parallel earthwork ditches on the gentle slopes to the south of Littleham Brook. The possible gutters appear to have been out of use for some time and not to be maintained in 1946.
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 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.
In this instance the system was probably supplied by the Littleham Brook. The possible gutters are somewhat irregular in course, reflecting the uneven ground of the relatively gentle slopes. The gutters are not identifiable on digital images derived from aerial photographs taken in 2006 and might have been levelled.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV336108	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1946. 106G/UK/1412. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/106G/UK/1412 3038-3039 13-APR-1946 (DCC HER 44/155-156). [Mapped feature: #65209 ]
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
SDV352652	Aerial Photograph: Next Perspectives. 2006. Pan Government Agreement. Pan Government Agreement Aerial Photographs. Digital. Next Perspectives PGA Imagery SY0280 17-JUN-2006.
SDV355804	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1950. RAF/58/369. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/58/369 5022-5023 27-FEB-1950.
SDV355805	Aerial Photograph: Meridian Airmaps Limited. 1969. MAL/69015. Meridian Airmaps Limited Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). MAL/69015 136-137 05-MAR-1969.

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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