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Summary

A possible catch meadow of probable 19th century date is visible as a series of earthwork ditches on aerial photographs of 1950 onwards, to the south of Withycombe Barton.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CATCH MEADOW (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1750 AD (Between))

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1950, RAF/58/369, RAF/58/369 V 5074-75 27-FEB-1950 (Aerial Photograph). SDV355804.

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

Meridian Airmaps Limited, 1969, MAL/69014, MAL/69014 V 203-04 05-MAR-1969 (Aerial Photograph). SDV355379.

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

Ordnance Survey, 1988, OS/88193, OS/88193 V 224-25 22-JUN-1988 (Aerial Photograph). SDV355445.

The former catch meadow gutters appear to have been completely levelled and the field converted to a caravan and camping site.

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 19th century date is visible as a series of earthwork ditches on aerial photographs of 1950 onwards, to the south of Withycombe Barton. 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 0.72 hectares of southeast facing slope. 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 260m to the northeast. It is possible that this water meadow system might have been associated with Withycombe Barton, located approximately 130m to the north, although appears to have operated as a ‘detached’ system. The catch meadow remains visible as a series of earthwork gutters on aerial photographs of 1969, although appears to have been completely levelled by 1988 and the field converted to a caravan and camping site.

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
SDV355379	Aerial Photograph: Meridian Airmaps Limited. 1969. MAL/69014. Meridian Airmaps Limited Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). MAL/69014 V 203-04 05-MAR-1969.
SDV355445	Aerial Photograph: Ordnance Survey. 1988. OS/88193. Ordnance Survey. Photograph (Paper). OS/88193 V 224-25 22-JUN-1988.
SDV355804	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1950. RAF/58/369. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/58/369 V 5074-75 27-FEB-1950. [Mapped feature: #65652 ]

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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