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Summary

An extensive catch meadow of probable 19th century date is visible as a series of earthwork and cropmark ditches on aerial photographs of 1946 onwards, to the south of Gingerland.

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Prehistoric rectangular, single ditched enclosure north east of Higher Bagmore

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CATCH MEADOW (Post Medieval to Modern - 1540 AD to 2013 AD (Between))

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1823, RAF/CPE/UK/1823 RP 3309-10 04-NOV-1946 (Aerial Photograph). SDV354994.

The catch meadow is visible as a series of earthwork ditches. Map object based on this source.

Royal Air Force, 1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1995 RP, RAF/CPE/UK/1995 RP 3045-46 13-APR-1947 (Aerial Photograph). SDV356899.

The catch meadow is visible as a series of possible cropmark ditches. Map object based on this source.

Ordnance Survey, 1967, OS/67040, OS/67040 V 10-11 18-APR-1967 (Aerial Photograph). SDV356895.

The catch meadow ditches appear to have been largely levelled.

Next Perspectives, 2010, Aerial Photography for Great Britain, Next Perspectives PGA Imagery SS9905 22-MAY-2010 (Aerial Photograph). SDV356259.

The catch meadow gutters appear to have been completely levelled, although traces of the headmain remain visible as a slight earthwork ditch.

Hegarty, C. + Knight, S. + Sims, R., 2014-2015, East and Mid Devon River Catchments National Mapping Programme Project (Interpretation). SDV356883.

An extensive catch meadow of probable 19th century date is visible as a series of earthwork and cropmark ditches on aerial photographs of 1946 onwards, to the south of Gingerland. 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 March and April. The catch meadow covers an area of approximately 6 hectares of northeast facing slope. The system comprises a series of gutters which measure less than 2m in width and appear to tap a spring-fed stream that rises approximately 370m to the southwest. The headmain of the catch meadow system is clearly visible as a more substantial earthwork ditch demarcating the southern edge of the system, with an additional equally substantial ditch also located further downslope, but of uncertain function. It is unclear from the aerial photographs alone with which farm this water meadow system might have been associated with. Not being directly linked to a farmstead it probably operated as a ‘detached’ system. The catch meadow appears to post-date the site of an orchard, with the headmain truncating across a number of linear earthwork banks. The catch meadow gutters appears to have been largely levelled on aerial photographs of 1967, although the headmain remains visible as a slight and partial earthwork on digital images derived from aerial photographs taken in 2010.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV354994	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1946. RAF/CPE/UK/1823. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/CPE/UK/1823 RP 3309-10 04-NOV-1946.
SDV356259	Aerial Photograph: Next Perspectives. 2010. Aerial Photography for Great Britain. Aerial Photography for Great Britain Aerial Photographs. Digital. Next Perspectives PGA Imagery SS9905 22-MAY-2010.
SDV356883	Interpretation: Hegarty, C. + Knight, S. + Sims, R.. 2014-2015. East and Mid Devon River Catchments National Mapping Programme Project. AC Archaeology Report. Digital.
	Linked documents:1
SDV356895	Aerial Photograph: Ordnance Survey. 1967. OS/67040. Ordnance Survey. Photograph (Paper). OS/67040 V 10-11 18-APR-1967.
SDV356899	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1947. RAF/CPE/UK/1995 RP. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/CPE/UK/1995 RP 3045-46 13-APR-1947.

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV6530 - The East and Mid-Devon Rivers Catchment NMP project (Ref: ACD613)

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