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Summary

A probable cropmark ditch of a former catch meadow system of 19th century date is visible on aerial photographs of 1947 and on digital images derived from aerial photographs taken in 2006 and 2010, to the north of Lower Ford.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

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, 1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1995, RAF/CPE/UK/1995 FP 1047-48 13-APR-1947 (Aerial Photograph). SDV354842.

Faint traces of the cropmark ditch are visible.

Next Perspectives, 2006, Pan Government Agreement Aerial Photograph, Next Perspectives PGA Imagery SS9809 24-JUL-2006 (Aerial Photograph). SDV356945.

The cropmark ditch is visible on infra-red digital images.

Next Perspectives, 2010, Aerial Photography for Great Britain, Next Perspectives PGA Imagery SS9809 22-MAY-2010 (Aerial Photograph). SDV356259.

The cropmark ditch is visible.

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

A probable cropmark ditch of a former catch meadow system of 19th century date is visible on aerial photographs of 1947 and on digital images derived from aerial photographs taken in 2006 and 2010, to the north of Lower Ford. The sinuous east to west aligned cropmark, which follows the contours of the south facing slope, closely resembles a catch meadow gutter which may have tapped one of two drains located to the east and west. 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. No other associated cropmarks or earthworks of this possible former catch meadow system were visible on aerial photographs or digital images, although a catch meadow system has been recorded approximately 175m to the southwest.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV354842	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1947. RAF/CPE/UK/1995. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/CPE/UK/1995 FP 1047-48 13-APR-1947.
SDV356259	Aerial Photograph: Next Perspectives. 2010. Aerial Photography for Great Britain. Aerial Photography for Great Britain Aerial Photographs. Digital. Next Perspectives PGA Imagery SS9809 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
SDV356945	Aerial Photograph: Next Perspectives. 2006. Pan Government Agreement Aerial Photograph. Pan Government Agreement Aerial Photographs. Digital. Next Perspectives PGA Imagery SS9809 24-JUL-2006. [Mapped feature: #66982 ]

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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