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Summary

A catch meadow of probable 19th century date is visible as a series of earthwork ditches on aerial photographs of 1946 onwards, to the west of Whorridge Farm, with which it was likely associated. It remains visible as a series of earthwork ditches on digital images derived from aerial photographs taken in 2010.

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, 1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1823 RS, RAF/CPE/UK/1823 RS 4305-06 04-NOV-1946 (Aerial Photograph). SDV356902.

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

BKS Surveys Ltd, 1967, BKS/2822, BKS/2822 V 2888-89 14-MAR-1967 (Aerial Photograph). SDV354836.

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

Next Perspectives, 2010, Aerial Photography for Great Britain, Next Perspectives PGA Imagery ST0105 22-MAY-2010 (Aerial Photograph). SDV356259.

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

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

A catch meadow of probable 19th century date is visible as a series of earthwork ditches on aerial photographs of 1946 onwards, to the west of Whorridge Farm, with which it was likely associated. 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 0.53 hectares of moderate south facing slope approximately 70m to the west of the Whorridge Farm. 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 410m to the southwest. Whilst the water meadow system was likely associated with Whorridge Farm, it probably operated as a ‘detached’ system. The catch meadow gutters remain visible as a series of earthwork ditches on digital images derived from aerial photographs taken in 2010.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV354836	Aerial Photograph: BKS Surveys Ltd. 1967. BKS/2822. BKS Surveys Ltd. Photograph (Paper). BKS/2822 V 2888-89 14-MAR-1967. [Mapped feature: #67197 ]
SDV356259	Aerial Photograph: Next Perspectives. 2010. Aerial Photography for Great Britain. Aerial Photography for Great Britain Aerial Photographs. Digital. Next Perspectives PGA Imagery ST0105 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
SDV356902	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1946. RAF/CPE/UK/1823 RS. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/CPE/UK/1823 RS 4305-06 04-NOV-1946.

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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