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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 and 1960s as several narrow and roughly parallel earthwork ditches on the south facing slopes to the south and west of Farrant’s Hayes, with which it was probably associated.
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: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• SHINE Candidate (Yes)

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CATCH MEADOW (XIX to XX - 1801 AD to 1967 AD (Between))

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1823 RS, RAF/CPE/UK/1823 RS 4235-4236 04-NOV-1946 (Aerial Photograph). SDV356902.

Curvilinear earthwork ditches are visible.

BKS Surveys Ltd, 1967, BKS/2822, BKS/2822 V 2997-2998 14-MAR-1967 (Aerial Photograph). SDV354836.

Curvilinear earthwork ditches are visible.

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

A possible catch meadow of probable nineteenth or early twentieth century date is visible on aerial photographs of the 1946 and 1967 as several narrow and roughly parallel earthwork ditches on the south facing slopes to the south and west of Farrant’s Hayes, with which it was probably associated.
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.
The system at Farrant’s Hayes was probably supplied by water from a pond to the north and east of the farmstead. The stream might have flowed through or alongside the farmyard and the catch meadow might therefore have operated as an attached system, making use of farmyard waste. The gutters cannot be seen on more recent images and have probably been levelled.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV354836	Aerial Photograph: BKS Surveys Ltd. 1967. BKS/2822. BKS Surveys Ltd. Photograph (Paper). BKS/2822 V 2997-2998 14-MAR-1967.
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 4235-4236 04-NOV-1946. [Mapped feature: #67289 ]

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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