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Summary

A possible catch meadow of probable post-medieval to nineteenth century date was visible on aerial photographs of the 1940s onwards as roughly parallel curvilinear earthwork ditches on the south-facing combe slopes to the north of Coombe Lane, Silverton.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CATCH MEADOW (Post Medieval to XIX - 1540 AD to 1900 AD (Between))

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1823 RS, RAF/CPE/UK/1823 RS 4252-4253 04-NOV-1946 (Aerial Photograph). SDV356902.

Former catch meadow gutters were visible as curvilinear earthwork ditches.

Next Perspectives, 2002, Pan Government Agreement, Next Perspectives PGA Imagery SS9504 29-SEP-2002 (Aerial Photograph). SDV356896.

Former catch meadow gutters remain visible as grassed over subtle earthwork ditches.

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 post-medieval to nineteenth century date was visible on aerial photographs of the 1940s onwards as roughly parallel curvilinear earthwork ditches on the south-facing combe slopes to the north of Coombe Lane, Silverton.
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.
In this instance the catch meadow probably abstracted water from the stream that flows along the combe from the north-east to the south-west. The gutters remained identifiable, albeit as fragmentary and incompletely visible grassed over earthworks on digital images derived from aerial photographs of 2002. They cannot be seen on 2010 images but this is probably due to unfavourable lighting conditions.

Sources / Further Reading

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
SDV356896	Aerial Photograph: Next Perspectives. 2002. Pan Government Agreement. Pan Government Agreement Aerial Photographs. Digital. Next Perspectives PGA Imagery SS9504 29-SEP-2002.
SDV356902	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1946. RAF/CPE/UK/1823 RS. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/CPE/UK/1823 RS 4252-4253 04-NOV-1946. [Mapped feature: #67648 ]

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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