See important guidance on the use of this record.

If you have any comments or new information about this record, please email us.

Summary

A catch meadow of probable post-medieval to 19th century date was visible on aerial photographs of the 1940s onwards as earthwork gutters to the south of Livingshayes Farm. The gutters probably survive as subtle earthworks.

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 RP 3249-3250 04-NOV-1946 (Aerial Photograph). SDV356902.

Roughly parallel earthwork gutters are visible. Map object based in part on this source.

Ordnance Survey, 1967, OS/67040, OS/67040 V 67-68 18-APR-1967 (Aerial Photograph). SDV356895.

Roughly parallel earthwork gutters are visible. Map object based in part on this source.

Environment Agency, 1998-2012, LiDAR DSM data JPEG image (1m resolution), LIDAR SS9603 Environment Agency DSM 19 Dec 2005 & 14-20 Feb 2012 (Cartographic). SDV357034.

Roughly parallel earthwork gutters are visible.Map object based in part on this source.

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 post-medieval to 19th century date was visible on aerial photographs of 1946 onwards as earthwork gutters of west facing combe slopes to the south of Livingshayes Farm.
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 Heal-eye Stream that flows southwards along the combe to the west of the farm or a spring-fed stream that rises immediately south of the farm. A number of the gutters survive to be visible as subtle but possibly fragmentary earthworks on images derived from lidar data captured in 2005 and 2012.

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
SDV356895	Aerial Photograph: Ordnance Survey. 1967. OS/67040. Ordnance Survey. Photograph (Paper). OS/67040 V 67-68 18-APR-1967.
SDV356902	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1946. RAF/CPE/UK/1823 RS. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/CPE/UK/1823 RP 3249-3250 04-NOV-1946.
SDV357034	Cartographic: Environment Agency. 1998-2012. LiDAR DSM data JPEG image (1m resolution). Environment Agency LiDAR data. Digital. LIDAR SS9603 Environment Agency DSM 19 Dec 2005 & 14-20 Feb 2012.

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

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

Search results generated by the HBSMR Gateway from exeGesIS SDM Ltd.