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Summary

A catch meadow of probable 19th century date is visible as a series of partial earthwork ditches on aerial photographs of 1947, to the north of Seckerleigh. The catch meadow was not visible on aerial photographs or digital images after this date and has likely since been completely levelled.

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Earthworks of fomer catch (water) meadow leats, in field south of Ridge Allermoor Plantation, Seckerleigh.
• SHINE: Earthworks of fomer catch (water) meadow leats, in field south of Ridge Allermoor Plantation, Seckerleigh.

Other References/Statuses

• SHINE Candidate (Yes)

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/1974 FS, RAF/CPE/UK/1974 FS 2284 11-APR-1947 (Aerial Photograph). SDV356987.

The catch meadow is visible as a series of partial 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 partial earthwork ditches on aerial photographs of 1947, to the north of Seckerleigh. 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 0.24 hectares of east facing slope. The system comprises a series of partial gutters which measure less than 2m in width and appear to tap a spring-fed stream that rises further to the northwest. A northwest to southeast aligned earthwork ditch to the north of the system does not appear to represent part of an associated feature, but more likely forms part of a drainage ditch. It is unclear from the aerial photographs alone with which farm this water meadow system might have been associated with. Not being directly linked to a farmstead it probably operated as a ‘detached’ system. The catch meadow was not visible on aerial photographs or digital images after 1947 and has likely since been completely levelled.

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
SDV356987	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1947. RAF/CPE/UK/1974 FS. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/CPE/UK/1974 FS 2284 11-APR-1947. [Mapped feature: #67684 ]

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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