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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 1947 onwards, to the north of Higher Bingwell Farm.

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, 1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1974 RP, RAF/CPE/UK/1974 RP 3279-80 11-APR-1947 (Aerial Photograph). SDV357337.

The catch meadow is visible as a series of earthwork ditches. Map object based on this source.

Meridian Airmaps Limited, 1966, MAL/66034 V, MAL/66034 V 043-44 21-JUN-1966 (Aerial Photograph). SDV357341.

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

Ordnance Survey, 1988, OS/88278 V, OS/88278 V 001-002 02-OCT-1988 (Aerial Photograph). SDV357342.

The site of the catch meadow has been levelled and partly developed for housing.

Next Perspectives, 2010, Aerial Photography for Great Britain, Next Perspectives PGA Imagery SS9611 22-MAY-2010 (Aerial Photograph). SDV356259.

A single earthwork ditch remains visible. Map object based 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 19th century date is visible as a series of earthwork ditches on aerial photographs of 1947 onwards, to the north of Higher Bingwell Farm. 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 2 hectares of northeast and northwest facing slope. 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 480m to the south. 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 remains visible as a series of earthwork ditches on aerial photographs of 1966, although by 1988 the catch meadow has been partly levelled and developed for housing. Since 1988 the site has been further developed and has been almost completely levelled, although a single earthwork ditch remains visible on digital images of 2010.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV356259	Aerial Photograph: Next Perspectives. 2010. Aerial Photography for Great Britain. Aerial Photography for Great Britain Aerial Photographs. Digital. Next Perspectives PGA Imagery SS9611 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
SDV357337	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1947. RAF/CPE/UK/1974 RP. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/CPE/UK/1974 RP 3279-80 11-APR-1947.
SDV357341	Aerial Photograph: Meridian Airmaps Limited. 1966. MAL/66034 V. Meridian Airmaps Limited Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). MAL/66034 V 043-44 21-JUN-1966.
SDV357342	Aerial Photograph: Ordnance Survey. 1988. OS/88278 V. Ordnance Survey Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). OS/88278 V 001-002 02-OCT-1988.

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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