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Summary

A possible catch meadow of probable post-medieval to early twentieth century date was visible on aerial photographs of the 1980s and digital images derived from lidar data as three narrow earthwork ditches to the south of Allergroves Copse, Thorverton.
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. The catch meadow gutters have probably mostly been levelled.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CATCH MEADOW (Post Medieval to XX - 1540 AD to 1989 AD (Between))

Full description

Ordnance Survey, 1989, OS/89162, OS/89162 V 648-649 08-MAY-1989 (Aerial Photograph). SDV356894.

Curvilinear earthwork ditches are visible.

Environment Agency, 1998-2012, LiDAR DSM data JPEG image (1m resolution) (Cartographic). SDV357034.

Curvilinear earthwork ditches are visible. Map objects based on this source.

GeoInformation Group Ltd, 2010, 1:625 2010 Colour (12.5cm resolution) (Aerial Photograph). SDV346026.

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 post-medieval to early twentieth century date was visible on aerial photographs of the 1980s and digital images derived from lidar data as three narrow earthwork ditches to the south of Allergroves Copse, Thorverton.
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 March and April.
The possible gutters were not visible on aerial photographs of the 1940s available to the survey but the coverage for this location was poor and on those images that were available the direction of light was not favourable. The ditches were most clearly visible on aerial photographs of 1989 and could still be seen of digital images derived from aerial photographs taken in 2010 and lidar captured in 2012. The ditches are therefore likely to survey as low earthworks.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV346026	Aerial Photograph: GeoInformation Group Ltd. 2010. 1:625 2010 Colour (12.5cm resolution). 2010 Aerial Photographs. Digital.
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
SDV356894	Aerial Photograph: Ordnance Survey. 1989. OS/89162. Ordnance Survey. Photograph (Paper). OS/89162 V 648-649 08-MAY-1989.
SDV357034	Cartographic: Environment Agency. 1998-2012. LiDAR DSM data JPEG image (1m resolution). Environment Agency LiDAR data. Digital.

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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