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Summary

A catch meadow of probable 19th century date is visible as a series of earthwork ditches and possible bank on aerial photographs of 1947 onwards, at Lower Woodmanton Fram.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

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/1995 FS, RAF/CPE/UK/1995 FS 2308-09 13-APR-1947 (Aerial Photograph). SDV356946.

The catch meadow is visible as a single earthwork ditch.

Royal Air Force, 1965, RAF/58/7106, RAF/58/7106 006-07 12-NOV-1965 (Aerial Photograph). SDV356245.

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

Meridian Airmaps Limited, 1969, MAL/69014, MAL/69014 053-54 05-MAR-1969 (Aerial Photograph). SDV355379.

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

Ordnance Survey, 1989, OS/89277, OS/89277 V 115-16 14-JUN-1989 (Aerial Photograph). SDV356291.

The catch meadow is visible as a series of 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 earthwork ditches and possible bank on aerial photographs of 1947 onwards, at Lower Woodmanton Fram. 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 0.73 hectares of northwest facing slope and comprises a series of gutters which measure less than 2m in width. A possible slight earthwork bank which respects the alignment of the gutters is visible to the north of the system and is possibly derived from up-cast material from excavation of the respective gutter. The system appears to have been fed by a linear northwest to southeast aligned drain to the west which may have redirected the flow of a watercourse located somewhere further to the southeast. Whilst the water meadow system was probable associated with Lower Woodmanton Farm to the southeast, it probably operated as a detached system. The catch meadow remains visible as a series of earthwork ditches on aerial photographs of 1989, although its survival after this date is uncertain.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV355379	Aerial Photograph: Meridian Airmaps Limited. 1969. MAL/69014. Meridian Airmaps Limited Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). MAL/69014 053-54 05-MAR-1969. [Mapped feature: #71754 ]
SDV356245	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1965. RAF/58/7106. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/58/7106 006-07 12-NOV-1965.
SDV356291	Aerial Photograph: Ordnance Survey. 1989. OS/89277. Ordnance Survey. Photograph (Paper). OS/89277 V 115-16 14-JUN-1989.
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
SDV356946	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1947. RAF/CPE/UK/1995 FS. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/CPE/UK/1995 FS 2308-09 13-APR-1947.

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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