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Summary

A possible catch meadow of probable post-medieval to 19th century date was visible as narrow linear earthwork ditches or gutters on aerial photographs of 1946 on the west-facing slopes to the west of Bramley Gardens, Whimple. The water meadow was probably associated with the former farmstead at Whimple House. The gutters were not visible on more recent images available to the survey and have probably been levelled.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CATCH MEADOW (Post Medieval to XIX - 1540 AD to 1840 AD (Between))

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1823 RS, RAF/CPE/UK/1823 RS 4060-4061 04-NOV-1946 (Aerial Photograph). SDV356902.

Narrow ditches or gutters were visible as earthworks.

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 19th century date was visible as narrow and paartial linear earthwork ditches or gutters on aerial photographs of 1946 on the west-facing slopes to the west of Bramley Gatrdens, Whimple. The water meadow was probably associated with the former farmstead at Whimple House.
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. It is unclear from where this catch meadow sourced its water supply, but it probably fed into a stream the flows northwards on the western side of the system.
The gutters were not visible on more recent images available to the survey and have probably been 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
SDV356902	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1946. RAF/CPE/UK/1823 RS. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/CPE/UK/1823 RS 4060-4061 04-NOV-1946. [Mapped feature: #71820 ]

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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