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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 1990 and 2000, to the northeast of Harcombe Farm. The system was not clearly visible on other aerial photographs made available to the survey.

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

Ordnance Survey, 1990, OS/90242, OS/90242 V 003-004 03-AUG-1990 (Aerial Photograph). SDV359314.

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

Ordnance Survey, 2000, OS/00978, OS/00978 V 101-02 05-MAR-2000 (Aerial Photograph). SDV359313.

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

Richard Sims, 2015-2016, Marshwood Vale National Mapping Programme (NMP) project (Interpretation). SDV359291.

A catch meadow of probable 19th century date is visible as a series of earthwork ditches on aerial photographs of 1990 and 2000, to the northeast of Harcombe 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 10.3 hectares of southwest and northeast facing slope, on combe sides either side of a stream. The system comprises a series of faintly defined but closely set parallel gutters which measure less than 2m in width and which are bisected by a series of more linear, northeast to southwest aligned channels. It is unclear with which water course this system may have tapped and which farm it was associated. Not being directly linked to a farmstead it probably operated as a ‘detached’ system. This catch meadow system is likely to be more extensive than has been recorded here due to the faint nature of the earthworks visible and the subsequent loss of clarity following digital scanning of the original aerial photographs.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV6873 - Marshwood Vale National Mapping Programme project (Ref: ACD1260)

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