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Summary

A possible catch meadow of probable post-medieval to 20th century date was visible on aerial photographs and digital images derived from lidar data as narrow curvilinear earthwork ditches on the east-facing combe slopes below Stonehayes Farm, overlooking a south-flowing tributary to the River Otter
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.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CATCH MEADOW (Post Medieval to XX - 1540 AD to 1947 AD (Between))

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1974, RAF/CPE/UK/1974 F20 2444-2445 11-APR-1947 (Aerial Photograph). SDV356127.

Curvilinear and roughly parallel earthwork were visible as ditches. Map object based partly on this source.

Environment Agency, 1998-2014, LiDAR DSM data (1m resolution), LIDAR ST1603 Environment Agency DSM 01-JAN-1998 to 30-SEP-2014 (Cartographic). SDV359178.

Curvilinear and roughly parallel earthwork were visible as ditches. Map object based partly on this source.

Hegarty, C. + Knight, S. + Sims, R., 2016-2018, The Blackdown Hills AONB and East Devon River Catchments National Mapping Programme Project (Interpretation). SDV359463.

A possible catch meadow of probable post-medieval to 20th century date was visible on aerial photographs and digital images derived from lidar data as narrow curvilinear earthwork ditches on the east-facing combe slopes below Stonehayes Farm, overlooking a south-flowing tributary to the River Otter
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.
The system below Stonehayes Farm appeared to either be in use or have recently been used in April 1947, with the effect of running water on the combe slopes visible. The water source could not be identified with any confidence from the aerial photographs alone, but the most probable source of water for the system was a spring-fed stream rising to the immediate south-west of the farmstead. A linear ditch running downslope through the centre of the system from the farmstead might be a second water source, possibly supporting the interpretation that the catch meadow could have operated as an ‘attached system’, whereby manure from the farmyard was added to the water supply as liquid fertiliser.
Catch meadow gutters typically follow the line of the contours very closely, with only a slight drop in the level of the topmost gutter, or headmain, to ensure even water flow over the slopes. In this instance the gutters cross the contours at an oblique angle. This might be evidence of a local variation in catch meadow design.
The gutters remained visible as slight earthworks or cropmarks on digital images derived from lidar data.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV356127	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1947. RAF/CPE/UK/1974. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/CPE/UK/1974 F20 2444-2445 11-APR-1947.
SDV359178	Cartographic: Environment Agency. 1998-2014. LiDAR DSM data (1m resolution). Environment Agency LiDAR data. Digital. LIDAR ST1603 Environment Agency DSM 01-JAN-1998 to 30-SEP-2014.
SDV359463	Interpretation: Hegarty, C. + Knight, S. + Sims, R.. 2016-2018. The Blackdown Hills AONB and East Devon River Catchments National Mapping Programme Project. Historic England Research Report. Digital.
	Linked documents:2

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV7508 - The Blackdown Hills AONB and East Devon River Catchments National Mapping Programme (NMP) project (Ref: ACD1228)

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