See important guidance on the use of this record.

If you have any comments or new information about this record, please email us.

Summary

A possible catch meadow of probable 19th century date is visible as two earthwork ditches on aerial photographs of 1944 and 1948, at Burrow’s Farm. The catch meadow is not visible after 1948 and its survival is uncertain.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CATCH MEADOW (Post Medieval to XIX - 1540 AD to 1900 AD (Between))

Full description

United States Airforce, 1944, US/7PH/GP/LOC252, US/7PH/GP/LOC252 RS 4005-06 20-MAR-1944 (Aerial Photograph). SDV358580.

An earthwork ditch is visible.

Royal Air Force, 1948, RAF/CPE/UK/2491, RAF/CPE/UK/2491 RP 3195-96 11-MAR-1948 (Aerial Photograph). SDV359578.

Earthwork ditches are visible.

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 19th century date is visible as two earthwork ditches on aerial photographs of 1944 and 1948, at Burrow’s 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 partial catch meadow covers an area of approximately 0.13 hectares of moderate north facing slope. The system comprises two curvilinear gutters which measure less than 2m in width and likely taps a spring-fed stream that rises somewhere at Burrow’s Farm. This water meadow might have operated as what has been called an ‘integrated’ catch meadow, in which manure from the cow sheds within the farmyard was mixed with the water supply to supply liquid manure to the pasture. A more extensive catch meadow system is also visible to the north (MDV115105), although have been recorded as separate monuments as it is unclear whether they represent part of the same system. The catch meadow is not visible after 1948 and its survival is uncertain.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV358580	Aerial Photograph: United States Airforce. 1944. US/7PH/GP/LOC252. United States Airforce. Photograph (Paper). US/7PH/GP/LOC252 RS 4005-06 20-MAR-1944.
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
SDV359578	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1948. RAF/CPE/UK/2491. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/CPE/UK/2491 RP 3195-96 11-MAR-1948. [Mapped feature: #74419 ]

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)

Search results generated by the HBSMR Gateway from exeGesIS SDM Ltd.