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Summary

A possible catch meadow of probable post-medieval to 20th century date was visible on aerial photographs of the 1940s and digital images derived from lidar data flown in 2016 as narrow curvilinear earthwork ditches on the south-east-facing combe slopes below Otter View Farm, Luppitt parish.
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.

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

• SHINE: Catch Meadow, 20th century or earlier, south of Otter View Farm.

Other References/Statuses

• SHINE Candidate (Yes)

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 2443-2444 11-APR-1947 (Aerial Photograph). SDV356127.

A narrow curvilinear earthwork ditch was 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 post-medieval to 20th century date was visible on aerial photographs of 1947 and digital images derived from lidar data flown in 2016 as narrow curvilinear earthwork ditches on the south-east-facing combe slopes below Otter View Farm, Luppitt parish.
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. Any lower gutters, usually roughly parallel to the top gutter or ‘headmain’ then ‘caught’ and redistributed water passing it evenly over the surface of the 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 Otter View Farm appeared to either be in use or have recently been used in April 1947, with the effect of water overflowing from a gutter at circa ST178030 visible on the combe slopes.
The most probable source of water for the system was a spring-fed stream rising to the immediate east of the farmstead, and flowing southwards towards the River Otter.
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. The lidar data gathered in early 2016 reveals that the gutters survive as slight earthworks, and that the uppermost two visible gutters and a lower gutter at circa ST177029 closely follow the contours. Between these two or three further gutters branch off and cross the contours at an oblique angle for over 110 metres. These atypical earthworks were probably a modern adaption of the catch meadow, as these gutters that can be seen to be in operation in 1947.

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 2443-2444 11-APR-1947. [Mapped feature: #74440 ]
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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