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Summary

A possible catch meadow of probable 19th century date is visible as a series of earthwork ditches on aerial photographs of 1950 onwards at Dunsgreen, with which it was probably associated. Partial earthwork ditches of the catch meadow are visible on digital images derived from aerial photographs taken in 2014.

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

Royal Air Force, 1950, RAF/541/534, RAF/541/534 RP 3076 30-MAY-1950 (Aerial Photograph). SDV357615.

The possible catch meadow is visible as a series of earthwork ditches.

Royal Air Force, 1971, RAF/39/3821, RAF/39/3821 V 063-64 29-OCT-1971 (Aerial Photograph). SDV359591.

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

Next Perspectives, 2014, Aerial Photography for Great Britain, Next Perspectives APGB Imagery ST1513 08-SEP-2014 (Aerial Photograph). SDV359479.

Faint traces of earthwork ditches are visible.

Google, 2015, Google Earth Pro, EARTH.GOOGLE.COM XX-XXX-2002 ACCESSED 16-MAY-2016 (Aerial Photograph). SDV359580.

The possible catch meadow is visible as a series of earthwork ditches. Map object based 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 19th century date is visible as a series of earthwork ditches on aerial photographs of 1950 onwards at Dunsgreen, with which it was probably associated. 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 1.58 hectares of gentle to moderate northwest facing slope and comprises a series of parallel gutters which measure less than 2m in width. It is unclear, however, with which water source this system may have tapped, although it is possible one is present at Dunsgreen. 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. The catch meadow remains partly visible on digital images derived from aerial photographs taken in 1999. Partial earthwork ditches of the catch meadow are visible on digital images derived from aerial photographs taken in 2014.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV357615	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1950. RAF/541/534. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/541/534 RP 3076 30-MAY-1950.
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
SDV359479	Aerial Photograph: Next Perspectives. 2014. Aerial Photography for Great Britain. Digital. Next Perspectives APGB Imagery ST1513 08-SEP-2014.
SDV359580	Aerial Photograph: Google. 2015. Google Earth Pro. Various. Digital. EARTH.GOOGLE.COM XX-XXX-2002 ACCESSED 16-MAY-2016.
SDV359591	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1971. RAF/39/3821. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/39/3821 V 063-64 29-OCT-1971.

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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