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Summary

Possible evidence of catch meadow irrigation of probable post-medieval to 20th century date was visible on aerial photographs of 1947 as narrow curvilinear earthwork ditches on the east-facing combe slopes south of Penny Thorn Cross, Luppitt Parish, 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

Ordnance Survey, 1880-1899, First Edition Ordnance 25 inch map (Cartographic). SDV336179.

The earthworks are partly depicted.

Royal Air Force, 1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1974, RAF/CPE/UK/1974 F20 4442-4443 11-APR-1947 (Aerial Photograph). SDV356127.

Three hillside channels or gutters were visible as earthworks.

Next Perspectives, 2014, Aerial Photography for Great Britain, Next Perspectives APGB Imagery ST1604 08-SEP-2014 (Aerial Photograph). SDV359479.

With the exception of the channel or leat recorded as part of MDV11519, the earthworks were not visible.

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

Possible evidence of catch meadow irrigation of probable post-medieval to 20th century date was visible on aerial photographs of 1947 as narrow curvilinear earthwork ditches on the east-facing combe slopes south of Penny Thorn Cross, Luppitt Parish, 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 water channels, often called 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.
Three or possibly four gutters were visible to the south of Penny Thorn Cross, tapping two separate streams for water; one centred on circa ST16610447 and two at circa ST16580427 . It is unclear whether the two sets gutters were intended to be operated together or separately, although the northern gutter can be seen in use on aerial photographs of 1947 whilst the southern earthworks appear dry. The southern group might also have operated in tandem with the earthworks of a possible leat immediately to the south-east. This channel, depicted on the Ordnance Survey First Edition 25 inch map was possibly the main channel of a bedwork-variant water meadow, recorded separately as MDV11519. It closely follows the contour near the valley floor and could have been used as a gutter.
The gutter earthworks, excluding the possible bedwork channel, cannot be seen earthworks on digital images derived from aerial photographs of 2014 and may have been levelled.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV336179	Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 1880-1899. First Edition Ordnance 25 inch map. First Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map. Map (Digital).
SDV356127	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1947. RAF/CPE/UK/1974. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/CPE/UK/1974 F20 4442-4443 11-APR-1947. [Mapped feature: #74519 ]
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 ST1604 08-SEP-2014.

Associated Monuments

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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