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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 south-facing combe slopes south of Higher Shelvin 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.

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 4443-4444 11-APR-1947 (Aerial Photograph). SDV356127.

Two possible catch meadow gutters were visibel as slight earthworks.

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

The gutters could not be identified as earthworks.

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 south-facing combe slopes south of Higher Shelvin 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 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.
The system below higher Shelvin Farm appeared to either be in use or have recently been used in April 1947, with the effect of running water visible on the combe slopes.
The most probable source of water for the system was a stream that ‘sinks’ immediately to the north of the farmstead. This may have been culverted and rose again in the farmyard and used for agricultural purposes, such as converting manure to liquid fertiliser to be spread on the slopes by the catch meadow gutters.
The gutter earthworks cannot be seen as earthworks on more recent images available to the survey, including digital images derived from aerial photographs of 2014, and may have been levelled.

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 4443-4444 11-APR-1947. [Mapped feature: #74523 ]
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: 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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