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Summary

Narrow linear and curvilinear ditches were visible on aerial photographs of the 1940s on the north-east-facing slopes overlooking a tributary of the River Yarty, north of Rakehill Farm. The ditches might be of 19th century date and operated as a simple catch meadow, drainage ditches or elements of both.

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Possible Catch Meadow, north of Rakehill Farm

Other References/Statuses

• SHINE Candidate (Yes)

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CATCH MEADOW (Post Medieval to XX - 1540 AD to 1982 AD (Between))
• DRAIN (Post Medieval to XX - 1540 AD to 1982 AD (Between))

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1974, RAF/CPE/UK/1974 FS 2434-2435 11-APR-1947 (Aerial Photograph). SDV356127.

Linear earthwork ditches were visible.

Environment Agency, 1998-2014, LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution), LIDAR ST2403 Environment Agency DTM 01-JAN-1998 to 30-SEP-2014 (Cartographic). SDV359177.

The ditches to the south-west of the possible catch meadow system have been ploughed but survive to be visible as slight earthworks.

Next Perspectives, 2014, Aerial Photography for Great Britain, Next Perspectives APGB Imagery ST2403 08-SEP-2014 (Aerial Photograph). SDV359479.

The ditches were not identififeable as earthworks and have probably been ploughed almost level.

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

Narrow linear and curvilinear ditches possibly of 19th century date were visible on aerial photographs of the 1940s on the north-east-facing slopes overlooking a tributary of the River Yarty, north of Rakehill Farm.
Several of the ditches, including two of the uppermost, either closely followed the line of the contours or crossed them at slightly oblique angle, and appeared to be overflowing with water on aerial photographs of April 1947. This might support the interpretation that these ditches operated as a catch meadow irrigation system.
The possible gutters were cut by ditches that laterally crossed the contours. These would not have operated as catch meadow gutters and might support the interpretation that the earthworks also had a drainage function.
The ditches are not apparent on digital images derived from aerial photographs of 2014 but remain visible in places as very slight earthworks on digital images derived from lidar data.

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 FS 2434-2435 11-APR-1947. [Mapped feature: #74770 ]
SDV359177	Cartographic: Environment Agency. 1998-2014. LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution). Environment Agency LiDAR data. Digital. LIDAR ST2403 Environment Agency DTM 01-JAN-1998 to 30-SEP-2014.
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 ST2403 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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