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Summary

A catch meadow of probable 19th century date is visible as a series of earthwork ditches on aerial photographs of 1971 onwards, at Pithayne Farm, with which it was probably associated. The catch meadow remains partly visible on aerial photographs of 1989, although is not visible after this date and its survival is uncertain.

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 RS 4085-86 30-MAY-1950 (Aerial Photograph). SDV357615.

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

Royal Air Force, 1971, RAF/39/3800, RAF/39/3800 V 050-51 06-OCT-1971 (Aerial Photograph). SDV359525.

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

Ordnance Survey, 1989, OS/89276, OS/89276 V 153-54 14-JUN-1989 (Aerial Photograph). SDV357047.

A single gutter is 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 catch meadow of probable 19th century date is visible as a series of earthwork ditches on aerial photographs of 1971 onwards, at Pithayne Farm, 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 0.70 hectares of southwest facing slope and comprises a series of gutters which measure less than 2m in width. It is not clear from historical or modern digital mapping with which water source this catch meadow may have tapped, although it is likely one is present at Pithayne Farm to the immediate north. 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 aerial photographs of 1989, although is not visible after this date and its survival is uncertain.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV357047	Aerial Photograph: Ordnance Survey. 1989. OS/89276. Ordnance Survey. Photograph (Paper). OS/89276 V 153-54 14-JUN-1989.
SDV357615	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1950. RAF/541/534. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/541/534 RS 4085-86 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
SDV359525	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1971. RAF/39/3800. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/39/3800 V 050-51 06-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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