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Summary

A possible catch meadow of probable 19th century date is visible as a series of earthwork ditches or cropmarks on aerial photographs of 1947 onwards, at Parklands Farm. The catch meadow remains visible as a series of earthwork ditches 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, 1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1974, RAF/CPE/UK/1974 RS 4077-78 11-APR-1947 (Aerial Photograph). SDV356127.

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

Royal Air Force, 1950, RAF/541/534, RAF/541/534 RS 4080-81 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 053-54 06-OCT-1971 (Aerial Photograph). SDV359525.

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

Next Perspectives, 2014, Aerial Photography for Great Britain, Next Perspectives APGB Imagery ST1214 & ST1314 08-SEP-2014 (Aerial Photograph). SDV359479.

The catch meadow is visible as a series of earthwork ditches. Map object partly 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 or cropmarks on aerial photographs of 1947 onwards, at Parklands Farm. 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 fragmented catch meadow covers an area of approximately 2.30 hectares of gentle west, southwest and southeast facing slope. It comprises a series of earthwork gutters which measure less than 2m in width and likely tap the stream which bisects the system. It is unclear from the aerial photographs alone with which farm this water meadow system might have been associated with. Not being directly linked to a farmstead it probably operated as a ‘detached’ system. A possible water meadow system is located to the immediate south (MDV115775), within the floodplain of the River Culm, as well as a catch meadow system to the north (MDV49861), although it is unclear if any of these systems are associated. The catch meadow remains visible as a series of earthwork ditches on digital images derived from aerial photographs taken in 2014.

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 RS 4077-78 11-APR-1947.
SDV357615	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1950. RAF/541/534. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/541/534 RS 4080-81 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 ST1214 & ST1314 08-SEP-2014.
SDV359525	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1971. RAF/39/3800. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/39/3800 V 053-54 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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