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HER Number: | MDV116727 |
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Name: | Catch meadow west of Barn Farm, Luppitt parish |
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Summary
A possible catch meadow of post-medieval to 20th century date was visible on aerial photographs of the 1940s onwards as interconnected linear parallel earthwork ditches on the north-west-facing slopes below Barn 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
Grid Reference: | ST 171 050 |
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Map Sheet: | ST10NE |
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Admin Area | Devon |
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Civil Parish | Luppitt |
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District | East Devon |
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Ecclesiastical Parish | LUPPITT |
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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 RS 4301-4302 11-APR-1947 (Aerial Photograph). SDV356127.
Narrow linear earthwork ditches were visible in an interconnected V pattern.
Ordnance Survey, 1982, OS/82219 V, OS/82219 V 1652 03-SEP-1982 (Aerial Photograph). SDV357675.
Narrow linear earthwork ditches were visible in an interconnected V pattern.
Next Perspectives, 2010, Aerial Photography for Great Britain, Next Perspectives APGB Imagery ST1606 4-MAY-2010 (Aerial Photograph). SDV359490.
Narrow linear earthwork ditches were visible in an interconnected V pattern.
Hegarty, C. + Knight, S. + Sims, R., 2016-2018, The Blackdown Hills AONB and East Devon River Catchments National Mapping Programme Project (Interpretation). SDV359463.
Four interconnected linear ditches were visible on aerial photographs of 1947 as very slight earthworks under pasture on the north-west-facing slopes below Barn Farm, Luppitt parish. The ditches are tentatively interpreted as a possible catch meadow but might have had a drainage function.
Catch meadows are usually found on combe or hill slopes. 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 narrow ditches known as gutters. The topmost gutter was blocked in the desired location, causing water to overflow, and then be ‘caught’ and redistributed by the lower, roughly parallel gutters, passing it evenly over the chosen section of 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.
Catch meadow gutters typically closely follow the contours in an almost level course to ensure control over where the water is made to overflow. In this instance the ditches cross the contours more obliquely, at almost 45 degrees. This might indicate a local variation or non-specialist construction. Alternatively the earthworks could be evidence of drainage ditches but is unclear how such a drainage system would operate.
If the earthworks are the remains of a catch meadow there is no evidence to indicate that the gutters had recently been in use April 1947. The earthworks can be seen as very slight earthworks on digital images derived from aerial photographs of 2010.
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 4301-4302 11-APR-1947. |
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SDV357675 | Aerial Photograph: Ordnance Survey. 1982. OS/82219 V. Ordnance Survey. Photograph (Paper). OS/82219 V 1652 03-SEP-1982. |
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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. |
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| Linked documents:2 |
SDV359490 | Aerial Photograph: Next Perspectives. 2010. Aerial Photography for Great Britain. Aerial Photography for Great Britain Aerial Photographs. Digital. Next Perspectives APGB Imagery ST1606 4-MAY-2010. [Mapped feature: #76050 ] |
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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)
Date Last Edited: | Mar 20 2018 1:11PM |
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