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Summary

A narrow curvilinear ditch or water channel was visible on aerial photographs of the 1940s on the south-east facing slopes south-east of George Park, Awliscombe village. The ditch might be the remains of a simple catch meadow of probable 19th century date.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CATCH MEADOW? (XVIII to XX - 1800 AD to 1947 AD (Between))

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1974, RAF/CPE/UK/1974 RP 3446-3447 11-APR-1947 (Aerial Photograph). SDV356127.

A narrow curvilinear ditch was visible as an earthwork.

Next Perspectives, 2014, Aerial Photography for Great Britain, Next Perspectives APGB Imagery ST1301 08-SEP-2014 (Aerial Photograph). SDV359479.

The ditch was not visible as an earthwork and has probably been levelled.

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

A narrow curvilinear ditch or water channel up to circa 90 metres long was visible on aerial photographs of 1947 as an earthwork on the south-east facing slopes south-east of George Park, Awliscombe village.
The effect of water flowing downslope from the ditch can be seen on the aerial photographs of April 1947. This might support an interpretation of the ditch as a gutter of a simple catch meadow irrigation system, as it was in the ‘hungry gap’ of the spring months that such systems were most often used.
Catch meadows were popular in the 19th century but many continued in use into the mid-20th century. The ditch was not visible on digital images derived from aerial photographs of 2014 and has probably 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 RP 3446-3447 11-APR-1947. [Mapped feature: #77141 ]
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 ST1301 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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