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Summary

Narrow curvilinear ditches or water channels were visible on digital images derived from lidar data captured between 1998 and 2014 on the gentle north-facing slopes east of Ratclyffe Farm, Clyst Hydon parish. The ditches might be the remains of a catch meadow of 19th century date.

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Earthwork leats of a former Catch (water)meadow, east of Ratclyffe Farm

Other References/Statuses

• SHINE Candidate (Yes)

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CATCH MEADOW (XIX to XX - 1840 AD? to 1946 AD (Between))

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1823, RAF/CPE/UK/1823 RS 4160-4161 04-NOV-1946 (Aerial Photograph). SDV354994.

Shallow curvilinear ditches were visible as subtle earthworks.

Environment Agency, 1998-2014, LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution), LIDAR ST0500 Environment Agency DTM 01-JAN-1998 to 30-SEP-2014 (Cartographic). SDV359177.

Shallow curvilinear earthwork ditches were visible.

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

Narrow and shallow curvilinear ditches or water channels were visible as subtle earthworks over nearly 3 hectares of gentle north-facing slope on digital images derived from lidar data captured between 1998 and 2014, east of Ratclyffe Farm, Clyst Hydon parish.
The ditches are interpreted as the gutters of a possible catch meadow irrigation system. Catch meadows were popular in the 19th century but many continued in use into the mid-20th century. The gutters could have been supplied with water from a drainage channel at circa ST055003.
The possible gutters were identifiable as very subtle earthworks on aerial photographs of 1946 but did not appear to have been recently used and any catch meadow in this location must have passed out of use some time prior to this date.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV354994	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1946. RAF/CPE/UK/1823. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/CPE/UK/1823 RS 4160-4161 04-NOV-1946.
SDV359177	Cartographic: Environment Agency. 1998-2014. LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution). Environment Agency LiDAR data. Digital. LIDAR ST0500 Environment Agency DTM 01-JAN-1998 to 30-SEP-2014. [Mapped feature: #77450 ]
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

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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