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Summary

A possible catch meadow of probable 19th century date is visible as a series of earthwork ditches on aerial photographs of 1948 and 1989, at Moonhayes, Upottery, with which it was probably associated.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CATCH MEADOW (XIX - 1801 AD to 1900 AD (Between))

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1948, RAF/CPE/UK/2491, RAF/CPE/UK/2491 RP 3190-91 11-MAR-1948 (Aerial Photograph). SDV359578.

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

Ordnance Survey, 1989, OS/89276, OS/89276 V 270 14-JUN-1989 (Aerial Photograph). SDV357047.

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

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 on aerial photographs of 1948 and 1989, at Moonhayes, Upottery, 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 0.47 hectares of east facing slope to the east of Moonhayes. The system comprises a series of parallel north to south aligned gutters which measure less than 2m in width and possibly tap a spring-fed stream that rises at the farm. A single linear channel on the southern side of these gutters is of uncertain association. 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.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV357047	Aerial Photograph: Ordnance Survey. 1989. OS/89276. Ordnance Survey. Photograph (Paper). OS/89276 V 270 14-JUN-1989.
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
SDV359578	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1948. RAF/CPE/UK/2491. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/CPE/UK/2491 RP 3190-91 11-MAR-1948. [Mapped feature: #77752 ]

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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