See important guidance on the use of this record.

If you have any comments or new information about this record, please email us.

Summary

Narrow curvilinear ditches were visible on aerial photographs of 1946 on the gentle south-west facing slopes immediately to the east of Woodbeare House Farm, Plymtree parish. The ditches might be the remains of simple catch meadows of possible 19th century date.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CATCH MEADOW (Post Medieval to XX - 1540 AD to 1946 AD? (Between))

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1823, RAF/CPE/UK/1823 RS 4299-4300 04-NOV-1946 (Aerial Photograph). SDV354994.

Narrow curvilinear and roughly parallel ditches were visible as earthworks.

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 up to circa 85 metres long were visible on aerial photographs of 1946 as subtle earthworks on the gentle south-west facing slopes immediately to the east of Woodbeare House Farm.
The ditches are tentatively interpreted as the gutters of a simple catch meadow irrigation system. Catch meadows were popular in the 19th century but many continued in use into the mid-20th century. No evidence of recent use was visible on the aerial photographs of November 1947, but this might be expected as such water meadows were most commonly used in the spring.
The catch meadow has probably been levelled by a modern expansion of Woodbeare House Farm.

Ordnance Survey, 2017, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV359962.

The area of the farmyard expanded since 1946 over the former possible catch meadow.

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 4299-4300 04-NOV-1946.
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
SDV359962	Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 2017. MasterMap. Ordnance Survey Digital Mapping. Digital.

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)

Search results generated by the HBSMR Gateway from exeGesIS SDM Ltd.