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Summary

A catch meadow of possible post-medieval to early 20th century date is visible on aerial photographs of 1946 as narrow earthwork ditches on the south-east facing slopes south-east of Birchland Farm. The earthworks remain identifiable as subtle earthworks visible on digital images derived from lidar data captured between 1998 and 2017 and have been identified as anomalies exhibiting negative responses identified by geophysical survey.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• (Former Type) ARCHAEOLOGICAL FEATURE (Unknown date)
• CATCH MEADOW (Post Medieval to XX - 1540 AD to 1946 AD (Between))

Full description

Urmston, Ben, 11/2008, Avon Support Main, between Roborough and Houndall, near Plymouth, Devon., Figure 26 (Report - Geophysical Survey). SDV358939.

A geophysical survey was undertaken of a proposed 13km water main between Roborough and Houndall, near Plymouth, Devon. Several sites of archaeological interest were identified. Two complexes of enclosures of clear archaeological potential have been identified, one to the east of Boringdon Camp, a known Iron Age site, and another to the west of Sparkwell. The former comprises two curvilinear enclosures with good evidence for internal features; the latter is rectilinear in form.
Given the negative responses exhibited by the four anomalies oriented northeast to southwest in this area, it is likely that they are modern in origin and are perhaps related to drainage. A pair of weakly negative trends oriented approximately north to south may be the remnants of a track.

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1890, RAF/CPE/UK/1890 FP 1130-1131 10-DEC-1946 (Aerial Photograph). SDV169268.

Curvilinear ditches are visible as earthworks.

Royal Air Force, 1955, RAF/540/1625, RAF/540/1625 F21 0234-0235 24-MAY-1955 (Aerial Photograph). SDV351141.

Curvilinear ditches are visible as earthworks.

Environment Agency, 1998-2017, LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution) EA: South Devon Coast to Dartmoor, LIDAR SX5858 Environment Agency DTM 01-JAN-1998 to 31-MAY-2017 (Cartographic). SDV361470.

Curvilinear ditches are visible as subtle earthworks.

Hegarty, C., Knight, S. and Sims, R., 2019-2020, The South Devon Coast to Dartmoor Aerial Investigation and Mapping Survey. Area 2, Avon Valley to Plymouth (AI&M, formerly NMP) (Interpretation). SDV362982.

A catch meadow is visible on aerial photographs of 1946 as a series of roughly parallel curvilinear earthworks ditches closely following the contours of the south-east facing slopes south-east of Birchland Farm.
The catch meadow was probably of post-medieval to early 20th century date and was probably associated with Birchland Farm.
The gutters remain identifiable as subtle earthworks visible on digital images derived from lidar data captured between 1998 and 2017 and correspond with the four northeast to southwest oriented anomalies exhibiting negative responses identified by geophysical survey (SDV358939, Area G12).

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV6830 - Geophysical Survey, Avon Support Main (Ref: 68262.02)
• EDV8098 - The South Devon Coast to Dartmoor Aerial Investigation and Mapping (formerly NMP) Survey, Area 2, Avon Valley to Plymouth (Ref: ACD2040)

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