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Summary

Narrow curvilinear ditches were visible on aerial photographs of 1971 and later and digital images derived from lidar data captured in 2016, on the gentle east-facing slopes south-east of Sheafhayne Manor, Yarcombe parish. The ditches are probably the remains of a catch meadow of 19th century date.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CATCH MEADOW? (Post Medieval to XIX - 1540 AD to 1900 AD? (Between))

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1971, RAF/39/3800, RAF/39/3800 V 76-77 06-OCT-1971 (Aerial Photograph). SDV359525.

Multiple narrow and shallow curvilinear ditches were visible as earthworks. Map object based partly on this source.

Hunting Surveys Limited, 1982, HSL/UK/82/45 V, OS/82217 V 1003-1004 27-AUG-1982 (Aerial Photograph). SDV357955.

Multiple narrow and shallow curvilinear ditches were visible as earthworks.

Bluesky International, 2016, LiDAR DTM data (0.5m resolution) Blackdown Hills and East Devon AONBs: 3 transects, LIDAR ST2508-ST2509 Bluesky International DTM 24-APR-2016 & 30-APR-2016 (Cartographic). SDV359714.

Multiple narrow and shallow curvilinear ditches were visible as earthworks. Map object based partly on this source.

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

Several narrow and shallow roughly parallel curvilinear ditches were visible on aerial photographs of 1971 and digital images derived from lidar data captured in 2016 as very subtle earthworks on the gentle east-facing slopes south-east of Sheafhayne Manor, Yarcombe parish.
The ditches are interpreted as the possible gutters of a substantial catch meadow irrigation system. Catch meadows were popular in the 19th century but many continued in use into the mid-20th century.
The possible gutters were not depicted on any historic maps available to the survey and were not readily identifiable as maintained earthworks on aerial photographs of the 1940s. It is therefore probably that any catch meadow in this location had probably passed out of use by the early 20th century.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV357955	Aerial Photograph: Hunting Surveys Limited. 1982. HSL/UK/82/45 V. Hunting Surveys Limited Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). OS/82217 V 1003-1004 27-AUG-1982.
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
SDV359525	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1971. RAF/39/3800. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/39/3800 V 76-77 06-OCT-1971.
SDV359714	Cartographic: Bluesky International. 2016. LiDAR DTM data (0.5m resolution) Blackdown Hills and East Devon AONBs: 3 transects. Not applicable. Digital. LIDAR ST2508-ST2509 Bluesky International DTM 24-APR-2016 & 30-APR-2016.

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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