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Summary

Narrow curvilinear earthwork ditches interpreted as the gutters of a 19th century catch meadow irrigation system are visible on aerial photographs taken from 1946 onwards and on visualisations derived from lidar data captured between 1998 and 2017.

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, 1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1890, Devon County Council RAF/CPE/UK/1890 3030-3031 10-DEC-1946 (Aerial Photograph). SDV169268.

Narrow curvilinear ditches are visible as earthworks.

Royal Air Force, 1946 - 1949, Royal Air Force Aerial Photographs (Aerial Photograph). SDV342938.

The contour leats or ditches of a catch meadow system are clearly visible. A catch meadow is a form of water meadow. The leats are fed by water from a spring or hillside stream rather than a valley river. When irrigation was required, water was allowed to over flow from the higher ditches across the meadow into the lower ditches. The gently flowing water across the meadow prevented the ground from freezing in winter thus encouraging early spring growth and much needed extra feed for livestock. Catch meadows probably developed in the medieval period but most surviving examples are likely to be post medieval or early modern in date.

Royal Air Force, 1951, RAF/540/497, RAF/540/497 RP 3124-3125 12-MAY-1951 (Aerial Photograph). SDV351212.

Narrow curvilinear ditches are visible as earthworks.

Environment Agency, 1998-2017, LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution) EA: South Devon Coast to Dartmoor, LIDAR SX7344; SX7345 Environment Agency DTM 01-JAN-1998 to 31-MAY-2017 (Cartographic). SDV361470.

Narrow curvilinear ditches are visible as earthworks.

GetMapping, 1999 - 2000, Millennium Map 1999-2000 Getmapping (Aerial Photograph). SDV321648.

The leats are no longer clearly visible but may survive as subtle earthworks, although the lower section of the system is now covered by housing.

Horner, B., 2011, RAF (1946-9) Aerial Photos with Marked Features (Aerial Photograph). SDV352507.

Contour leats visible on 1946 aerial photo.

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.

Narrow curvilinear ditches, less than 2m wide, are visible as earthworks on aerial photographs taken from 1946 onwards and on visualisations derived from lidar data captured between 1998 and 2017. The earthwork channels follow the contours of the southwest and northeast facing combe slopes and occupy an area of circa 3.7 hectares.
They are interpreted as the gutters of a catch meadow irrigation system possibly associated with Norton farmstead to the northwest and which tapped a spring-fed stream that rises at the farm.
Slight banks identifiable as curvilinear earthworks on the lidar derived images at circa SX73124483 are interpreted as probably embnkment associated with the catch meadow gutters, potentially an earlier phase.
A curvilinear ditch also identifiable on the lidar derived images at circa SX72894498 is interpreted as a gutter cut by later quarrying activity (MDV127427 and MDV16529). A smaller extractive pit also cuts the gutters to the south-east (MDV128777)
Catch meadows were popular in the 19th century but many continued in use into the mid-20th century.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• 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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