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Summary

Two curvilinear earthwork ditches, visible on aerial photographs taken in 1946 and partly on images derived from lidar data captured between 1998 and 2017, are interpreted as the remains of post-medieval or 19th century catchmeadow gutters.

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

South West Heritage Trust, 1838-1848, Digitised Tithe Maps and Transcribed Apportionments (Cartographic). SDV359954.

No features are depicted in this exact location.

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1824, RAF/CPE/UK/1824 RP 3215-3216 04-NOV-1946 (Aerial Photograph). SDV352344.

Two curvilinear earthwork ditches are visible.

NERC, 2013, LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution) Tellus: South Devon to Dartmoor, LIDAR SX7970 Tellus DTM 01-JUL-2013 to 31-AUG-2013 (Cartographic). SDV361514.

Part of one of the earthwork ditches is visible.

Hegarty, C., Knight, S. and Sims, R., 2018-2019, The South Devon Coast to Dartmoor Aerial Investigation and Mapping Survey. Area 1, Haldon Ridge to Dart Valley (AI&M) (Interpretation). SDV361305.

Two curvilinear earthwork ditches, less than 2 metres in width, are visible on aerial photographs taken in the 1940s on the combe slopes east of Higher Burne. Part of one is indistinctly visible on images derived from lidar data captured between 1998 and 2017. They are sited either side of a watercourse, and follow the contour, dropping less than 5 metres over a visible 180 metre length. They may have been taken off the watercourse, but it seems possible that they were fed by a pond south of the farmstead (MDV38664) and may have operated as an integrated catchmeadow system whereby manure was mingled with water to both irrigate and fertilise land.
Many 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 and often continued in use into the twentieth century. 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 the March and April.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV352344	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1946. RAF/CPE/UK/1824. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/CPE/UK/1824 RP 3215-3216 04-NOV-1946. [Mapped feature: #114619 ]
SDV359954	Cartographic: South West Heritage Trust. 1838-1848. Digitised Tithe Maps and Transcribed Apportionments. Tithe Map and Apportionment. Digital.
SDV361305	Interpretation: Hegarty, C., Knight, S. and Sims, R.. 2018-2019. The South Devon Coast to Dartmoor Aerial Investigation and Mapping Survey. Area 1, Haldon Ridge to Dart Valley (AI&M). Historic England Research Report. Digital.
	Linked documents:1
SDV361514	Cartographic: NERC. 2013. LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution) Tellus: South Devon to Dartmoor. Digital. LIDAR SX7970 Tellus DTM 01-JUL-2013 to 31-AUG-2013.

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV7515 - The South Devon Coast to Dartmoor Aerial Investigation and Mapping (formerly NMP) Survey (Ref: ACD1748)

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