See important guidance on the use of this record.

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

Summary

A catch meadow of probable late 19th to early 20th century date is visible on aerial photographs of 1946 as narrow earthwork ditches on the south-east facing slopes south of Houndall Farm.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CATCH MEADOW (XIX to XX - 1880 AD to 1946 AD (Between))

Full description

Ordnance Survey, 1880-1899, First Edition Ordnance 25 inch map (Cartographic). SDV336179.

Hondall Farm is not depicted on the Ordnance Survey 1880s 25inch First Edition map.

Ordnance Survey, 1904 - 1906, Second Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map (Cartographic). SDV325644.

Hondall Farm is depicted on the Ordnance Survey 1880s 25inch First Edition map

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

Curvilinear ditches overrunning with water 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 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 ditches visible as subtle earthworks closely following the contours of the east facing slopes between Berry’s Lane and Houndall Farm, Sparkwell.
The popularity of catchmeadows peaked in the 19th century but they have been use since the medieval period, in settings both attached to and detached from farmsteads. As such the catch meadow is not necessarily associated with Houndall Farm.
However, Houndall Farm is not depicted on the Ordnance Survey 1880s 25inch First Edition map but is on the Second Edition and is therefore probably a late-19th century creation. It seems probable that the creation of the watermeadow is associated with the farmstead and the apparent use of the system in 1946 might support the interpretation of a recent creation.
The gutters are identifiable as subtle earthworks visible on digital images derived from lidar data captured between 1998 and 2017.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments: none recorded

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)

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