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Summary

A catch meadow of possible post-medieval to early 20th century date is visible on aerial photographs of 1946 onwards as narrow earthwork ditches on the slopes of a south-west facing combe south and east of Sherwell. The earthworks remain partly visible 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 XX - 1540 AD to 1946 AD (Between))

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/106G/UK/1190, RAF/106G/UK/1190 RS 4247-4248 27-FEB-1946 (Aerial Photograph). SDV363067.

Slight curvilinear earthwork ditches are visible at SX57035691.

Royal Air Force, 1947, RAF/CPE/UK/2105, RAF/CPE/UK/2105 RP 3067-3068 28-MAY-1947 (Aerial Photograph). SDV351151.

Curvilinear earthwork ditches are visible.

Royal Air Force, 1955, RAF/540/1578, RAF/540/1578 F21 0249-0250 01-APR-1955 (Aerial Photograph). SDV351231.

Slight curvilinear earthwork ditches are visible.

Meridian Airmaps Limited, 1971, MAL/71005, MAL/71005 V 028-030 04-FEB-1971 (Aerial Photograph). SDV363166.

Curvilinear earthwork ditches are visible.

Environment Agency, 1998-2017, LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution) EA: South Devon Coast to Dartmoor, LIDAR SX5656-SX5657 Environment Agency DTM 01-JAN-1998 to 31-MAY-2017 (Cartographic). SDV361470.

Subtle curvilinear earthwork ditches are visible.

GetMapping, 1999, 073/99, Devon County Council GetMapping/073/99 0369-0370 24-JUL-1999 (Aerial Photograph). SDV363167.

Two curvilinear earthwork ditches are visible under pasture.

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 series of roughly parallel curvilinear ditches are visible as earthworks on aerial photographs of 1946 onwards closely following the contours of the north-west and south-facing slopes of a combe to the south and east of Sherwell farm.
The channels are probably the gutters of a catch meadow of post-medieval to early 20th century date. Such systems used springs or streams to irrigate combe slopes rather than valley floors. This system probably tapped the tributaries to the Tory Brook that flowed along the combes to the south and west. The visible earthworks extend over an area of circa 4.2ha. It had probably ceased to be used by the 1940s.
The earthworks remain identifiable as subtle earthworks on aerial photographs from 1955 to 1999 and partial gutters remain identifiable as earthworks on visualisations 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)

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