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Summary

A catch meadow of probable 19th to early 20th century date is visible on aerial photographs of 1946 as at least 4 narrow curvilinear earthwork ditches on the south-west facing slopes of a shallow combe south of Nethershaugh, Shaugh Prior. The earthworks have probably been mostly levelled.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CATCH MEADOW (XVIII to Mid 20th Century - 1800 AD? to 1946 AD (Between))

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/106G/UK/1190, RAF/106G/UK/1190 RP 3235-3236 27-FEB-1946 (Aerial Photograph). SDV363067.

Curvilinear ditches are visible as earthworks.

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1890, Devon County Council RAF/CPE/UK/1890 2302-2303 10-DEC-1946 (Aerial Photograph). SDV169268.

Curvilinear ditches are visible as earthworks, possibly overflowing with water..

Bluesky International Ltd/Getmapping PLC, 1999-2017, Pan Government Agreement Aerial Photographs, Next Perspectives APGB Imagery SX5461 31-MAY-2016 (Aerial Photograph). SDV363087.

A curvilinear ditch is visible as an earthwork.

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.

Curvilinear ditches are visible as earthworks circa 2m to 3m wide and up to circa 110m long on aerial photographs of 1946, spaced circa 15, 20 and 25m apart along the contours of the south-west facing slopes to the south of Nethershaugh.
The channels are are probably the gutters of a former catch meadow probably of post-medieval to early 20th century date.
Such systems used springs or streams to irrigate combe slopes, rather than valley floors. Originating in the medieval period they were in widespread use in Devon in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
A single gutter centred at circa SX534486268 remains visible as an earthwork on digital images derived from aerial photographs of 2016, but the remaining ditches are not identifiable and have probably been levelled.
It is possible that this surviving gutter also comprises part of the feature previously interpreted as a lynchet and recorded monument MDV25302. No lynchet was identified in this location by the survey.

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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