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Summary

Narrow curvilinear ditches, interpreted as the gutters of a 19th century catch meadow irrigation system, are visible as earthworks on aerial photographs taken from 1946 onwards and on visualisations derived from lidar data captured between 1998 and 2017. The system had mostly passed out of use by the late 19th century.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CATCH MEADOW (XIX - 1801 AD to 1900 AD (Between))

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1890, Devon County Council RAF/CPE/UK/1890 1057-1058 10-DEC-1946 (Aerial Photograph). SDV169268.

Narrow curvilinear ditches are visible as earthworks.

Royal Air Force, 1951, RAF/540/497, RAF/540/497 RS 4084-4085 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 SX7046 Environment Agency DTM 01-JAN-1998 to 31-MAY-2017 (Cartographic). SDV361470.

Narrow 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.

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 northeast facing combe slope and occupy an area of circa 2.47 hectares. They are interpreted as the gutters of a 19th century catch meadow irrigation system possibly associated with Nuckwell Farm and which tapped a spring-fed stream that rises circa 260m to the south. One of the earthworks corresponds with a water channel depicted in this location on the late 19th century Ordnance Survey map, suggesting that this system had mostly passed out of use by the late 19th century. Catch meadow systems are designed to irrigate pasture by diverting water from a spring or stream. The water is carried along the valley sides via one or more channels or gutters and when irrigation was required the gutters were blocked, causing water to overflow from gutter to gutter, thereby irrigating the slopes. This film of water prevented the ground freezing during the winter and raised the temperature of the grass in the spring, thereby encouraging early growth, particularly important during the hungry gap of March and April.

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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