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 19th to early 20th century date is visible on aerial photographs of 1946 as narrow curvilinear earthwork ditches on the slopes of a west-facing combe, south of Lixton Farm. Some remain visible as slight earthworks on digital images derived from aerial photographs of 2018.

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)

Full description

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

The visible earthworks do not correspond with any features depicted on the Ordnance Survey 1880s 25inch First Edition map, but a pond depicted at SX69515016 might have been the water supply for the system.

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1890, Devon County Council RAF/CPE/UK/1890 FS 2095-2096 10-DEC-1946 (Aerial Photograph). SDV351061.

Curvilinear ditches are visible as earthworks.

English Heritage, 1983, OS/83047, OS/83047 V 077-078 15-APR-1983OS/83047 V 077-078 15-APR-1983 (Aerial Photograph). SDV351610.

Curvilinear ditches are visible as earthworks.Curvilinear ditches are visible as earthworks.

Ordnance Survey, 1989, OS/89037, OS/89037 V 175 07-MAR-1989 (Aerial Photograph). SDV352115.

Curvilinear ditches are visible as earthworks.

Google, 2019, Google Earth Pro, EARTH.GOOGLE.COM 15-JUL-2018 ACCESSED 06-MAR-2020 (Aerial Photograph). SDV363088.

Curvilinear ditches are visible as earthworks.

Environment Agency, 2019, National Lidar Programme, LIDAR Environment Agency DTM 25-FEB-2019LIDAR Environment Agency DTM 25-FEB-2019 (Cartographic). SDV363691.

Curvilinear ditches are identifiable 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.

Six or more and roughly parallel ditches are visible on aerial photographs of 1946 as earthworks up to circa 3m wide and 200m long, closely following the contours of south-west and north-west facing combe slopes, to the south of Lixton Farm.
The channels are probably the remains of a catch meadow of 19th to early 20th century date. Catch meadows abstracted from springs or streams and redistributed it along channels or gutters 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.
Two or three the upper gutters on the north-west facing slopes remain identifiable as earthworks on digital images derived from aerial photographs of 2018 and visualisations derived from lidar data captured in 2019 but the lower ditches might have been levelled.

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.