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Summary

A catch meadow of probable post-medieval to 19th century date is visible on aerial photographs of 1946 as narrow curvilinear earthwork ditches on the south facing combe slopes south-west of Yollandbrook Farm. The earthworks have probably since been levelled.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CATCH MEADOW (Post Medieval to XIX - 1540 AD to 1900 AD (Between))

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1890, Devon County Council RAF/CPE/UK/1890 RP 3169-3170 10-DEC-1946 (Aerial Photograph). SDV169268.

Curvilinear ditches are visible as earthworks.

Bluesky International Ltd/Getmapping PLC, 1999-2017, Pan Government Agreement Aerial Photographs, Next Perspectives APGB Imagery SX6656-SX6756 22-MAY-2007 (Aerial Photograph). SDV363087.

The ditches are not visible as earthworks.

NERC, 2013, LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution) Tellus: South Devon to Dartmoor, LIDAR SX6757 Tellus DTM 01-JUL-2013 to 31-AUG-2013 (Cartographic). SDV361514.

A single ditch remains identifiable on visualisations derived from lidar data captured in 2013 as an earthwork at circa SX671568.

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.

Roughly parallel curvilinear ditches are visible on aerial photographs of 1946 as earthworks spaced between 7 and 15m apart, up to circa 2m wide and up to circa 190m long, closely following the contours of a south facing combe slopes south-west of Yollandbrook Farm.
The channels are interpreted as the remains of a catch meadow potentially of post-medieval to 19th century date.
Catch meadows diverted water from springs or streams and redistributed it along channels or gutters to irrigate combe slopes. Probably originating in the medieval period, they were in widespread use in Devon from the 19th to early 20th century.
The visible earthworks largely do not correspond with any features depicted on the 19th or early 20th century maps available to the survey. An exception can be seen at circa SX669566. This might support the interpretation that the catch meadow had fallen out of regular use by the late-19th century with some components remaining in use as drains or leats.
The gutters are not identifiable as earthworks on digital images derived from aerial photographs of 2007, most probably levelled during the construction of the A38. A single ditch remains identifiable on visualisations derived from lidar data captured in 2013 as an earthwork at circa SX671568.

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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