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Summary

A catch meadow of probable post-medieval to 19th century date is visible on aerial photographs of 1946 as curvilinear earthwork ditches following the contours of the south-west facing combe slope to the south of Ennaton Farm. A single ditch remains identifiable as a very slight earthwork on visualisations derived from lidar data captured in 2013.

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 3171-3172 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 SX6855 18-JUN-1999 (Aerial Photograph). SDV363087.

A single gutter remains identifiable as a subtle 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.

Five roughly parallel curvilinear ditches are visible on aerial photographs of 1946 as earthworks circa 1m to 2m wide and up to circa 160m long, spaced circa 12m to 30m apart, closely following the contours of the south-west facing combe slope between Well Cross and Ennaton 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 do not correspond with any ditches depicted on the 19th or early 20th century maps available to the survey. This might support the interpretation that the water meadow had fallen out of regular use by the late-19th century.
Due to the requirements of managing a potentially shared water supply, it is possible that the gutters had a functional relationship with a larger catch meadow circa 100m to the south (MDV62479).
A single gutter remains identifiable as a subtle earthwork on visualisations derived from lidar data captured in 2013, but most have probably 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)

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