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Summary

Narrow curvilinear earthwork ditches interpreted as the gutters of a 19th century catch meadow irrigation system are visible on visualisations derived from lidar data captured between in 2013. The catch meadow presumably fell out of use by the late-19th century.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• FIELD BOUNDARY (Post Medieval to Mid 20th Century - 1540 AD to 1966 AD (Between))
• CATCH MEADOW (XIX - 1801 AD to 1900 AD (Between))

Full description

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

The earthworks do not correspond with any curvilinear features in this location.

NERC, 2013, LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution) Tellus: South Devon to Dartmoor, LIDAR SX7360 Tellus DTM 01-JUL-2013 to 31-AUG-2013 (Cartographic). SDV361514.

Curvilinear earthwork ditches are visible.

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 visualisations derived from lidar data captured between in 2013. The earthwork channels follow the contours of the south facing combe slope and occupy an area of circa 0.56 hectares. They are interpreted as the gutters of a 19th century catch meadow irrigation system which tapped a watercourse to the northwest.
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.
The curvilinear earthwork gutters do not correspond with any features depicted in this exact location on the available historic mapping, and any catch meadow here presumably fell out of use by the late-19th century. Also transcribed and intersecting this system are earthworks of two field boundaries of between post-medieval and mid-20th century date and a possible natural water channel.

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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