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Summary

Catch meadows of probable post-medieval to 19th century date are visible on aerial photographs of 1946 as subtle and narrow curvilinear earthwork ditches on the south-west facing combe slopes and valley bottom between Quarry Farm and Ludbrook Mill Farm, on the Ugborough and Ermington parish boundary. The earthworks remain partially identifiable as earthworks on visualisations derived from lidar data captured in 2019.

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 FS 2191-2192 10-DEC-1946 (Aerial Photograph). SDV169268.

Curvilinear ditches are visible as earthworks, some very subtle.

Google, 2019, Google Earth Pro, EARTH.GOOGLE.COM XX-XXX-2010 ACCESSED 21-APR-2020 (Aerial Photograph). SDV363088.

Curvilinear ditches are visible as earthworks.

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

Curvilinear ditches remain partly 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.

Curvilinear ditches up to 2m wide and circa 285m long are visible as earthworks on aerial photographs of 1946 extending over approximately 3.3ha on the south-west facing combe slopes and valley bottom between Quarry Farm and Ludbrook Mill Farm.
The channels are interpreted as the remains of an irrigation system of probable post-medieval to 19th century date, consisting of curvilinear but roughly parallel catch meadow gutters closely following the contours on the lower combe slopes, and less regular water channels nearer the combe bottom.
Catch meadows and related hybrid valley floor systems abstracted from springs or streams and used channels, or gutters, to redistribute it to irrigate the combe slopes. Originating probably in the medieval period they were in widespread use in Devon in the 19th century and continued in use into the mid-20th century.
In this instance the catch meadows probably abstracted water both from a spring-fed sources adjacent to Quarry Farm and the Lud Brooke itself. The visible gutters might have formed two independent systems associated with Quarry Farm and Ludbrook Mill Farm. Those adjacent to Quarry Farm have possibly been partly levelled or buried by spoil from the expanding quarry.
The gutters west of the Lud Brook, closer to Ludbrook Mill Farm remain identifiable as earthworks on visualisations derived from lidar data captured in 2019 but those east of the brook, closer to Quarry Farm are not clearly identifiable and have probably been almost completely 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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