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Summary

Narrow curvilinear earthwork ditches, interpreted as the possible gutters of a post-medieval or 19th century catch meadow irrigation system, are visible on 1940s RAF aerial photographs and 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

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

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

Royal Air Force, 1946 - 1949, Royal Air Force Aerial Photographs (Aerial Photograph). SDV342938.

Narrow curvilinear ditches are visible as earthworks.

Environment Agency, 2000-2019, LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution) EA: Tamar Aerial Survey project area, LIDAR Environment Agency LAST RETURN 02-APR-2013 (Cartographic). SDV363954.

Narrow curvilinear ditches are visible as earthworks.

NERC, 2013, LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution) Tellus: Tamar Aerial Survey project area, LIDAR Tellus LAST RETURN 01-JUL-2013 to 31-AUG-2013 (Cartographic). SDV363955.

Narrow curvilinear ditches are visible as earthworks.

Hegarty, C., Houghton, E., Knight, S. and Sims, R., 2020-2021, Tamar/Lidar; A Single Source Approach to Landscape Survey and Socially Distanced Community Archaeology Area 2 (Culture Recovery Fund project) (Interpretation). SDV364011.

Narrow curvilinear ditches, less than 2m wide, are visible as earthworks on 1940’s RAF aerial photographs and on visualisations derived from lidar data captured in 2013.
The earthwork channels follow the contours of the north-east facing combe slope and occupy an area of circa 0.43 hectares. They are interpreted as the gutters of a 19th century catch meadow irrigation system possibly associated with Pallastreet farmstead and which tapped a spring-fed stream that rises at the farm.
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.
No features are 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.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8356 - Tamar/Lidar; A Single Source Approach to Landscape Survey and Socially Distanced Community Archaeology Area 2 (Culture Recovery Fund) (Ref: ACD2424)

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