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Summary

A series of narrow curvilinear ditches are depicted on historic maps and visible as earthworks on aerial photographs and visualisations derived from lidar data captured in 2013 on combe slopes south-east of Eastcott Barton. They are interpreted as gutters of a 19th century catch meadow that passed out of use in the 20th century.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CATCH MEADOW (XIX - 1801 AD to 1900 AD (Between))

Full description

Devon County Council, 1838-1848, Tithe Mosaic, approximately 1838-1848 (Cartographic). SDV349431.

The earthworks do not correspond with any depicted features.

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

The gutters are depicted flowing from streams from the north and east.

Ordnance Survey, 1904 - 1906, Second Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map (Cartographic). SDV325644.

The gutters are depicted flowing from streams from the north and east.

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

The gutters are faintly 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.

A series of narrow curvilinear ditches are visible following the contours of combe slopes.

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.

A series of narrow curvilinear ditches are visible following the contours of combe slopes.

Google, 2019, Google Earth Pro, EARTH.GOOGLE.COM 01-JAN-2001 ACCESSED 20-APR-2021 (Aerial Photograph). SDV363088.

The gutters are visible as earthworks dating from 2001 onwards.

Hegarty, C., Knight, S. and Sims, R., 2020-2021, Tamar/Lidar; A Single Source Approach to Landscape Survey and Socially Distanced Community Archaeology Area 1 (AI&M project) (Interpretation). SDV363945.

A series of narrow curvilinear ditches are visible as earthworks on aerial photographs and visualisations derived from lidar data captured in 2013. They closely follow the contours of east, south-west and north-west facing combe slopes south-east of Eastcott Barton.
The ditches are depicted on both the Ordnance Survey 25 inch First Edition and Second Edition maps and have not been transcribed. They are also visible as earthworks on aerial photographs dating from the 1940s and the late 20th to early 21st century.
The ditches are interpreted as gutters of a former catch meadow of 19th century origin, that tapped streams flowing from both the north and east.
Catch meadows abstracted from springs or streams and redistributed it along channels or gutters to irrigate combe slopes rather than valley floors. Originating in the medieval period they were in widespread use in Devon in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8345 - Tamar/Lidar; A Single Source Approach to Landscape Survey and Socially Distanced Community Archaeology Area 1 (AI&M) (Ref: ACD2380)

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