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Summary

A possible catch meadow of probable post-medieval to 20th century date was visible on aerial photographs of the 1940s as narrow curvilinear and roughly parallel earthwork ditches on the east facing slopes of a shallow combe on the southern edge of Combe Raleigh.
Catch meadows are usually found on combe or hill slopes and are designed to irrigate pasture by diverting water from a spring or stream and passing it along the slope via a series of roughly parallel channels or gutters. When irrigation was required the gutters were blocked, causing water to overflow from gutter to gutter, thereby irrigating the slopes below.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• National Record of the Historic Environment: 188791
• Old DCC SMR Ref: ST10SE/32/1

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CATCH MEADOW (XVIII to XX - 1751 AD to 1947 AD (Between))

Full description

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV110904.

Des=slide 01/09/1992/in smr.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV110905.

Des=colour print 01/09/1992 film no. Bh2 frame no.20.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV110906.

Des=b/w print 01/09/1992 film no. Bh21 frame no.20.

Royal Air Force, 1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1974, RAF/CPE/UK/1974 F20 3443-3444 11-APR-1947 (Aerial Photograph). SDV356127.

Shallow and narrow gutters were visible as earthwork ditches. Map object based partly on this source.

Exeter Museums Archaeological Field Unit, 1992 - 1993, Blackdown Hills Survey Archive (Archive - Survey). SDV324187.

Vis=01/09/1992 (noble and simpson) earthworks. Probably water meadows. Stone walls survive, probably for a sluicegate, at the w. End of the field where a stream enters (see sketch in archive).

Environment Agency, 1998-2014, LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution), LIDAR ST1602 Environment Agency DTM 01-JAN-1998 to 30-SEP-2014 (Cartographic). SDV359177.

Shallow and narrow gutters were visible as earthwork ditches. Map object based partly on this source.

Hegarty, C. + Knight, S. + Sims, R., 2016-2018, The Blackdown Hills AONB and East Devon River Catchments National Mapping Programme Project (Interpretation). SDV359463.

A possible catch meadow of probable post-medieval to 20th century date was visible on aerial photographs of the 1940s as narrow curvilinear and roughly parallel earthwork ditches on the east facing slopes of a shallow combe on the southern edge of Combe Raleigh.
Many catch meadow systems are believed to date to the post medieval period, although it is likely that they were first developed in the medieval period and often continued in use into the twentieth century. Catch meadows provided a simple, inexpensive and effective form of irrigation. When irrigation was required water was diverted from a source such as a pond, river, spring or spring-fed stream and passed along the meadow slopes via one or more of the gutters, which was then caused to overflow. The lower, roughly parallel gutters then ‘caught’ and redistributed water passing it evenly over the surface of a meadow below. The gently flowing water prevented the ground freezing in winter and encouraged early growth in spring, thereby providing extra feed for livestock, particularly important during the hungry gap of the March and April.
The system probably tapped a stream that flowed downslope at its northern end for water, and could be seen in use on aerial photographs of April 1947, with water flowing downslope into a drain to the east. The gutters were identifiable on digital images derived from lidar data, and probably survive as subtle earthworks.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV110904	Migrated Record:
SDV110905	Migrated Record:
SDV110906	Migrated Record:
SDV324187	Archive - Survey: Exeter Museums Archaeological Field Unit. 1992 - 1993. Blackdown Hills Survey Archive. Blackdown Hills Survey Archive. A4 Unbound.
SDV356127	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1947. RAF/CPE/UK/1974. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/CPE/UK/1974 F20 3443-3444 11-APR-1947.
SDV359177	Cartographic: Environment Agency. 1998-2014. LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution). Environment Agency LiDAR data. Digital. LIDAR ST1602 Environment Agency DTM 01-JAN-1998 to 30-SEP-2014.
SDV359463	Interpretation: Hegarty, C. + Knight, S. + Sims, R.. 2016-2018. The Blackdown Hills AONB and East Devon River Catchments National Mapping Programme Project. Historic England Research Report. Digital.
	Linked documents:2

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV7508 - The Blackdown Hills AONB and East Devon River Catchments National Mapping Programme (NMP) project (Ref: ACD1228)

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