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Summary

Evidence of a catch meadow of probable post-medieval to 20th century date was clearly visible on aerial photographs of 1947 as narrow curvilinear earthwork ditches on the north-west-facing combe slopes below Rollshayes Farm, Luppitt Parish, overlooking a south-flowing tributary to the River Otter.
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

• Old DCC SMR Ref: ST10SE/271

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CATCH MEADOW (Post Medieval to XX - 1540 AD to 1947 AD (Between))

Full description

APH, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV102954.

Water meadow system at rollshayes farm visible on raf ap's (aph).

Royal Air Force, 1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1974, RAF/CPE/UK/1974 F20 4442-4443 11-APR-1947 (Aerial Photograph). SDV356127.

Curvilinear earthwork ditches were visible overflowing with water.

GeoInformation Group Ltd, 2010, 1:625 2010 Colour (12.5cm resolution), Devon County Council 2010 Aerial Photograph mosaic (Aerial Photograph). SDV346026.

Curvilinear ditches were visible as very slight grassed over, relict earthworks.

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

Evidence of a catch meadow of probable post-medieval to 20th century date was clearly visible on aerial photographs of 1947 as narrow curvilinear earthwork ditches on the north-west-facing combe slopes below Rollshayes Farm, Luppitt Parish, overlooking a south-flowing tributary to the River Otter.
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 below Rollshayes Farm appeared to either be in use or have recently been used in April 1947, with the effect of running water visible on the combe slopes.
The most probable source of water for the system was a pond to the north of the farmhouse. The proximity of this pond to the farmhouse might support the interpretation that this catch meadow operated as an attached system, whereby farmyard manure was added to the water to create liquid fertiliser.
Catch meadow gutters typically follow the line of the contours very closely, with only a slight drop in the level of the topmost gutter, or headmain, to ensure even water flow over the slopes. In this instance the gutters cross the contours at an oblique angle. This might be evidence of a local variation in catch meadow design.
The gutters remain visible as very slight grassed over earthworks on digital images derived from aerial photographs of 2010.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV102954	Migrated Record: APH.
SDV346026	Aerial Photograph: GeoInformation Group Ltd. 2010. 1:625 2010 Colour (12.5cm resolution). 2010 Aerial Photographs. Digital. Devon County Council 2010 Aerial Photograph mosaic.
SDV356127	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1947. RAF/CPE/UK/1974. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/CPE/UK/1974 F20 4442-4443 11-APR-1947. [Mapped feature: #93695 ]
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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