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Summary

A possible water meadow of a type known locally as a catchwater meadow is visible as a narrow earthwork ditch or water channel on aerial photographs. Such systems were in use from the medieval period to twentieth century, using one or a series of roughly parallel water channels, known as gutters, to distribute flowing water evenly over the surface of a meadow in order to prevent the ground freezing in winter and encourage an early growth of pasture in spring.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• WATER MEADOW (Early Medieval to Late 20th Century - 1066 AD to 2000 AD)

Full description

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

High Park Farm is not depicted on the map, indicating it had not yet been established.

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

High Park Farm is depicted on the map, indicating it had been established by circa 1904. The possible water meadow might be established with the creation of the farm.

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/106G/UK/1420, DCC RAF/106G/UK/1420 4006-4007 15-APR-1946 (Aerial Photograph). SDV349339.

The ditch is not clearly visible, but the ground appears to be wet, suggestive of some sort of irrigation.

Ordnance Survey, 1979, OS/79010, NMR OS/79010 140-141 16-APR-1979 (Aerial Photograph). SDV349083.

A narrow ditch is visible, less than one metre wide, with water appearing to flow from it northwards, towards the stream.

Hegarty, C. + Knight, S., 2011-2012, North Devon Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty National Mapping Programme Project (Interpretation). SDV349018.

A possible water meadow of probable post-medieval to early twentieth century date, of a type known locally as a catchwater meadow or field gutter system, is visible on aerial photographs, at High Park Farm, Alwington.
Catchwater meadows used one or more approximately parallel water channels, known as gutters, to distribute flowing water evenly over the surface of the meadow in order to prevent freezing in winter and encourage early growth in spring. Some were attached to farmsteads or associated with linhays and manure was added to the water, which allowed liquid fertiliser to be distributed on the slopes. This possible water meadow may be associated with High Park Farm and might have tapped the stream to the north-east for water, although no feeder channel is visible.
A single possible gutter circa 75 metres long is visible across the slope immediately north of the farmstead. The possible gutter is visible as an earthwork on aerial photographs from 1969 to 1979, but cannot be clearly seen on earlier aerial photographs, although visibly wet ground might indicate the presence of irrigation. High Park Farmyard has since extended further downslope, across the line of the possible gutter, and it has therefore probably been at least partly removed.
Most catchwater meadows are believed to date to the post medieval period, although it is possible that they were first developed in the medieval period. This example may date to between the 1880s to circa 1904, when the first and second edition Ordnance Survey maps indicate High Park Farm was built.

Ordnance Survey, 2012, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV348725.

High Park Farm has extended northwards across the line of the possible gutter.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV325644	Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 1904 - 1906. Second Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map. Second Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map. Map (Digital).
SDV336179	Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 1880-1899. First Edition Ordnance 25 inch map. First Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map. Map (Digital).
SDV348725	Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 2012. MasterMap. Ordnance Survey. Map (Digital).
SDV349018	Interpretation: Hegarty, C. + Knight, S.. 2011-2012. North Devon Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty National Mapping Programme Project. AC Archaeology Report. ACD383/2/1. Digital.
	Linked documents:1
SDV349083	Aerial Photograph: Ordnance Survey. 1979. OS/79010. Ordnance Survey Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). NMR OS/79010 140-141 16-APR-1979. [Mapped feature: #61542 ]
SDV349339	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1946. RAF/106G/UK/1420. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). DCC RAF/106G/UK/1420 4006-4007 15-APR-1946.

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV6132 - North Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty NMP Project (Ref: ACD383/2/1)

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