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Summary

A catch meadow of probable nineteenth or twentieth century date is visible on aerial photographs of the 1940s onwards as parallel earthwork ditches following the contours of the south facing slopes of a narrow combe, north of Holcombe.
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

• SHINE: Earthwork ditches of a 19th or 20th century catch meadow system south-east of Holcombe Farm

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CATCH MEADOW (XIX to Mid 20th Century - 1801 AD to 1946 AD)

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1824, RAF/CPE/UK/1824 4080-40813 4-NOV-1946 (Aerial Photograph). SDV352344.

Linear earthworks ditches or channels are visible as earthworks.

Ordnance Survey, 1986, OS/86217, OS/86217 078-079 22-SEP-1986 (Aerial Photograph). SDV354645.

Linear earthworks ditches or channels are visible as earthworks, albeit in an eroded condition, east of Teignmouth Road

Next Perspectives, 2003, Pan Government Agreement Aerial Photographs, Next Perspectives PGA Imagery SX9575 31-MAR-2003 (Aerial Photograph). SDV351614.

The linear earthworks ditches or channels are not visible as earthworks west of Teignmouth Road.

Hegarty, C. + Knight, S. + Sims, R., 2013-2014, South Devon Coast Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey National Mapping Programme Project (Interpretation). SDV351146.

A catch meadow of probable nineteenth or twentieth century date is visible on aerial photographs of 1946 to 2003 onwards as parallel earthwork ditches following the contours of the south facing slopes of a narrow combe, north of Holcombe.
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. In this instance the system probably tapped the stream which flows along the combe at a point to the east of Westbrook Farm, with which it is probably associated.
The gutters to the west of the Teignmouth Road are not identifiable on aerial photographs taken in 1986 and have probably been levelled. Eastern of the Teignmouth Road, the water meadow gutters remain visible as slight earthworks on digital images derived from aerial photographs taken in 2003 but appear to be in poor condition. This might support the interpretation that the water meadow was no longer maintained by 1986. Field investigation is recommended to ascertain the condition of the earthworks.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV351146	Interpretation: Hegarty, C. + Knight, S. + Sims, R.. 2013-2014. South Devon Coast Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey National Mapping Programme Project. AC Archaeology Report. Digital.
	Linked documents:1
SDV351614	Aerial Photograph: Next Perspectives. 2003. Pan Government Agreement Aerial Photographs. Pan Government Agreement Aerial Photographs. Digital. Next Perspectives PGA Imagery SX9575 31-MAR-2003.
SDV352344	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1946. RAF/CPE/UK/1824. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/CPE/UK/1824 4080-40813 4-NOV-1946.
SDV354645	Aerial Photograph: Ordnance Survey. 1986. OS/86217. Ordnance Survey. Photograph (Paper). OS/86217 078-079 22-SEP-1986.

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV6127 - Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey National Mapping Programme (NMP) for South-West England - South Coast Devon (Ref: ACD618)

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