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Summary

Narrow, irregular and interconnected ditches were visible as earthworks on aerial photographs of the 1940s and images derived from lidar on the east bank of the River Clyst. The earthworks are possibly evidence of catch meadow style irrigation of post-medieval to 20th century date.

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Earthworks of former watermeadow leats, on the east bank of River Clyst north of Beare
• SHINE: Earthworks of former watermeadow leats, on the east bank of River Clyst north of Beare

Other References/Statuses

• SHINE Candidate (Yes)

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CATCH MEADOW? (XVI to XX - 1600 AD to 1946 AD (Between))

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1823, RAF/CPE/UK/1823 RP 3245-3247 04-NOV-1946 (Aerial Photograph). SDV354994.

Ditches are visible as slight earthworks.

Environment Agency, 1998-2012, LiDAR DSM data JPEG image (1m resolution), LIDAR SS9801 Environment Agency DSM 19-DEC-2005 (Cartographic). SDV357034.

Ditches are visible as irregular and interconnected earthworks.

Hegarty, C. + Knight, S. + Sims, R., 2014-2015, East and Mid Devon River Catchments National Mapping Programme Project (Interpretation). SDV356883.

Narrow, irregular and interconnected ditches were visible as earthworks on aerial photographs of the 1940s and images derived from lidar on the east bank of the River Clyst. The earthworks are possibly evidence of catchmeadow style irrigation of post-medieval to 20th century date. The earthwork channels or gutters do not directly correspond with any features depicted on the Ordnance Survey first edition 25 inch map and had probably passed out of use prior to the late 19th century. However, a channel or small stream that that probably supplied that the ditches or gutters north of Beare is marked on the first edition map, and inlets depicted on the edge of a straight, sluice controlled channel that flowed from Hele in the north suggest that water meadow return channels, visible as earthworks on the aerial photographs, fed back into the watercourse at circa SS987013. It is possible that some of the channels were associated with the water use of the former tannery at Beare. It is probable that the most south-easterly of the channels were levelled during the construction of the M5 motorway.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV354994	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1946. RAF/CPE/UK/1823. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/CPE/UK/1823 RP 3245-3247 04-NOV-1946.
SDV356883	Interpretation: Hegarty, C. + Knight, S. + Sims, R.. 2014-2015. East and Mid Devon River Catchments National Mapping Programme Project. AC Archaeology Report. Digital.
	Linked documents:1
SDV357034	Cartographic: Environment Agency. 1998-2012. LiDAR DSM data JPEG image (1m resolution). Environment Agency LiDAR data. Digital. LIDAR SS9801 Environment Agency DSM 19-DEC-2005. [Mapped feature: #68027 ]

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV6530 - The East and Mid-Devon Rivers Catchment NMP project (Ref: ACD613)

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