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Summary

Narrow curvilinear and roughly parallel ditches were visible on aerial photographs of 1946 on the south-facing slopes south of Clyst William Farm, Plymtree parish. The ditches are possibly the remains of a catch meadow of 19th century date.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CATCH MEADOW (Post Medieval to XX - 1540 AD to 1946 AD? (Between))

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1823, RAF/CPE/UK/1823 RS 4235-4236 04-NOV-1946 (Aerial Photograph). SDV354994.

Five curvilinear ditches or gutters were visible as earthworks.

Ordnance Survey, 1989, OS/89276, OS/89276 V 351-352 14-JUN-1989 (Aerial Photograph). SDV357047.

The ditches were not visible as earthworks and have probably been levelled.

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

Narrow, shallow and roughly parallel curvilinear ditches were visible on aerial photographs of 1946 as subtle earthworks on the gentle south-facing slopes west of Pitmeadow Plantation.
The ditches were up to 45 metres long and were visible over approximately 0.2 hectares of the slopes crossing the contours at almost 45 degrees.
The ditches are tentatively interpreted as the gutters of a small catch meadow irrigation system. Catch meadows were popular in the 19th century but many continued in use into the mid-20th century.
No evidence of recent use was visible on the aerial photographs of November 1947 and the system might have been disused by this date, although catch meadows were most typically operated in the spring. Catch meadow gutters also typically closely followed the contours of the slope whereas the ditches visible here obliquely crossed the contours. It must therefore be considered possible that the ditches were constructed for drainage, not irrigation.
The ditches were not visible as earthworks on aerial photographs of 1989 and have probably been levelled.

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 RS 4235-4236 04-NOV-1946. [Mapped feature: #77616 ]
SDV357047	Aerial Photograph: Ordnance Survey. 1989. OS/89276. Ordnance Survey. Photograph (Paper). OS/89276 V 351-352 14-JUN-1989.
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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