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Summary

A catch meadow of probable 19th century date is visible as a series of earthwork ditches on aerial photographs of 1948 onwards, and on digital images derived from aerial photographs taken in 2014, at Higher Luxton Farm, Upottery, with which it was probably associated.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CATCH MEADOW (XIX - 1801 AD to 1900 AD (Between))

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1948, RAF/CPE/UK/2491, RAF/CPE/UK/2491 RP 3189-99 11-MAR-1948 (Aerial Photograph). SDV359578.

A series of earthwork ditches are visible.

Royal Air Force, 1971, RAF/39/3800, RAF/39/3800 V 068-69 06-OCT-1971 (Aerial Photograph). SDV359525.

A series of earthwork ditches are visible.

Next Perspectives, 2014, Aerial Photography for Great Britain, Next Perspectives APGB Imagery ST2111 08-SEP-2014 (Aerial Photograph). SDV359479.

Earthwork ditches are visible.

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

A catch meadow of probable 19th century date is visible as a series of earthwork ditches on aerial photographs of 1948 onwards, and on digital images derived from aerial photographs taken in 2014, at Higher Luxton Farm, Upottery, with which it was probably associated. Most 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. 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 March and April. The catch meadow covers an area of approximately 0.67 hectares of east facing slope to the northeast of Higher Luxton Farm. The system comprises a series of parallel gutters which measure less than 2m in width and appear to tap a spring-fed stream that rises to the south. This water meadow might have operated as what has been called an ‘integrated’ catch meadow, in which manure from the cow sheds within the farmyard was mixed with the water supply to supply liquid manure to the pasture.

Sources / Further Reading

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
SDV359479	Aerial Photograph: Next Perspectives. 2014. Aerial Photography for Great Britain. Digital. Next Perspectives APGB Imagery ST2111 08-SEP-2014.
SDV359525	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1971. RAF/39/3800. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/39/3800 V 068-69 06-OCT-1971. [Mapped feature: #77882 ]
SDV359578	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1948. RAF/CPE/UK/2491. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/CPE/UK/2491 RP 3189-99 11-MAR-1948.

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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