See important guidance on the use of this record.

If you have any comments or new information about this record, please email us.

Summary

Narrow curvilinear ditches were visible on aerial photographs of 1947 and later, and digital images derived from lidar data captured in 2016, on the gentle east-facing slopes south of Chaffhay Farm, Yarcombe parish. The ditches are probably 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 1947 AD? (Between))

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1975, RAF/CPE/UK/1975 RS 4125-4126 11-APR-1947 (Aerial Photograph). SDV359646.

Multiple narrow and shallow curvilinear ditches were visible as earthworks.

Next Perspectives, 2010, Aerial Photography for Great Britain, Next Perspectives APGB Imagery ST2506 23-MAY-2010 (Aerial Photograph). SDV359317.

Multiple narrow and shallow curvilinear ditches were visible as very sight earthworks.

Bluesky International, 2016, LiDAR DTM data (0.5m resolution) Blackdown Hills and East Devon AONBs: 3 transects, LIDAR ST2506 Bluesky International DTM 24-APR-2016 & 30-APR-2016 (Cartographic). SDV359714.

Multiple narrow and shallow curvilinear ditches were visible as very sight earthworks.

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

Three narrow and shallow roughly parallel curvilinear ditches were visible on aerial photographs of 1947 as very subtle earthworks on the gentle east-facing slopes south of Chaffhay Farm, Yarcombe parish.
The ditches are interpreted as the possible gutters of a substantial catch meadow irrigation system. Catch meadows were popular in the 19th century but many have an earlier origin and often continued in use into the mid-20th century.
The possible gutters were not depicted on any historic maps available to the survey but water could be seen flowing downslope from them on aerial photographs of 1947, possibly supporting the interpretation that the system remained operational into the mid-20th century. Visible water flow from the field boundary to the west also indicates the top gutter or headmain probably ran along the boundary ditch; this ditch is visible as an earthwork north of the field boundary.
The gutters remain visible as very slight earthworks on digital images derived from aerial photographs of 2010 and digital images derived from lidar data captured in 2016, but are near levelled.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV359317	Aerial Photograph: Next Perspectives. 2010. Aerial Photography for Great Britain. Aerial Photography for Great Britain Aerial Photographs. Digital. Next Perspectives APGB Imagery ST2506 23-MAY-2010.
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
SDV359646	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1947. RAF/CPE/UK/1975. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/CPE/UK/1975 RS 4125-4126 11-APR-1947. [Mapped feature: #78508 ]
SDV359714	Cartographic: Bluesky International. 2016. LiDAR DTM data (0.5m resolution) Blackdown Hills and East Devon AONBs: 3 transects. Not applicable. Digital. LIDAR ST2506 Bluesky International DTM 24-APR-2016 & 30-APR-2016.

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)

Search results generated by the HBSMR Gateway from exeGesIS SDM Ltd.